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An up close and personal interview with U.S. Air Force Veteran and Togetherweserved.com Member:
MSgt John Fields U.S. Air Force (Ret) (1955-1976)
PLEASE DESCRIBE WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO JOIN THE AIR FORCE?
Explaining how I came to enlist in the Air Force is a long story. I'll try and condense it a bit. It all started in the summer of 1955 on a ranch in the southern part of Oregon in a little town called Bonanza where my grandparents lived. My grandfather was the US Marshall there and my grandmother raised chickens and flowers. I was working on a hay ranch bailing and hauling the hay into the rancher's barn for storage. It was a good job for staying in shape, lifting 100 lb bales all day.
One day when we came into the bunk house the rancher came in and told us we were all fired and paid us off and kicked us out, no explanation or anything. Come to find out later that one of the ranch hands was messing around with the wife, and got caught. We all paid for that indiscretion.
I started up my old Ford and headed into town to pick up my two brothers who were staying at our grandparents where we devised a plan on what to do next and decided to go on an adventure to San Francisco. But, before we could do that we had to take some current license plates off one of my grandparent's old cars and put them on mine, as mine had expired and I didn't have the money to spend on plates. My car was registered in Washington State and that would have required transferring to Oregon, more money and time.
I don't remember exactly how much money my final pay was from haying, but we left for San Francisco and made it as far as the Golden Gate where we ran out of gas and money. There is a small town on the north end of the bridge called San Rafael, where we pushed the car into an abandon service station and then hiked across the  Golden Gate Bridge and into the downtown of San Francisco. We decided it wasn't much fun being broke in the big city so, hiked back across the bridge to see what we could do about my car.
Being teenagers and not too smart we decided to siphon some gas from local cars to get us back home. Well we soon got caught by the local gendarmes and were put in jail until they could figure out what to do with us. They questioned us and checked out the car. They wanted to know what we were doing in California in a car that was registered in Washington, with Oregon license plates. It didn't look good for us.I thought I might lose my car for sure over that. They took us to the local juvenile detention home, where we were their guests for about two weeks.
Just before or after Thanksgiving they gave us $75 and my car, which was serviced and full of gas and told us to head home to Portland and don't stop .They also told us the they had cleared the way for us to proceed without being detained by the highway patrol and the Oregon state police and to let us proceed to Portland. We were stopped once by the Oregon police at the border and questioned but but they soon let us proceed on to Portland.
After leaving the San Rafael area going North you pass by Travis AFB at Vacaville, as we passed the base I told my brothers that when we got back to Portland that I was going to enlist in the Air Force. The seed was planted and I had a plan.
We finally arrived home with no help from Mother Nature, as it snowed on us from the middle of the state all the way to Portland. We slid into the ditch in Eugene but managed to push the car back on the road and continue on.
True to my word I went downtown Portland the next day to the recruiting office and signed up for the Air Force. When I walked into the main lobby of the recruiting office, there were 5 desks, one for each branch of the service. One of the representatives asked me which branch I wanted to join and I replied the Air Force because I like the uniform best.
 Well, I went through all the hoops, tests, physical and counseling, etc so I was ready to go. One problem, the recruiting Sergeant told me to bring in a copy of my birth certificate and the permission papers signed by my parents. I didn't have a copy of my birth certificate and wasn't sure what I was going to do as I was only sixteen and seventeen was the minimum age with parents permission to enlist. The recruiter sent me up the street to the Bureau of Vital Statistics where I could obtain a copy of my birth certificate. I went into the office and told the clerk there what I needed. She was a young good looking girl probably a little older than me. She came back in awhile with my birth certificate and asked me what I needed it for. I told her I was enlisting in the Air Force and they needed proof of my age. She looked at the form, and said do you know this shows you were born in 1939 not 1938, this makes you only 16. I said yes, I know. I thought now, I've had it I will never get in the service. The clerk asked me if I wanted a copy of the certificate or a smaller laminated card with the same information that I could carry in my wallet. I optioned for the card since it cost the same amount, $2.00.
She came back in a few minutes with the card, I paid her and thanked her for the help and returned to the recruiting office where I showed the recruiter the card and he checked off my paperwork and told me to report the next morning for transportation to San Francisco and eventually to Parks AFB at Pleasanton.
After I got home that evening I looked at the card showing my birth date and it showed my birth date as 1938. The gal at the vital statistics office had typed an "8" instead of a "9". I often wondered if she did it on purpose or it was a typing error. I lean toward (on purpose).
Welcome to the start of my Air Force career. Eventually my two brothers followed me into the Air Force, one became a Crew Chief on a KC-97 stationed at Bangor Maine, and the other a Supply Tech stationed on the Dew Line in Newfoundland.
WHETHER YOU WERE IN THE SERVICE FOR SEVERAL YEARS OR AS A CAREER, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE DIRECTION OR PATH YOU TOOK. WHAT WAS YOUR REASON FOR LEAVING?
Being young and dumb, (remember I was only sixteen years old), I was just glad to get in the service and see the world. I was so dumb I didn't even know they paid you for your time. When I got my first pay, about $78 a month, minus deductions, you were lucky to end up with about $60. Anyway, that was a nice surprise to me.
During Basic they tested us for aptitude and what we could qualify for job wise. They gave us career choices based on our aptitude scores and I scored high in the mechanical field. So, I put down auto mechanic, helicopter mechanic, jet engine mechanic, and a couple more that I don't even remember.
 When our first assignment orders came out I was assigned to the 91st Strat Recon Wing, Lockbourne AFB in Ohio as a Personnel Specialist. I asked the assignment clerk, what is a Personnel Specialist? He replied that it was similar to what he did, working in an office. I inquired, well what happened to all of my choices in the mechanical fields. He replied, "well the Air Force assigns based on the needs of the service, and at the moment they needed clerks and no mechanics. Besides that the Air Force wants to train you in the way they want you trained, not in what you experienced in civilian life".
When I arrived at Lockbourne AFB, I was glad I was working in an office as it was winter and very cold outdoors in those hangers.
I continued in the Personnel field and received some very nice assignments because of it, including two assignments to AFROTC units working with students who eventually became Officers and lasting friendships.
IF YOU PARTICIPATED IN ANY MILITARY OPERATIONS, INCLUDING COMBAT, HUMANITARIAN AND PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS, PLEASE DESCRIBE THOSE WHICH WERE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT TO YOU AND, IF LIFE-CHANGING, IN WHAT WAY.
The experience that sticks out the most in my mind was the attack on Ton Son Nkut Air Base in January 1967, when we came under mortar attack from the Viet Cong. The air base was being shelled by the Cong, with explosions going off everywhere and gun shots ringing in your ears. Most of the time we spent in bunkers. The drone of helicopters could be heard and the sky was lit up with flares. The sight the next morning was something else. Lots of destruction, and Viet Cong bodies lying everywhere. It seems they had penetrated the base perimeter with the inside help of Vietnamese that worked on base. I recognized a couple of the clerks that worked in the base exchange. The bodies were stacked up like cord wood behind the morgue.
It is hard to take the images of war, but there it was. From then on I took nothing for granted. and was always vigilante.
In digging through some of my old clippings from my tour in Vietnam, I ran across a clipping from the Stars and Stripes newspaper with the headlines of the attack on Ton Son Nhut AB. I had originally thought and stated that the attack took place in January 1967 during the Tet Offensive. I was informed that the Tet Offensive had taken place in 1968. That's what I get for trying to remember details 40 years plus, after the fact. I guess I am getting old, as I have forgotten a lot that went on over there.
 It turns out that the attack was in December 1966, and not Jan 67, as I remembered, so at least it corrects some of my memories. I am going to type the story as it appeared in the Stars and Stripes, because the type in the article is too small and won't come out in the photo I took. Headlines Saigon: " Two Viet Cong squads dropped more than 40 rounds of mortars on Tan Son Nhut Air Base in a 2-hour attack Sunday morning, a U.S. spokesman said. During the attack an estimated platoon of VC broke through the base perimeter but security elements killed 17 of the attackers and captured one.
U.S. and allied forces on the base suffered light casualties,the spokesman said. (Meanwhile, at a billet in downtown Saigon, what was believed to be an explosive charge wounded 9 American Army personnel, some seriously, the Associated Press reported. The building blasted is called the Jinh Do, which adjoins the main headquarters of the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID). Windows in the AID building were shattered by the blast, but there apparently were no casualties or other damage there.) In the air base attack, preliminary reports indicated only light damage, the spokesman said. The mortar attack began at 1:30 a.m. Sunday and continued until about 3:20 a.m.
One VC mortar round exploded a few yards from the Pacific Stars & Stripes news bureau, damaging an apartment house Officials had no immediate estimate of how many rounds hit other areas outside the air base. The enemy mortar positions were 1 1/2 miles north and 2 miles west of Tan Son Nhut, which is on the outskirts of Saigon. Armed helicopters and counters mortar fire hammered the Viet Cong positions with minutes after the attack began. The enemy emplacements were hit throughout the night by U.S. flare ships. A Republic of Vietnam Army reaction forced was sent to sweep the mortar positions. The Jinh Do, a former theater, houses a headquarters of a U.S. Army psychological warfare unit and part of it is used as a transit billet. The same building was damaged by a Viet Cong bomb in 1963."
 Not all was war in Vietnam, one operation that I am very proud of was what I called operation " Help the Orphan kids" Out of every war there are always the innocent people that suffer on the sidelines. The Vietnam War was no exception. The kids were the ones in this case. The orphans were specifically hit hard, they may have lost everything, their homes, their families, their youth. They didn't have the luxury of being kids, they were left alone to survive on their own.
There was one place wheres they could find help and some of the security that they needed, and that was one of the orphanages located somewhere outside of the city of Saigon. There was a group of us airmen that more or less looked after this place. On the weekends when we would get a day off, we would check a truck out of the motor pool, and drive to the facility, through the jungle, which was controlled and patrolled by the V.C.We were told by the priest at the school, that the VC would not harm us because we were there to help the kids, and so it was, we were never bothered by them. Although we were all armed and dressed and ready for trouble.
I had told my wife of this project and what the kids were in need of, and together we worked on a plan to get some more help from stateside. So on her end, she contacted the Catholic church in Columbus, Ohio, where she attended and set of a campaign to help the kids.  I had told her what was needed most by the orphans, which was clothes, especially underwear, and toiletries, soap, toothpaste, etc. Well the church really came through for us. My wife soon ran out of room at home for everything that was collected and the shear volume of goods of all kinds that was collected, and it still was coming.
So through some of my contacts and connections at Lockbourne AFB, I arranged for all of the items to be collected and stored at the base until we could ship them, I also made a deal to have the items transported by the Air Force on a cargo plane and delivered to Tan Son Nhut. After arrival,we loaded the items on trucks and hauled it to the orphanage. Needless to say, there were some happy kids that day.,which made the effort all worth while.
I lost track of the school after I returned stateside, so I don't know what happened to it later when the south was overrun by the north. I can only hope everything was fine.
I was one of NCO's that lived off base because of no billeting on base for NCO's. Along with 10 other NCO;s we rented a 10 room house not far from base. We had an 2300 hr curfew to observe. So one night one of my roommates decides to go out to the local bar around the corner and was shot by a pajama clad Cong, hard lesson to learn, but none of us went out again at night. It didn't seem to matter to the Cong that we stayed in doors and out of sight.
One morning we all woke up to a very strange sight. During the night someone came into the house and robbed us of our possessions. It turns out the Vietnamese had a habit of doing this by slipping a hose in thru the windows and turning on some kind of gas that put us to sleep, they then just walked in and relieved us of our possessions. We all considered our selves very lucky that night.
My trip home to the states was an experience in itself and worth mentioning. It all started at the air terminal at Ton Son Nhut where most personnel came into Vietnam and departed either home or up country. I was early and waiting for the boarding to take place .jpg) along with several others including several senior Officers, NCO's and Army and Air Force personnel. I don't remember if there were any Marines aboard.
Anyway, a Security Policeman that I knew was doing the duty of escorting personnel to the aircraft which was a Pan American civilian plane contracted by the government to transport G.I.s back and forth. Before he started he came over to me and told me to follow him, then he escorted me to the aircraft first ahead of everyone. I pretty much had my choice of seats. I often wondered what all of the senior officers and NCO's that boarded behind me thought about my boarding first.
We were all boarded and the plane was taxing out to the runway for take off, and just as we reached the end of the runway, where the crew normally made their final check, the plane didn't even slow down, the captain came on over the sound system and told us to hang on, that it was going to be a rough take off.. We weren't sure what he meant but as we rolled down the runway he poured the coal to the engines then we could hear explosions behind us. It turned out the VC were lobbing mortars down the runway behind us, we lifted off and were clear of the attack and finally on our way home. There was a loud roar from everyone screaming and clapping expressing their relief and compliments to the Captain. The rest of the flight to Travis AFB. was was pretty quite and routine. I think I slept most of the way.
 We deplaned the aircraft and proceeded to customs, since I didn't have any baggage except a brief case, that held 6 -40 oz bottles of liquor, scotch and Seagrams 7 whiskey. The customs official asked me if I had anything to declare and I replied liquor. I opened my briefcase, thinking to myself, here is where I loose some of my booty. He looked at the case and said, "Were you aware that you are allowed only 2 bottles?" I said, "Yes". He reached for my briefcase and shut the lid and said, "Welcome home, and have a nice day." He also told me I might want to change into civilian clothes before I left, as there were anti-Vietnam protesters outside. I thanked him and left.
My folks picked me up outside and we left for Fort Ord Army base, where they were staying with my sister and her husband who was in the Army stationed there. He was soon to depart for Vietnam in a few weeks. After my visit, I left for southern California, Riverside area where my two brothers, both Air Force veterans, took me to March AFB, where I managed to obtain a hop on an Air Force aircraft back East.
We soon boarded the aircraft and took off; I was the only one in the back and the Pilot and Co-Pilot were in the cockpit. The pilot gave me a set of headphones to stay in contact with them, which came in handy in about 20 minutes in route. I was looking out the porthole and noticed fire and smoke coming out of an engine. I was in contact with the pilot on the headset and informed him of the problem. He said something, probably a cuss word, and then said we would be returning to March.
 Well, we returned to March where they took 12 hours to change the engine and we were ready to take off again. I took my seat and put the headphones on again, kicked back ready for a nap, and a long ride home." Not so fast Pilgrim" I looked out the porthole and again saw fire and smoke coming from another engine, I informed the pilot that he wasn't going to believe this but another engine was on fire. Whatever he said I don't remember, except back to March AFB. This time when we went into the terminal I told the crew and the personnel on duty, that I appreciated their help, but after a year in Vietnam I didn't want to go down in flames in the States, so I was going to LAX and get a ticket home to Columbus, Ohio. I don't remember how I did it, but I got a ride on a helicopter to LAX, and got a ticket home. The rest of the trip was uneventful.
OF ALL YOUR DUTY STATIONS OR ASSIGNMENTS, WHICH ONE DO YOU HAVE FONDEST MEMORIES OF AND WHY? WHICH ONE WAS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE?
Without a doubt the assignments I had to the AFROTC units, Det 695 and Det 895. I was about the same age as most of the students who would later become Officers and lasting friendships to this day. Some have fallen, especially in Vietnam, but others to age and health problems. I still keep in contact with retirees.
FROM YOUR ENTIRE SERVICE, INCLUDING COMBAT, DESCRIBE THE PERSONAL MEMORIES WHICH HAVE IMPACTED YOU MOST?
One of my duty assignments was with the 91st Tactical Hospital at Lockbourne AFB, while stationed there I was detailed to clean up the remains of an Airman who was sucked into the turbine engine on a B-47. He unfortunately walked in front of the engine while they were starting it up. Needless to say there wasn't much left of him. Hard learned lesson.
OF ALL THE MEDALS, AWARDS, FORMAL PRESENTATIONS AND QUALIFICATION BADGES YOU RECEIVED, OR ANY OTHER MEMORABILIA, PLEASE DESCRIBE THOSE WHICH ARE THE MOST MEANINGFUL TO YOU AND WHY?
 The award of the Bronze Star Medal for my service in Vietnam. I am most proud of it. I also was awarded 3 Air Force Commendation Medals which I am proud of.
WHICH INDIVIDUAL(S) FROM YOUR TIME IN THE MILITARY STAND OUT AS HAVING THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOU AND WHY?
That would be Colonel Francis H C Zeck, who was my commander and mentor at the University of Portland. He inspired me to do things that I didn't know I was capable of doing. We became very good friends over the years and after we both retired. I visited him at many locations before and after retirement. It was a sad day when I had to attend his funeral at the National Nemetery in Portland Oregon a few years back.
The one regret I have is not going to work for him at Randolph AFB, in Texas after he invited me. Had I done so, I would probably have retired a Chief Master Sergeant instead of a Master Sergeant.
CAN YOU RECOUNT A PARTICULAR INCIDENT FROM YOUR SERVICE WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FUNNY AT THE TIME, BUT STILL MAKES YOU LAUGH?
 Not really. It seems for the most part my career was pretty serious. Although, maybe not funny at the time but in recounting the event, it might seem funny, and serious.
At Moron AB in Spain I was assigned an additional duty as an infiltrator on the flight line. The security police was checking for security violations and it was my job as an infiltrator to deliver a paper bomb onto or as close as I could to an aircraft sitting on the flight line. I was in civilian clothes of course and proceeded out to the flight line and approached one of the aircraft when a couple of jeeps full of AP's surrounded me with guns, grabbed me and flung me on the ground.
The Officer that was with the AP's, started interrogating me, put me in the jeep and hauled me back to their office. After some intense questioning, I told him to call the Major that I was working for and he would vouch for me. He did and I was soon released. Quite an experience. I think they passed the test.
WHAT PROFESSION DID YOU FOLLOW AFTER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY SERVING, WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY?
 I had the fortunate opportunity to learn the upholstery business while still in the service. I started several shops while at different bases. Upon retirement it was easy for me to start up another shop. While doing that I went back to school at Oregon Institute of Technology and received my degree in Diesel Technology which then gave me an opportunity to go to work for the State of Oregon as a Commercial Carrier Enforcement Officer. Our responsibility was to monitor weights and measure and safety of commercial vehicles. I worked for the State for 12 years and decided to retire from that when my youngest son graduated from the Merchant Marine Academy in New York. He was commissioned an ensign in the US Navy embarking on a career in the reserves attaining the rank of Commander (0-5).
After he graduated I slowed down a lot and just played with my old cars.
WHAT MILITARY ASSOCIATIONS ARE YOU A MEMBER OF, IF ANY? WHAT SPECIFIC BENEFITS DO YOU DERIVE FROM YOUR MEMBERSHIPS?
I am a life member of Disabled Veterans, Life member of The Veterans of Foreign Wars, Life member in the Vietnam Veterans Association, Non-Commissioned Officers Association( although I haven't participated much lately). The Underage Enlistment Association. I am also a member of the Klamath County Combat Veterans Association. At the present time the only benefit I get is the privilege of wearing my uniform for different events.
IN WHAT WAYS HAS SERVING IN THE MILITARY INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU HAVE APPROACHED YOUR LIFE AND YOUR CAREER?
 With a lot more confidence. I gained the self discipline that is needed to approach life as a citizen. Remember I was 16 years old when I enlisted. The Air Force was my mentor, and trained me in approaching life with a can do attitude. And for that, I will be forever grateful.
BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE WHO HAVE RECENTLY JOINED THE AIR FORCE?
Stay in, learn as much as possible, get an education, earn the promotions, and save a little money each month for retirement.
IN WHAT WAYS HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU REMEMBER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND THE FRIENDS YOU SERVED WITH.
I haven't had the time yet to research all of the opportunities available. I want to locate several old comrades and perhaps introduce some buddies to the program.
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