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OTHER SERVICES VOICES: MARINES • NAVY • AIR FORCE • ARMY • COAST GUARD
An up close and personal interview with Air Force Veteran and Air Force.Togetherweserved.com Member: SMSgt James Burns, Ret (USAF 1959-1979) WHAT PERSUADED YOU TO JOIN THE Air Force? I grew up as an airplane nut and always had an interest in military aircraft. My Dad had served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army as an instructor in the 82nd Airborne during WW II. He had not served in combat, but trained troops to parachute into combat and I was always proud of his service. Three of my best friends in high school and I had decided to drop out of school in our senior year and join the U.S. Navy. I had gotten married about half way through my senior year and when I told my parents and my wifeï¿½??s parents of my plans to join the Navy, they convinced me to finish high school before joining the service, so that's what I did. my buddies had already gone into the Navy and since I liked the Air Force better, I went my own way and joined the Air Force as soon as school was out. It was like I was following my dream when I joined the Air Force in June 1969. It also provided me with a way to support my wife and learn a trade. BRIEFLY, WHAT WAS YOUR CAREER PATH? It seemed that I was well on my way to my goal of being a jet fighter mechanic when I was sent from basic training at Lackland AFB, TX. to Sheppard AFB, TX. where I would await my tech school assignment. After about three weeks at Sheppard, checking the bulletin board postings each day for my name for a school assignment, it finally showed up. There it wasï¿½?ï¿½.Helicopter Mechanic School ï¿½?ï¿½ Helicopter Mechanic School??? I never put in for that! I wanted to be a jet fighter mechanic. Needless to say I went off, very disappointed, to the class as I was ordered. Even if this was not what I wanted I was determined to study hard and be a good mechanic. After about two weeks of school one of the instructors started telling us about what we should expect once we got out of school and to our operating unit. He told us a lot about working in an operational unit and during his talk he mentioned that there was a good chance that we could end up on flying status as a crew chief and fly as a crew member. That really caught my attention, I had never even thought about getting to fly as a crew member. This totally changed my outlook and all of the sudden I had a total change of attitude about my assigned career field. My first operational assignment was at Suffolk County AFB, NY. on H-19A/B helicopters, which were replaced by HH-43B helicopters about a year and half later. After about a year at this assignment, it did get on flying status and I was in heaven, plus the flight pay was a great help as well. After four years I was transferred to the 31st ARS at Clark AB, PI, on H-19Bï¿½??s which were replaced after a couple of months with HH-43Bï¿½??s. While at Clark, in June 1964, I was sent on a five month TDY to Nakhon Phanom, Thailand with the first Air Rescue helicopter unit to be sent into the Vietnam War. Our mission was aircrew recovery in Laos, North Vietnam & Vietnam using our HH-43B helicopters. After my tour at Clark AB ended in January 1966 I was assigned to Sheppard AFB on the HH-43B as part of the helicopter pilot school. Then in March 1967 I was assigned PCS to Nha Trang AB, RVN with the 20th Helicopter Squadron ï¿½??Green Hornetsï¿½?? flying on the UH-1F/P Huey. Next, from March 1968 to March 1969 I was assigned to the HH-3C/E ARS unit at Patrick AFB, FL. Then from March 1969 to March 1970 I was back at Nakhon Phanom, Thailand for a one year tour with the 21st Special Operations Squadron ï¿½??Dust Devilsï¿½?? on CH-3E helicopters. From there I was assigned to the 1st Helicopter Squadron at Andrews. AFB, MD on CH-21Cï¿½??s, UH-1F/Nï¿½??s and CH-3E helicopters. In June of 1971 I took and assignment as the HH-3E helicopter Standardization Flight Engineer at the 39th ARRWg Hq on Eglin AFB. This was my dream job, but the Air Force had a different use for me, so in September of 1972 I was re-assigned as the CH-3E Flight Engineer NCOIC with the 5040th Helicopter Squadron at Elmendorf AFB, AK. From there, in October of 1975, I was assigned to the re-activated 20th Special Operations Squadron ï¿½??Green Hornetsï¿½?? at Hurlburt Field, FL., as NCOIC of the enlisted flight crews. Another dream job plus it was the area my family and I were planning to live after retirement. Once again, however, the Air Force had a different use for me and in early 1967 I was assigned as Deputy Commander for Maintenance (a non-flying job) with a UH-1N unit at Indian Springs AAF, NV. In June 1979 I retired with the rank of Senior Master Sergeant (E-8) from this assignment and moved my family to Ft. Walton Beach, FL. I spent my entire career with USAF helicopters, on flying statues for just under eighteen years, and enjoyed the opportunities and experiences of my career. DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN COMBAT OPERATIONS AND IF SO, WHICH ONES? Yes, the 5 month TDY assignment flying on HH-43Bï¿½??s from Nakhon Phanom, Thailand was a combat assignment; however I did not have any actual combat missions during that time. Then in 1967-1968 I completed a combat tour with the 20th Helicopter Squadron ï¿½??Green Hornetsï¿½?? flying on the UH-1F/Pï¿½??s. I had a second combat tour at Nakhon Phanom, Thailand with the 21st Special Operations Squadron on the CH-3E helicopters. The 1964 TDY was with a Air Rescue Unit and the 67-68 & 69-70 tours were in support of the MACV SOG Special Forces team and the 69-70 assignment was also in support of the ï¿½??Secret Warï¿½?? in Laos. The support of the MACV SOG teams involved inserting the teams into landing zones in enemy areas of Cambodia, Laos, North Vietnam and South Vietnam and the extracting them, often under fire, when their presence became known to the enemy. During these two tours I accumulated 476 hours of combat flying time and 85 hours of combat support flying time and was awarded five Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Bronze Star and thirteen Air Medals for my combat actions. YOUR WERE AWARDED THE Distinguished Flying cross. CAN YOU PLEASE DESCRIBE HOW THIS WAS EARNED? I was received five separate awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross. One in particular was received for actions on 18 September 1969 for counterinsurency operations in hostile territory airlifting ground forces to safety. [Editors Note: SMSgt Burns has provided a description of counterinsurgency operations in Laos on 19 September 1969, published separately at his own website. Click the link opposite to read that full description. SMSgt Burns received a total of 5 Distinguished Flying Cross awards during his career. Click the link opposite for the Citation of the award he received for the operation of 19 September 1969.] FROM YOUR ENTIRE SERVICE CAREER WHAT PARTICULAR MEMORY STANDS OUT AS BEING THE ONE WHICH HAS HAD THE LARGEST IMPACT ON YOU? The two combat tours have to stand out the most, with several specific missions during them leaving lasting memories. Getting our teams out safely from enemy held territory, after they had been in fire fights and on the run, involved a few minutes of terror and fear followed by the euphoric high of successfully completing the extraction. I also participated in many rescues of both military and civilian survivors of accidents during peace time, all of which were very rewarding as well. WHICH INDIVIDUAL PERSON WOULD YOU SAY HAS HAD THE MOST POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON YOUR AND YOUR CAREER AND WHY? First and foremost this has to be my wife, without her support and ability to continue to raise and care for our family during my many absences I would not have had a service career. Of my fellow service members I think the individual who had the biggest impact would be my first NCOIC, Al Reed. He led by example with his can-do attitude, dedication to duty, and his ability to share his experience in the helicopter maintenance field, all of which were leading reasons that I stayed in the Air Force. Beyond Al Reed, there are the numerous Pilots and fellow Flight Engineersï¿½??/Door Gunners (too many to list by name) that I shared flight crew duties with that because of their courage, professionalism, training and dedication I made it back to base safely after each mission. WHAT CAREER PATH DID YOU FOLLOW AFTER THE SERVICE AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? During my service career I obtained my Bachelors degree in Social Physiology and was planning a post retirement career counseling, however while I was looking for employment in that field I took a temporary job at a convenience store. After thirty years, Iï¿½??m still with the convenience store chain, Tom Thumb Food Stores, a division of Kroger, as a Vice President in our division. HOW HAS SERVING IN THE ARMED FORCES INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU HAVE APPROACED YOUR LIFE AND CAREER? It gave me a strong sense of responsibly and dedication to my family, my country and my employers. Even though my ï¿½??retirementï¿½?? career has nothing to do with my Air Force career field I credit my leadership experience and training in the Air Force directly to my success in my current career field. The principles of dedication, honestly, leadership and the experiences working with people from all walks of life that I gained during my Air Force career apply to all walks of life. HOW HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU TO MAINTAIN A BOND WITH THE SERVICE AND THOSE YOU SERVED WITH? Itï¿½??s said that you can leave (or retire) from the service, but the service never leaves you. I find that to be very true and Togetherweserved.com is a place that makes me feel right at home. Togetherweserved.com has provided a place where all veterans of all services can re-connect with those with whom they have served. It brought me back to my service roots and gave me and three of my fellow Air Force 21st SOS Flight Engineers ideas for our website, rotorheadsrus.us, where we have given our fellow USAF helicopter maintainers and crew members a place to re-connect, share our stories and photos - a hanger or sorts to park our experiences. Togetherweserved.com provides the same opportunity for all service members. By being a member of Togetherweserved.com I have a place to share my career assignments, photos and experiences and an easy way for others to re-connect by units of assignment.	SMSgt James Burns View SMSgt Burn's Shadowbox on TWS SMSgt Burn's description of counterinsurgency operations in Laos, 19 September 1969 Distinguished Flying Cross Citation
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