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An up close and personal interview with Air Force Veteran and Togetherweserved.com Member:
CMSgt Frank Millen (USAF 1958-1985)
WHAT PERSUADED YOU TO JOIN THE Air Force?
While in high school, around 1955 or 1956, I knew that I wanted to join the Air Force. I worked for a year after graduating in 1957 at an auto parts store. Finally, I enlisted on 2 December 1958 and flew off to Lackland to start my career.
BRIEFLY, WHAT WAS YOUR CAREER PATH?
After Basic and Tech school at Sheppard AFB, Texas I was assigned to Forbes AFB, Kansas to work on RB-47Ks. I was at Forbes when the Russians shot one of these down over the Barents Sea. When I reenlisted, I asked for an assignment to Pease AFB, New Hampshire. While there I worked on the flight line doing BPO inspections on B-47Es. During this time I was injured in a civilian plane crash. I was placed on light duty for a year as a result of that accident. Shortly after being released for full duty, in 1963, I asked for and received an assignment to Naha Air Base, Okinawa. I served as a flight line assistant crew chief and refuel team member on C-130A's. I had my first trip to Vietnam in 1964 which was during the beginning of the hostilities in Southeast Asia. I also served a couple of years at Mactan AB and Clark AB in the Philippines. Most of my time, during 1967-1969, was spent on TDY to Vietnam working on C-130s. I did all types of maintenance and repair on those aircraft.
I was stationed at Pope AFB, North Carolina in late 1969. I volunteered to attend Flight Engineer School at Sewart AFB in Tennessee and after graduating I returned to Pope where I did extensive follow-on training. I also did a 90-day TDY tour to Rhein Main AB in Germany, I visited several countries while I was there. Upon returning to Pope AFB, I volunteered for overseas duty and was stationed at Ching Chuan Kang AB, Taiwan, better known as CCK. It was from there that I began most of my flying duties on TDY into Southeast Asia, primarily to Tan Son Nhut AB, Vietnam, Utapao RTAFB, Thailand, and to Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, Thailand (also known as NKP).
DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN COMBAT OPERATIONS AND IF SO, WHICH ONES??
I accumulated 800 hours of combat flying time in Southeast Asia from 1970 through 1973. (Explained below.)
DID YOU RECEIVE ANY AWARDS FOR VALOR?
I was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses, six Air Medals, and the Silver Star.
[Editors Note, please see CMSgt Millen's Silver Star Citation opposite]
FROM YOUR ENTIRE SERVICE CAREER WHAT PARTICULAR MEMORY STANDS OUT AS BEING THE ONE WHICH HAS HAD THE LARGEST IMPACT ON YOU?
There are several that come to mind. In 1970 we flew the Bob Hope show from Thailand to Vietnam, we also did air drops at An Loc. I lost a lot of friends there during the Easter 1972 Offensive.
On the last day of the war, just before the cease-fire was announced in Paris, I was on a mission to the Dalat/Cam Ly Airfield in Vietnam to pick up some South Vietnamese cadets. We were to take them to various bases around South Vietnam so that they could spread the word about the upcoming cease-fire. Shortly after landing at Dalat-Cam Ly Airfield doing an engine running on load of the cadets, the field came under heavy mortar attack. Our plane was hit and received severe shrapnel damage. After a few hours on the ground, having replaced one main tire, we took off in a badly wounded plane. The Army folks said that if we had not gotten the plane out of there when we did that they would have been overrun during the night. We flew back to NKP on three engines with a heavy loss of the main hydraulic system and many holes in the fuselage. The entire crew was later awarded the Silver Star for our actions.
Forty eight hours later, on 29 January 1973, I became the flight engineer on the first aircraft to land in Hanoi after the cease-fire became affective; that mission had a high “pucker factor,” but it was completed without any incident. This was a very memorable incident for me, to say the least.
WHICH INDIVIDUAL PERSON WOULD YOU SAY HAS HAD THE MOST POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON YOUR AND YOUR CAREER AND WHY?
There were so many that to mention only a few I would be remiss in not mentioning them all. In my early years in the Air Force I was very impressed with the first group of Chief Master Sergeants that I served with. I set a goal to be a Chief myself one day, a goal I am happy to say I was able to accomplish.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?
 After leaving the service, I was involved in selling real estate. Then, I began investing in properties and remodeling homes which I then rented out or sold. I am now fully retired and enjoying life with a wonderful wife of 40 years.
HOW HAS SERVING IN THE ARMED FORCES INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU HAVE APPROACED YOUR LIFE AND CAREER?
The Air Force matured me, trained me, and made me realize how great it is to wake up every day and enjoy all of the freedoms that our military has preserved for us over all of these years.
HOW HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU TO MAINTAIN A BOND WITH THE SERVICE AND THOSE YOU SERVED WITH?
TWS is a great service. I spend lots of time just reviewing profiles and finding old friends from the service.
*Preparation of this interview was assisted by AFTWS Member Sgt Duane (Skip) Kimbrow.
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CMSgt Frank Millen
View CMSgt Millen's Shadowbox on TWS
View Silver Star Citation
Read Other Interviews in the TWS Voices Archive
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TWS VOICES
TWS Voices are the personal stories of men and women who served in the US Military and convey how serving their Country has made a positive impact on their lives. If you would like to participate in a future edition of Voices, or know someone who might be interested, please contact Major Wesley Prater HERE.
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For current and former serving Members of the United States Air Force, Army Air Corps, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard TogetherWeServed is a unique, feature-rich resource helping Airmen reconnect with lost Wingmen, share memories and tell their Air Force story.
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