COLONEL, USAF (RET)
Entered Air Force 26 April 1958
AFROTC Commission 17 December 1957 Southern Illinois university
Retired 31 December 1985
Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal @ 9 OLC
Meritorious Service Medal @ 3 OLC AF Commendation Medal
Combat Readiness Medal @ 10LC National Defense Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal @ BSS
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award @ 4 OLC and V device
Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry @ Palm
Republic of Vietnam campaign Medal Various gongs for longevity,
marksmanship etc.
AIRCRAFT FLOWN: T-34, T-28, T-33, T-37, T-38, C-45, C-47,
KC-135, B-47E, B-52C, D, E, F, G, and H.
The BUF (B-52) became my favorite aircraft one night six hundred
miles west of Guam. With one engine shutdown, number six engine
blew up and damaged number five. The remaining flight was made
on five and one half engines. I began to appreciate the old
girl.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Lackland AFB, TX preflight 1958 Bartow AB, FL primary Flight
Training 1958 Greenville AFB, MS Basic Flight Training 1958-1959
Stead AFB, NV Survival School 1959 McConnell AFB, KS B-47 CCTS
1959 Schilling AFB, KS B-47 Gunnery School 1959 Little Rock AFB,
AR 545th BS, 384th BMW 1959-1964 B-47 Reflex-Sidi Slimane AB,
Nouasseur AB. Ben Gureire AB. Morocco
Zaragoza AB, Spain and Greenham Common, UK 1961-1964 Pease AFB,
NH 351st BS, 100th BMW 1964-1966 B-47 Reflex-Torrejon AFB, Spain
1964-1966 Castle AFB, CA B-52 CCTS 1966 Clinton-Sherman AFB, OK
6th BS, 70th BMW 1966-1969
ARCLIGHT--Andersen AFB, GU, Kadena AFB, Okinawa, U-Tapao AB,
Thailand 1968-1969 Blytheville AFB, AR 340th BS, 97th BMW
1969-1972 ARCLIGHT--U-Tapao Thailand 1971 Castle AFB, CA 4017th
CCTS, 328th BS, 93rd BMW 1972-1977 March AFB, CA 15th Air Force
1977-1979 Fairchild AFB, WA 92nd BMW 1979-1981 Blytheville AFB,
AR 42nd Air Division 1981-1982 Minot AFB, ND 57th Air Division
1982-1985
POSITIONS HELD:
Copilot, Stan-eval B-47E Copilot, Pilot, Instructor Pilot, and
Stan-eval B-52 D,E,F,G and H Director of Academic Training
4017th CCTS, Castle AFB, CA 1975 Operations officer, 328th BS,
93rd BMW, Castle AFB, CA 1976 Commander, 328th BS, 93rd BMW.
Castle AFB, CA 1976-1977 Chief of Training, 15th Air Force,
March AFB, CA 1977-1978 Deputy Director of Training, 15th Air
Force, March AFB, CA 1979 Assistant Deputy Commander for
Operations, 92nd BMW, Fairchild
AFB, WA 1979-1980 Deputy Commander for Operations, 92nd BMW,
Fairchild AFB, WA 1980-1981 Director of Operations, 42nd AD
Blytheville AFB, AR 1981-1982 Resource Manager and Assistant to
Commander, 57th AD, Minot AFB,ND 1982-1985
CAMPAIGNS AND COMBAT EXPERIENCE:
Three ARCLIGHT Tours Five air campaigns
208 missions, logging 1337 hours of combat time, of which only
about ten minutes were combat, that is, they shot back.
NICKNAMES:
Hoop--obvious
Major Hoople--after the cigar smoking character in the cartoon
"Our Boarding House". I was a major, smoked cigars, the name was
similar and some said I was a character.
HABU--I was the AC of the Clinton-Sherman 'Snake Crew' in 1968.
It is a long story, buy me a drink sometime and I might tell it,
or you can read about it in my book if it ever gets published.
HIGHLIGHTS:
I spent twenty-eight years in the Air Force and never had an
accident or serious incident with an aircraft. I never had a
crewmember under my command as an AC, Commander or DCO killed,
injured, or involved in a serious incident with an aircraft.
That does not include my CP who broke his neck while off duty
which is another long story.
I have probably shut down more engines during ARCLIGHT than
anyone. I flew number three a lot in 68 and got the real dogs.
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