B-52 Archives - TogetherWeServed Blog

Service Reflections of Capt Rockford Willett, U.S. Air Force (1980-1992)

My oldest brother served in the Army from 1964 – 1967 and survived a tour in Vietnam as a combat medic. I figured if he could do that and come back alive, I could do better in the US Air Force. I was married for about 18 months, quit a full-time job to “go back to school,” hated going back to school, and got a job as a “courtesy clerk” at Kroger. Although I had a lot of experience in stage lighting, no jobs were panning out for me in that area. Then I remembered my brother’s experience with the Army and decided to visit an Air Force recruiter and see what it was all about. I still remember the recruiter – TSGT Steiger.

Service Reflections of COL Earl Honeycutt, U.S. Air Force (1966-1998)

Air Force Reflections, Vietnam War

There are a variety of reasons for me joining the US Air Force. When I graduated from high school in May 1965, my best friend Jimmy Cooper joined the AF the next day and tried to convince me to go with him to Lackland. Jimmy may have convinced me had we had a plan, but he showed up one afternoon and said he was leaving on Friday and said–“Let’s go in together!”
Guess it was a little too quick and too much of a surprise for me. After working for six months and buying a Corvette, I received a letter from my local draft board instructing me to report for a pre-induction physical.
In 1966 about 50,000 men were being drafted each month! Having scored well on the AF test taken in high school, I decided to enlist and receive guaranteed training in electronics which was a new frontier at the time as far as I was concerned.

A Pilot’s Story from Tennessee Eagle Scouts to General Montgomery’s Flying Fortress by Richard Eager

Military Book Reviews, World War II

Some say the decades between 1930 and 1970 were the golden age of aviation. For many pilots, this was certainly the case. Aviation technology took a great leap forward during and after World War II. Pilots began testing the limits of their craft, from altitude to the sound barrier. Most importantly, the years saw the creation of the U.S. Air Force as an independent military branch. About the Author of A Pilot's Story from Tennessee Eagle Scouts Starting from a must-win air war like World...

Service Reflections of SSgt Charles Stringer, U.S. Air Force (1966-1972)

Air Force Reflections, Vietnam War

I was not able to attend college immediately after graduating from high school and began working as a carpenter for local construction companies. Many of my friends were in similar situations and were considering the military or had already joined. The more I thought about it, the more sensible it became. My lifelong love of airplanes and my private pilot training gravitated me toward the Air Force.

Vietnam War – A Shau Valley

Battlefield Chronicles, Vietnam War

The A Shau Valley is a rugged, remote passageway near the border of Laos and the Ho Chi Ming Trail in Thua Thien province. It runs north and south for twenty-five miles. It's low, mile-wide, flat bottomland is covered with tall elephant grass and flanked by two strings of densely forested mountains that vary from three to six thousand feet. Because of its forbidden terrain and remoteness - and the fact it was usually hidden from the air by thick canopy jungle and fog and clouds - it was a key...

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