CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Bang! ... click click ... Bang! ... click click ... Bang!
As the echo of the 21-gun salute fades into the distance, I immediately flash back 35 years to a cemetery outside New York City. I close my eyes and as I hear the haunting notes of the bugler I can see the flag of the United States being folded and presented to the grieving widow. My father, Maj. Harold Jones, was buried that day, and that is the day I decided I would be an Airman too.
Major Jones joined the Air Force in 1955 and spent most of his career as a B-52 Spirit pilot. But in February 1972, he was given an assignment that he called, "most unusual for a Strategic Air Command pilot."
As an air liaison officer advisor to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, he and his Vietnamese counterpart were the only Airmen assigned to a South Vietnamese Army Division. He wrote that "soldiering is something I never expected to be doing -- C-rations, bunkers, and being sweaty and dirty all the time." He added, "I think I'll nominate 1972 as 'Air Force Appreciation Year.'"
From February through June of 1972, he was deeply embedded with the South Vietnamese Army facing combat in places like Tan Canh and Dak To. He was awarded a Silver Star for his gallantry in military operations against opposing forces during an attack on Dak To Airport. In May of 1972, he was instrumental in directing air strikes against Kontum City during the fierce battles of the Spring Offensive. The air strikes were so close that Major Jones said, "hot shrapnel from the bombs was falling on the friendly command post."
On the first of June, Major Jones was able to sneak away for a night of rest and relaxation in Pleiku. The following day, he boarded a UH-1H Iroquois helicopter to return to Kontum. As the helicopter passed near Fire Base 41 between Pleiku and Kontum, it was shot down by enemy fire. Major Jones was severely injured and air evacuated to Okinawa, Japan, where he succumbed to his wounds.
Thirty-five years later, I look back upon my father's service to his country and reflect on his dedication. While the Air Force had not yet codified its core values -- integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do -- I know that Major Jones exemplified those very same values. His willingness as a B-52 pilot to serve in combat on the ground with the Soldiers of the South Vietnamese Army underscored his love of country, the Air Force and our American way of life.
It is this example my father set in his service to the United States that solidified within me the same desire to serve my country. And in the 27 years since I first took the oath of enlistment, I have remained dedicated to the same principles and values to which my father dedicated himself.
As we approach this season of giving thanks, I remember the sacrifice of my father and the sacrifices of all who have served our great nation. I am so grateful for the countless men and women who have answered the call and have put on the uniforms of the Army, the Marines, the Navy, the Air Force and the Coast Guard. And I am so grateful as I see our next generation of warfighters who continue to volunteer and serve.
May God continue to bless the United States of America and all who serve.