To All Who Served, And Still Serve.... by RodS
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Today is and always has been a special day in my family. My dad served in WW-2 in the Army Air Corps, later to become the U.S. Air Force. He served for 20 years, and I remember us moving from one place to another when he was transferred every 2 or 3 years. We lived in many places; Cheyenne Wyoming, Oklahoma City Oklahoma, Dover Delaware, Okinawa Japan, Amarillo Texas,
I got out of High-School in 1968 - as the Vietnam War was in full operation. Not a good time to be draft-eligible. But I still wanted to serve, so I stopped by an Air Force recruiting office and signed up for 4 years. I didn't want to make a career out of it, as my dad did (thinking back, maybe I should have..). I went to Basic Training at Amarillo Air Force Base (the guys in my squad kept asking how I knew right where everything was... I finally broke down and told them. LOL), then went to specialty training in aircraft communications and guidance systems at Keesler AFB in Mississippi. As soon as I graduated from training, I got my assignment orders: Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, Udorn, Thailand.
That's where the quad of photos above are from. The Thais had a few planes there, but mostly it was our (USAF) stuff. Mostly a LOT of three variants of the legendary F4 Phantom twin-engine manned missiles. F4C air-to-air fighters, F4D fighter-bombers, and RF 4C reconnaissance platforms.
Photo 1: Installing a crystal for the guidance system of an AGM-12 Bullpup missile. I don't remember the Sarge's name but he was a cool dude. That's me on the other side of the missile. Our comm shop was responsible for stocking and installing the crystal unit (which determines the signal frequency for the missile's guidance system. Can't say much more about that.). You had to reach almost an arm's length into the nosecone of the missile, then feel your way around to plug it in - then pull a metal strap over it to keep the crystal from being affected by the "G" forces when it launches.
Photo 2: That's me in the cockpit of an F4-D checking out the communications systems before the mission. I was running through some checks and talking briefly with the control tower to assure all was as it should be.
Photo 3: Here's Sarge and my buddy Rick working on the Bullpup. Rick was from Ohio, and we had some good times together while stationed there.
Photo 4: Here I am posing with some things that go "boom!" Yes. I had hair back then.
This is just a little tribute for all those men and women that have chosen to serve our country - and especially those who gave all they had to give. May they never be forgotten, and may their sacrifices never be wasted by those who would destroy our Democracy - from the outside OR inside.
God Bless America, and all those who have served her and those that still do.
Perhaps one day our species will figure out how to live with and tolerate each other and our differences without killing each other. But I'm not holding my breath....
Thank you for viewing and any comments you wish to leave. I value them all.
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Comments (24)
ladylake
Thanks to you and all others who served and are serving now. We owe you a LOT.
RodS
Thank you, my friend! It was an honor and a pleasure to serve.
eekdog
some outstanding old photos of you and your father Rod. a impressive service from him. and a great tribute to all current and past vets. my high school was 75. my mother served in the air force for the three years back in the 60's and my stepfather also served until about 1971 or so. thank you vets for your brave service.
RodS
Thanks, Steve. Actually Dad's not in any of these - he retired long before I enlisted. 😉
eekdog
thanks for your service .
APlusDesign
Indeed, thanks to all those who served and are serving! Thank you for sharing your own personal story and photos, very beautiful tribute piece, not to mention very interesting to learn about the different things that you did there! Thank you for serving, and your father as well.
I don't think either that absolutely every single one of us will get along, but I think the good news is that I hope anyways that at least most of us can get along. Some don't realize it but maintaining peace is some ways is more difficult than maintaining a war. A war, a battle, a fight - death, pain, loss - all negative. I don't understand all those who seem to want to keep going back to it. Peace and tolerance may be difficult to do when people butt heads, but it is well worth the effort.
Wolfenshire
My grandfather was in the Army Air Corp at Ft. Benning. I went to Infantry Basic Training there, it was interesting when he came to visit on family day. Our Basic Training Camp was his old airbase.
mifdesign
You naughty boy!😊💝🥰
Glory and respect to ours who served and still serves!
My only little contribution I saved some marine asses in Iraq, remotely..
Your daddy will always be with you, God bless him!
Richardphotos
yesterday, I was speaking with my mail carrier and he asked me if I am a veteran. I said no. I asked him is he is one and he said no. I told him being a mail carrier, makes him a veteran
Richardphotos
happy Veterans day Rod. I got my draft notice( I was 18) and instead went to join. My left eye kept me out. the doctor kept trying imply that I was not telling the truth. unfortunately I was telling the truth. even now I still have the same problem, but being 79 years old, it does not bother me.
jdwtrxk
Well done Rod - I don't think many younger people today have any clue what it is to serve anything beyond their own interests...
I was tossed out of Naval Flight Training after failing a vision test. Sort of runs in the family; my father flew F6Fs through F8Us. My grandfather on one side was on flush deck destroyers.
I remember when the old man was called up in 1968. Flying F8Us then, rushing through carrer quals. When F4s passed through NAS Cecil Field; we had to wipe off fuel residue from the vehicles every morning....
thartwick1
Thanks for sharing these pics Rod. Thanks for your service.
g1tip
Thank you for your service.
Saby55 Online Now!
Thank you RodS for these amazing archive images and thank you to everyone who served 👍🙋♂️
starship64
Great set of pictures! I trained at Keesler too, in 1982, but my specialty was telecommunications systems control.
Richardphotos
a very long time friend in Oklahoma retired from the Post Office and retired from the navy, and retired from the board of education. we graduated in 1962. thanks for sharing these historical pictures
Richardphotos
the man on the bottom right looks like a a Native American. they proudly served also
FurNose
Awesome pictures Rod!
I always wanted to be a Aircraft mechanics in the Army or an "Aircraft Soldier" (thats what they call those, who do the job you did - preparing the jets, arming them and making them ready for the next flight etc.). However I had not much of luck. They had already enough of them and my qualifications did not convince them to take me anyway. So I ended up in a kind of Military Firefighters and rescuers. Not really what I had in Mind, but it was better and more interesting than the usual Rifleman. The Time I was drafted to the Army, my country's Air force had De Havilland Vampires and Venoms (yes, a few of those old wooden buggers where still around, even if not much any more), Hawker Hunters (the most beautiful Jetfighter ever - I loved it), Mirage III and F5E-Tiger II. I would have done almost everything to be around the Hawker Hunter always and as close as possible.
Hilda_Starseer
I know saying "Thank you for your service" will never be enough, I do deeply appreciate all that did and still do. I'll never forget that men like you sacrificed part of you life to protect me and my family and especially those that paid the ultimate sacrifice for me and others.
May God Bless You All and forever keep you in His loving embrace.
Radar_rad-dude
I tip my hat off to you Rod! By some strange quirk of fate, I barely missed entering the military back in the early 70s have 3 number higher than the lottery that one year. All five of my older brothers served in one form or another over the years tho. Thanks for sharing your memories and photos! You are a tribute to your nation!
Steff_7
Thanks to all in the Services and those who support them and wonderful piece of history you have uploaded here. Superb :)
STEVIEUKWONDER
Good to look at old pictures Rod. I congratulate you on your service to your country as I am humbled by all those men and women who served their respective countries.
anahata.c
i skipped over an image to be sure to comment on this before I go, this morning...I'll be back for the other one soon...I just wanted to acknoweldge your Veterans Day piece, with a wonderful memory of your Dad (from whom you must've learned a lot, in knowledge, character, heart and commitment), and some great photos, along with your descriptions. It must've been awe-inducing to know that all your work was done to ready these planes for combat; and that others relied on you and your cohorts for their safety and their lives. And 4 years...I take my hat off to you! A wonderful upload. And you lived in all those places---did you learn Japanese? Or Thai? I can understand why you must feel something indescribable anytime you see a plane; and anytime you see a service person. My hat goes off to you and to all the others who've served. We all are and should remain forever grateful. A really fine VDay piece, Rod. Many thanks.
coyoteviper
wow! awesome. and you had hair. lol. all my service time i had to sport what was called a black sheep special....bald. lol. awesome though. a good bit of family history between you and you father. that means something special.
poser4me Online Now!
Wow that's cool. My dad repaired tanks in Germany in the 70's. He had some stories to tell.
UteBigSmile
OMG lil brother I missed this one, it's such a great Tribute for your Dad and yourself- Just love these old captures!!! My dad served before the WW-2 in the german merchant navy, then when the war broke out he was stationed as a submariner in Larochelle (France) and spent 2 years in South Carolina as a prisoner of war after 'Rommel calls Cairo'. He worked there in the cotton fields and always raved about the eggs with bacon. In the early 1945 he came back home and end of 1946 I was born a post-war child!