Vietnam Service – United States Air Force
“It only took me about a week for my eyes to be opened and to discover that Da Nang Air Force Bas was not a safe place. The sirens would go off and we could grab our helmets and flak vests and go get behind the sand bags and here would come the rockets. Da Nang, when I was there in 1970, was called Rocket City. We were fired on regularly, but I can’t say that I ever got used to it.
“The rockets always seemed to come of 0100 or 0200. I don’t think they knew where the rockets were going, but they got lucky and hit a C130, but while I was there they never got one of our F4 fighters. During my year, there were 21 rocket attacks and a total of 120 rounds.
“I was part of the ground support for two F4 fighters. One of my proudest moments was being nominated for the Gunfighter of the Month by my Colonel.
“I got to see a Bob Hope USO show with Connie Stevens and Johnny Bench and got a week with my wife Charlotte in Honolulu. He got married 28 days before I shipped out. I also almost got in trouble when I got sun burned on a three-day pass to China Beach. My sun burn was considered damage to government property.”