Cusack, Dale, Sgt

PLEASE DESCRIBE WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO JOIN THE AIR FORCE.
My father was a Marine combat photographer during WWII and taught me to respect military service. I had wanted to become a pilot and knowing the schooling I needed to be an officer for that training, I signed up for ROTC while studying to be a CPA.

Unfortunately, I was not cut out to be a college student and was not doing well in school. Knowing that I was high on the draft list, I decided to enlist in the Air Force after being promised an accounting assignment to stay out of the draft, The son of a Marine, I was tempted to join that service but went with my first choice. Little did I know what was to come!

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?
During basic training, I was given tests and sent to radio operators' school for advanced training. This seemed like an interesting job, and I enjoyed what I was doing during my 4 years. I married in my third year, and we had a daughter, this was the deciding point for staying only one tour.

IF YOU PARTICIPATED IN ANY MILITARY OPERATIONS, INCLUDING COMBAT, HUMANITARIAN AND PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS, PLEASE DESCRIBE THOSE WHICH MADE A LASTING IMPACT ON YOU AND, IF LIFE-CHANGING, IN WHAT WAY?
I was fortunate enough to not be involved with any direct combat but as a member of the 1st Mobile Communications Group, I made the first of 2 30 days temporary duty trips into Viet Nam and a 90-day trip to Suwan Korea in support of the seizure of the Naval Spy ship Pueblo.

The Viet Nam trip was more of a holiday, assigned to provide ground communication for the airborne command post. We lived in downtown Saigon for 30 days and although we worked long hours, we arrived the month after Tet, so Saigon was quiet by then.

The Korean trip was most interesting in that we had been living in the Philippines for over a year and left in February where the nighttime temperatures hovered around the mid 90's to arrive in Korea in a snowstorm with freezing temperatures, a hard adjustment for the body.

On returning to the states, I was assigned to a Tactical Control Squadron that primarily performed testing on new communications equipment. At the end of a test for forwarding air control messaging, someone got the bright idea to take it from Florida to Viet Nam for field tests under combat conditions, so I got a second trip to Viet Nam. But instead of a Boeing 707 jet, we were loaded into a C124 for a week-long trip across the pond! Instead of being in downtown Saigon, another radio operator and I ended up with the 9th Infantry Division in the Mekong Delta. Fortunately, no direct combat but every night we would receive salvos of rockets and mortars.

DID YOU ENCOUNTER A SITUATION DURING YOUR MILITARY SERVICE WHEN YOU BELIEVED THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY YOU MIGHT NOT SURVIVE? PLEASE DESCRIBE WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME.
Not related to direct combat, I became extremely ill after arriving in Korea and the Korean Air Base hospital had no room to take me in. I spent 10 days in my tent with a high fever and hallucinations. When it finally broke, I was able to return to life, but this was the worst illness I had ever experienced.

While I was with the 9th Infantry, there was an evening that we moved from a temporary location to a new barracks that did not yet have running water. We knew the old tent area still had showers and went back to clean up and as we left the showers heard incoming mortars and as we ran back to our jeep, heard a loud nearby explosion. The shower we were just using had taken a direct hit, a very close call.

OF ALL YOUR DUTY STATIONS OR ASSIGNMENTS, WHICH ONE DO YOU HAVE FONDEST MEMORIES OF AND WHY? WHICH WAS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE?
I really enjoyed my time in the Philippines. A beautiful country with warm and friendly people.

We provided a lot of communications support to various sites in Viet Nam and one of the most rewarding parts was after hours when we could provide phone patches for someone in country to a loved one.

Being assigned to the 1st Mobile Communications Group was also a lesson in comradeship and unit pride. While assigned there for a year and a half, the unit was awarded 2 Air Force Outstanding Unit awards and a Presidential Unit Citation for providing aviation navigation aids and communications throughout Southeast Asia.

I cannot really say I was stationed in places I did not like but I would have to say my time on the Florida Panhandle at Eglin AFB could have been better in terms of weather, the summer heat was stifling, and winter was not warm enough to not need heat.

I did enjoy my time stationed there as the units were top notch and I learned a lot while with them.

FROM YOUR ENTIRE MILITARY SERVICE, DESCRIBE ANY MEMORIES YOU STILL REFLECT BACK ON TO THIS DAY.
I was most impacted by meeting people from other countries and learning that the people, in general, have the same outlook on providing for their families, living in safe communities, and having pride in their country. I had grown up thinking that Americans were superior to those from other parts of the world, especially from areas not as wealthy as America but I soon learned that we are all the same in our outlook on life and what we want out of it.

WHAT PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF FROM YOUR MILITARY CAREER?
As an airman who was only on the fringes of combat, personal medals and awards were not readily available to me. I was fortunate enough to have been assigned to one of the most decorated communications units in the Air Force and proud that I was part of the team that won 2 outstanding unit awards and a Presidential Unit Citation. I was also proud of my time in the Air Force knowing I received promotions earlier than others and was offered reenlistment although I did turn that down.

OF ALL THE MEDALS, AWARDS, FORMAL PRESENTATIONS AND QUALIFICATION BADGES YOU RECEIVED, OR OTHER MEMORABILIA, WHICH ONE IS THE MOST MEANINGFUL TO YOU AND WHY?
Being in the Air Force in the last "4-week wonder" basic training squadron, we did not get much in the way of weapons training and no actual combat training. Being the son of a Marine who was an expert marksman, I was proud of qualifying as an expert marksman, not because of the Air Force training but because of the training my father had provided.

WHICH INDIVIDUAL(S) FROM YOUR TIME IN THE MILITARY STAND OUT AS HAVING THE MOST POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOU AND WHY?
I am one of those people who after leaving the service, forgot to preserve the details of my time in the service. There were a lot of people I met and worked with during that time that influenced me, in both effective ways of how I wanted to be and bad ways to reinforce how I did not want to be. I am beginning to look for records to bring back those memories.

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?
While in the service I had become interested in data processing and computers. After a brief job as a bookkeeper, I found a position as a computer operator that gave me a chance to learn programming and have made that a lifelong career. I am in my 45th year in the industry.

WHAT MILITARY ASSOCIATIONS ARE YOU A MEMBER OF, IF ANY? WHAT SPECIFIC BENEFITS DO YOU DERIVE FROM YOUR MEMBERSHIPS?
I have joined most of the veteran's organizations, many as life members, including the American Legion, VFW, VVA, DAV, AMVETS, 40/8, Cooties and am an Associate Member of the MOPH based on my father having received a Purple Heart during WWII as a Marine. Although I cannot be active in all of them, I find that giving back through my associations to be extremely rewarding.

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?
My time in the service instilled a keen sense of community service and a desire to give back to my community what was given to me. I hope that others have learned the same values.

BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE WHO HAVE RECENTLY JOINED THE AIR FORCE?
Stay safe, strong, and determined to protect your county.

IN WHAT WAYS HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU REMEMBER YOUR MILITARY SERVICE AND THE FRIENDS YOU SERVED WITH.
Filling out these questions and detailing my military timeline has brought back many good memories and even some regrets for not re-enlisting but not enough to wish I had done differently. I am hoping that my having spent the time putting down my thoughts will help someone else do the same.

KC 12.13.21