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An up close and personal interview with Air Force Veteran and Togetherweserved.com Member:
CMSgt (USAF Ret) Jon Harston
WHAT PERSUADED YOU TO JOIN THE Air Force?
I was raised in a military family and following in my Father’s footsteps just seemed like the natural thing to do. My Father served in WWII as an aircraft maintenance chief and at the war’s end participated in the Berlin Airlift. I have an old black and white photo of him with General Curtis LeMay (Commander of SAC) when LeMay was just a Lt. Colonel. My Dad spent 25 years in the Air Force and retired as a Chief Warrant Officer when I was about 12 years old. While he was on active duty, he would take me to the base and let me crawl around on C-47’s and C-118’s and several other old prop type aircraft. I just thought it was the neatest thing in the world. Virtually all my Uncles, on my Mother’s side, were Navy men. One of my Uncles was killed during the battle of Midway while serving on the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown. He was awarded the Navy Cross (posthumously) for saving several of his shipmates after the Yorktown was torpedoed. Their service and sacrifice obviously made a huge impression on me and joining the military just seemed like the natural thing to do. I joined the Air Force at the age of 17, just as soon as I graduated from high school.
BRIEFLY, WHAT WAS YOUR CAREER PATH IN THE SERVICE?
My career began in the aircraft maintenance field and I ended up with the exact same AFSC my Father had. My AFSC shred-out, however, had me working on aircraft with two or more jet engines. My first assignment was Travis AFB, CA which was the West Coast base for those departing and arriving from tours of duty in Vietnam. I would hang out in the base terminal area and talk to all the guys returning from Vietnam and was intrigued by all the “war stories” I heard. I wanted to do my part too, but my career field was not strongly needed in Vietnam. My request for an assignment to Vietnam was not granted, so I requested retraining into a career field that was needed. I was granted retraining into the helicopter career field where I was promised I would go to Vietnam, and go to Vietnam I did. I wound up serving two tours of duty in Nam, and one in Thailand. As I got a little older, I also got a little smarter and in 1975 retrained “out” of the helicopter field, and “into” the flight engineer field. As a flight engineer, I spent 5 years on C-141A cargo aircraft doing airlift/airdrop while assigned to Norton AFB, CA; 5 years on VC-137’s at Andrews AFB, MD flying on Air Force Two and also flying Cabinet/Congressional dignitaries; 4 years flying with NATO AWACS on the E-3A at Geilenkirchen, GR; and finally wrapping up my 26 year career flying on KC-10 Tanker/Cargo aircraft at Seymour Johnson AFB, NC where I was the Chief Flight Engineer for the 344th Air Refueling Squadron.
DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN COMBAT OPERATIONS?
I began my three tours of duty in Southeast Asia flying on HH-43B rescue helicopters at Phan Rang AB, RVN. As a flight mechanic, I worked on the H-43, or “Pedro” as she was so lovingly referred to, and performed “in-flight” duties as a hoist operator during rescue operations. My second tour of duty in Vietnam was as a door gunner on the UH-1N Huey. I was assigned to the 20th Special Operation Squadron “Green Hornets” and while we flew all over South Vietnam, we did most of our flying in the Central Highland Region of Ban Me Thuot where we worked closely with SOG Teams (CCS) out of camp B-50. My third tour of duty was flying on CH-53’s with the 21st Special Operations Squadron at NKP, Thailand. During this tour of duty we trained closely with the Joint Casualty Resolution Center (JCRC) to, hopefully at some point, be allowed to investigate aircraft crash sites in Vietnam and recover the remains of those missing/killed in action. During this last tour, however, a lot was still going on in Vietnam and the neighboring countries. I also participated in Operations; Eagle Pull, which was the evacuation of Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Frequent Wind, the evacuation of Saigon, which would soon become Ho Chi Minh City; and the Mayaguez Recovery, a mission to gain the release of the merchant ship S.S. Mayaguez and her crew from the Khmer Rouge. I wrapped up my helicopter operations with the Mayaguez mission and left choppers for good in August 1975. After becoming a flight engineer, things calmed down quite a bit, but didn’t quite end. While flying on the C-141, I participated in the Zaire Airlift (Africa) in 1978, a mission to counter an insurgent invasion named SHABA II. Later, in 1989 I flew KC-10 air refueling missions in support of the invasion of Panama. And in 1991-92 I flew KC-10 refueling/cargo mission during the build up phase of Desert Shield. I also deployed to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm, and was on the first launch of air refueling support during the invasion of Iraq.
YOUR WERE AWARDED THE AIR FORCE CROSS. CAN YOU PLEASE DESCRIBE HOW THIS WAS EARNED?
During the Mayaguez mission, we were to insert a Marine landing force on the East Beach of Koh Tang Island – an island just off the coast of Cambodia. The Mayaguez had been hijacked by Cambodian Khmer Rouge forces and the status of the crew was uncertain. Therefore, a rescue mission was put together on short notice and with limited intelligence. The Khmer Rouge force strength was unknown but thought to be limited and of low caliber. Just the opposite turned out to be true. It was later determined the force strength was significant (more than 300) and consisted of highly trained, well seasoned veteran fighters. During our initial assault to the east beach and while in the flare to land, our helicopter encountered extremely heavy weapons fire from the well fortified and entrenched Khmer Rouge that were patiently awaiting our arrival. My helicopter took an enormous number of direct hits from heavy machine gun fire to include at least two direct hits by RPG’s. The chopper exploded in mid-air, crashing into the shallow water a few meters off shore. Of the 26 people on board (to include crew) 13 were killed, either while still in the chopper, or just shortly after getting out. The machine gun fire from the tree-line was fierce and the enemy was throwing everything they had at us including RPG’s. While wounded myself, I was credited with leading some of the trapped Marines out of the burning wreckage where they had to swim for it to escape the intense weapons fire being directed at us. I managed to retrieve my AR-15 out of the chopper and directed cover fire back at the tree-line while those who could, escaped. When out of ammunition, I returned to the wreckage and assisted two other injured Marines that were burned and disoriented, and carried them out to sea with me. While swimming away from the island, I took a direct hit to my flight helmet splitting it right in two. Additionally, one side of my life preserver (LPU) was shot out. The three of us remained afloat using the one remaining LPU bladder and were eventually picked up by the USS Wilson 3-4 hours later. The Mayaguez and her crew were eventually rescued that day, but the toll it took in lives and aircraft losses was more than anyone had ever imagined.
[Editors Note; Please see CMSgt Harston’s Air Force Cross Award Citation Opposite]
FROM YOUR ENTIRE SERVICE CAREER WHAT PARTICULAR MEMORY STANDS OUT?
Needless to say, it is the memory of the Mayaguez. Although I have had numerous experiences in combat situations, none have ever made such an impression on me as that one particular mission. That day, I lost several close friends, fellow crewmembers, and comrades at arms. The losses were not just from my helicopter, but from several other helicopters as well. While the memory itself is one that is negative in nature, it did turn out to have a positive influence on my life. I now take nothing for granted, see others in a much different light, and try to live life to the fullest. Now, more than ever, I recognize and appreciate the sacrifices of those who served before me, with me, and after me in the defense of their country. Whoever coined the phrase, “Freedom Isn’t Free” sure nailed it.
WHICH INDIVIDUAL PERSON FROM YOUR SERVICE STANDS OUT AS THE ONE WHO HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOU...AND WHY?
Thinking of an answer to this question, my thoughts initially went straight to the many great military professionals that I have worked with during my Air Force career. And believe me, there have been more than I can count that have had an extremely positive influence on me. However, there is but one person who is truly the unequivocal winner and that’s my wife. She stood by me and supported me throughout a 26 year career that kept us apart for a year at a time during three different isolated tours of combat duty to Southeast Asia. As though that wasn’t enough, she single handedly raised two fine boys while my flying career kept us apart a majority of the time for the balance of my career. It wasn’t until my last six or seven years that we had some semblance of a family life together and that was due to flying a desk a bit more than flying on aircraft. But most importantly, my wife has always been, and still is, the one person I could talk to during the dark times of my life. She has undoubtedly had the most positive influence on my life and my career. An important footnote: We celebrated our 40th Anniversary Nov. 2009.
HOW HAS SERVING IN THE ARMED FORCES INFLUENCED THE WAY YOU HAVE APPROACED YOUR LIFE AND CAREER?
Having had the opportunity to travel the world over again, I truly appreciate and do not take for granted the freedoms and opportunities that we have in this great country of ours. I find I tend to live life to the fullest and cherish the friendships that have bonded over a lifetime. Civilians will never be able to understand or comprehend the comradeship of military members and I will always honor those who serve and have served.
WHAT PROFESSION DID YOU FOLLOW AFTER THE SERVICE AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?
I am currently the Flight Engineer Flight Check Airman / Flight Simulator Instructor working with the KC-10 ATS at McGuire AFB, NJ.
HOW HAS TOGETHERWESERVED.COM HELPED YOU TO MAINTAIN A BOND WITH THE SERVICE AND THOSE YOU SERVED WITH?
Through TogetherWeServed.com I have had the opportunity to re-unite with several old friends and to just enjoy visiting the site from time to time to see what’s going on. I enjoy seeing where others (that I don’t know) have served and seeing where our paths may have crossed. It’s a great site that keeps the brotherhood of professional military members together.
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CMSgt (USAF Ret) Jon Harston
View CMSgt Jon Harston's Shadowbox on TWS
Air Force Cross Citation
USS Midway
KC-10 Flight with 78th ARS |
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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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