Estep, Harold, SMSgt

PLEASE DESCRIBE WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO JOIN THE AIR FORCE.
The Coast Guard influenced my decision to join the Air Force. Their recruiting office was closed the day I decided to join and since the Air Force Recruiting Office was open...now you know the rest of my recruitment story. I was sent by train from Jacksonville, Florida to basic training at Lackland AFB, just south of San Antonio proper. I can't recall for sure but I believe training lasted seven weeks. My TI's name was A/2C Pace. From there I was assigned to an Air Police Squadron at Lowry AFB, at Denver Colorado and further assigned to the Base Guardhouse as their administrative clerk. My next assignment came in 1955 to Korea, K2, Taegu. My first home away from home was in a quonset hut but was later moved to a World War II Japanese style barracks, which during winter time was heated by an oil based pot belly stove. These barracks housed about ten lonely airmen. Bird hunting there was good. I would head to the motor pool for a jeep or weapons carrier, pickup my houseboy and away we would go. In May of 1956 I was reassigned to the 7th Bomb Wing (H) at Carswell AFB, Texas. Marching to and from the chow hall was still a way of life. And then on to Torrejon Air Base, Spain. At Torrejon I was assigned to the Director of Administrative Services Office within the Headquarters 65th Air Division. It was at this time that I met the love of my life. "God" I thought. " What does she see in me?" We were married in a local catholic church on 11/11/61 and have been together ever since. I left there for sunny Travis AFB, California with my beautiful bride and my malfunctioning l951 Crappy Cadillac Coupe. My assignment was to the 1501st Air Transport Wing with a job as an E-4 Military Suggestions Clerk and my boss was this beautiful blonde E-5 by the name of Sara Sellers. She was tough as nails. Then I was promoted to E-5 and she was promoted to E-6. Still under her thumb, lovely as it was.

Then came an assignment 'bombshell' - VIETNAM! I left my lovely around August 1964 and flew into Tan Son Nhut Air Base, just outside the city limits of Saigon. My job again was as a clerk but with a lot of challenging responsibilities. I worked in the Joint Operations Center, or behind the 'Green Door', as it was sometimes called. Whenever a local emergency emerged I was on the 'beck and call' of Generals' Westmoreland, Stillwell and DePuy, usually as a runner to deliver information within the compound. Frequently I was called upon to call for a pickup truck and Vietnamese driver to take nightly Top Secret, Ops Immediate messages to the burn ovens on the other side of Saigon. The lack of security with this operation always worried me. Especially when I would find unburned classified messages and correspondence from other "J" directorates within these brick ovens. I left Vietnam for Moron Air Base, Spain in September 1965 via Brooklyn Army Terminal with my white 1961 Chevy Impala convertible. While stationed there, my lovely wife gave birth to our only child - a daughter who became the next love of my life. I was assigned as a clerk at the base petroleum office. I applied for retraining and in 1968 I was reassigned to Keesler AFB, Mississippi to begin training in long range radar maintenance. Near the end of my training period Hurricane Camille hit the area and the class was dismissed a day early. My wife, daughter and I were headed to Kalispell, Montana. I have no descriptive adjectives to explain what an outstanding assignment that turned out to be. My next assignment was to Headquarters AIRSOUTH, Naples, Italy. Here I became part of a team that inspected radar sites within countries belonging to NATO. My last assignment was 1975 to a radar site near Bucks Harbor, Maine. After a year I was notified of a reassignment to a remote site off the Alaskan peninsula. In lieu of this assignment I retired.

WHETHER YOU WERE IN THE SERVICE FOR SEVERAL YEARS OR AS A CAREER, PLEASE DESCRIBE THE DIRECTION OR PATH YOU TOOK. WHERE DID YOU GO TO BASIC TRAINING AND WHAT UNITS, BASES, OR SQUADRONS WERE YOU ASSIGNED TO? WHAT WAS YOUR REASON FOR LEAVING?
My short term direction was to earn a sufficient rank/grade to support my family and my long term goals of learning a trade.

OF ALL YOUR DUTY STATIONS OR ASSIGNMENTS, WHICH ONE DO YOU HAVE FONDEST MEMORIES OF AND WHY? WHICH WAS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE?
My fondest duty assignment was with the 716th Radar Squadron. It was my first assignment within my new AFSC and I met some wonderful folks. The mountains and lakes were stunning. My least favorite assignment was the 907th Radar Squadron. The weather was horrible and the site was far from any town for shopping.

FROM YOUR ENTIRE MILITARY SERVICE, DESCRIBE ANY MEMORIES YOU STILL REFLECT BACK ON TO THIS DAY.
Meeting and marrying my wife. Giving birth to our daughter. Meeting Generals Westmoreland, Stillwell and DePuy on a daily basis while assigned to MACV. Working with Majors Nucci and Ross while assigned to AIRSOUTH and Captain Braun while assigned to Hq 65th Air Division. Working with Sgt Sellers while assigned to 1501st Air Transport Wing and Captain Moody while assigned to the 7th Bomb Wing (H)..

WHAT PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF FROM YOUR MILITARY CAREER?
The achievements I am most proud of are all of those displayed on my ribbon bar.

WHICH INDIVIDUAL(S) FROM YOUR TIME IN THE MILITARY STAND OUT AS HAVING THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOU AND WHY?
Sgt Sellers stood out as having the most positive impact. Her guidance and strong handed manner of handling things helped me to become a more responsible person.

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 began to service televisions in Jacksonville, Florida. My family and I moved to Madrid, Spain where I opened up my own TV repair shop. I am currently and permanently retired.

IN WHAT WAYS HAS SERVING IN THE MILITARY INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU HAVE APPROACHED YOUR LIFE AND YOUR CAREER? WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT YOUR TIME IN THE SERVICE?
The military has made me a better person.

BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE WHO HAVE RECENTLY JOINED THE AIR FORCE?
Don't go first to the U.S. Coast Guard Recruiting Office. It might be open and you would lose your first chance of a lifetime.

IN WHAT WAYS HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU REMEMBER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND THE FRIENDS YOU SERVED WITH.

TWS and The USAF

Through TWS persistence I have finally sat down and written a few thousand words about my military experiences. THANK YOU!! Together We Served!!