The Peru Gazette

Biographies compiled by Honor Flight Operations Director Janet Duprey

Gary Barcomb – U.S. Air Force 1958-1962 Cold War

Suffering the death of his brother in a car accident, Gary, age 17, enlisted. In basic training at Fort Dix, Gary joined the Security Detail guarding Elvis Presley. Gary trained at Fort Gordon in Military Police and Security.

Sent to Germany, Gary met his future wife. Needing approval to marry took six months of red tape, including a letter to the Pope. On their wedding day, Gary and Gisela had three ceremonies: Catholic, Base and Burgermeister. That’s really getting married as they celebrate 65 years of marriage. Returning stateside, the Cuban Missile Crisis delayed Gary’s discharge by two weeks.

Lawrence DeGroff – U.S. Air Force 1966-1970 Vietnam

At age 19, Larry enlisted, completing basic training at Lackland Air Force Base. Assigned to Cape Charles Air Force Base Station, Larry trained in welding, a skill that served him well in civilian life.

Larry mainly worked at night when sent to Da Nang Air Force Base in Vietnam. Larry’s memories remain private about his time in Vietnam. Larry recalls a sergeant and two Privates shot on their way home. Larry remembers Vietnamese kitchen workers used their hands to pull garbage out to feed their families. Larry completed his service at Whiteman Air Force Base. Larry said cherry bombs at 20 cents each couldn’t get him in trouble.

Thomas Forgatch – U.S. Navy 1965-1969 Cold War

Tom enlisted in the Navy, going to basic training at Great Lakes. Upon recovery from two months of pneumonia, Tom went to Norfolk Naval Base for Air Carrier Deck Experience on the USS Independence. Tom volunteered for the ‘best duty’ patrol squad in Brunswick, Maine.

Tom alternated between Iceland (cold) and the Azores (warm) for almost three years. On ten 12-hour shifts, Tom documented icebergs tracking nuclear submarines and ships. Once, his aircraft received a warning that the enemy had “locked on” his aircraft. The plane descended within 200 feet of the water to avoid enemy missile strikes.  

Ronald Fox – U.S. Air Force 1963-1967 Cold War

Enlisting at age 17, Ron had basic training at Lackland, followed by Aircraft Mechanic Training in Amarillo, Texas. On the second day, the base locked down when President Kennedy was assassinated.

At Sheppard Air Force Base, protesters fired rounds into the base. Ron was a B-52 Assistant Crew Chief at Plattsburgh Air Force Base. In Operation Chrome Dome, flying over Alaska, Ron was in a B-52 Strategic Bomber Aircraft armed with thermonuclear weapons.   The Chief shut down TV and lights out at 10 p.m. Ron put a horned toad in the Chief’s bed; a scream followed. The next day, they spent cleaning the flight line.

Richard Godfrey, Jr. – U.S. Air Force 1947-1953 Korean

Richard enlisted and was sent to Lackland Air Force Base for basic training in refrigeration, gas, oxygen, and acetylene generators.

Ordered to the Philippines, Dick was sent to Korea. With no work assignment, the Air Force searched for him in the Philippines. Dick was in a tent three miles from the front line. One night Dick was hungry, so he walked a mile to the mess hall. Upon return, Dick found the tent destroyed by mortar explosives, killing his mates.

In temporary barracks, a 2nd Lieutenant arrived. He and Dick took off in a B-25, lost an engine, and soon lost the second engine. He grabbed a radio and located the raft in the Pacific in 4 to 5-foot swells. Finally, at his assignment, Dick, riding in the back of a truck hit by machine gun fire, threw him into a rice paddy, severely injuring his legs.

Dick’s best adventure in the Philippines was meeting and marrying his beautiful wife, Sally.

Lincoln King – U.S. Army 1959-1962 Vietnam

Lincoln enlisted in the Army to avoid the draft to keep his feet on the ground. Of course, the Army sent him aboard ship for 24 days.

Lincoln traveled by bus, train, and plane a day after leaving home. On the way to basic training, he met a couple of locals. While on leave, the group missed a flight to Fort Lewis; Lincoln, Private First Class in charge, had to make up a day.

Sent to Korea, Lincoln also traveled to Japan. Returning stateside, Lincoln served the rest of his time at Fort Devens. Lincoln’s best day was October 26, 1962, discharge day. But Lincoln said the salmon missing in Seattle get an honorary mention.

Walter Kotzur – U.S. Air Force 1963-1992 Vietnam

Ordered to Vietnam, Walter told his bride he’d see her in a year. In his first year, Walt flew over 200 missions as all his MOS assignments were with bombs: Weapons Mechanic, Gunner, Weapons Maintenance Technician, Weapons Maintenance Superintendent, and Aircraft Armament Manager. In Jungle Survival Training, Walt was dropped with a parachute, canteen, and manchette; given 12 hours to avoid capture by Negrito natives; capture was not an option; on his way back to base camp, he slept in a tree. Walt trained in a Prisoner of War camp for survival, evasion, resistance, and escape.

Walt received high-level awards: Distinguished Flying Cross with Two Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Medal with Eight Oak Leaf Clusters and too many to mention. For years Walt did not allow Vietnam material in his home until his son Eric found a 1966 Time Life magazine and asked his dad if that was his picture. Eric is proud to be the guardian of his dad on today’s flight. At the Wall, Walter, with a special place in his heart, will honor 87 veterans, including 42 killed when they served together in Vietnam.

Robert Manchester – U.S. Air Force 1968-1988 Vietnam

Robert enlisted and was assigned to aircraft maintenance. Leaving Loring Air Force Base, Bob volunteered for hazardous duty in Thailand.

Bob and his family were stationed in Guam during the evacuation of Vietnamese who lived in Quonset huts in a fenced-in area. They stared at blond, blue-eyed children.

After time in Spain and England, Bob reenlisted while in Maine, moving on to Plattsburgh Air Force Base. Bob’s duties were towing, refueling, fixing engines, and working on the alert pad. For five years, Bob’s family celebrated Thanksgiving dinner on the runway.

Paul McGee – U.S. Navy 1955-1958 Korean

Paul was hungry and decided to join the Navy. Paul took his oath two hours before the war ended. At boot camp in San Diego, Paul slept on an Army cot in a gymnasium. Assigned to the USS Philip, Paul had on-the-job training. Assigned to the USS Fechteler, the 7th Fleet cruised in the Far East, serving the Taiwan Patrol, a carrier task force radar warning ship.

After the USS America, Paul finished with the USS Gurke. Paul traveled the world, including the Hawaiian Islands, Midway Island, Japan, Okinawa, Formosa, Hong Kong, Guam, American Samoa, Acapulco, Panama, Lima, and his favorites, New Zealand and Chile. On leave, Paul rented a surfboard to catch the big wave. Instead, he caught a mouth full of sand as the board beat him back to shore. Paul ended his surfing career and headed to the safety of a bar.

Joseph McNichols – U.S. Air Force 1970-1996 Vietnam

Joe graduated from college and was drafted. After Officer School, Joe attended C-130 Pilot basic and specialized Mission Training, followed by Survival and Jungle Schools.

Joe was assigned to Tan San Nhut Air Force Base, Vietnam, as President Nixon pulled 10,000 troops, sending Joe to Taiwan. After 330 hours of flight time in Vietnam, Joe had a day or two in Tawain. Joe landed in “places that didn’t exist and situations that never happened.” Sent to pick up Marines, B-52s bombed both the airways; the plane landed, and the Marines jumped on.

Assigned to fly Bob Hope, Joe regrets his roommate flew Rachel Welch, Suzanne Pleshette, and Joey Heatherton. Doesn’t seem fair!

After 18 ½ years at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, Joe spent two years in D.C., consolidating 13 federal agencies into the National Intelligence Agency. Joe landed in Vietnam when his daughter turned five months old. Jennifer is her proud dad’s guardian.

Amos Ploufe – U.S. Army 1955-1958 Korean

Amos, known as Gus, left school after 8th grade and worked in the mines. Gus enlisted, went to basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, then infantry training at Fort Dix. A bad knee kept Gus from his desired airborne division.

Gus went to England, France, and Germany. In Newberry, England, with the 801st Engineer Aviation Battalion, Gus participated in rebuilding the airbase. While in England, Gus met his future wife, Sandra. Gus needed Army approval to marry, and approvals were rare. With access to the CQ stamp of approval, Gus got around the red tape. No one noticed the marriage license had no signature. Gus lost a stripe, but Gus and Sandra celebrated 66 years of marriage this year. After returning home, Gus served 27 years in the National Guard, retiring at the age of 60.

Donald Thornton – U.S. Army 1955-1957 Cold War

Don’s friend Bob Duquette said, “Let’s join the Army.” Don wanted a different direction in life and was on board.

At Fort Knox, Don completed basic, tank and intelligence training.

Don volunteered for an assignment in the Far East. Stationed at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) with the 21st Infantry Regiment, a group of tanks ran into a North Korean outpost. Don, on the last tank, quickly turned around and got out. After a year of running through rice paddy fields, Don had no appetite for eating rice. Six years later, Don was notified to prepare for a Cuban invasion. Thankfully, it was averted.

Robert Wolstenholme – U.S. Army 1966-1972 Vietnam

After graduating from college with a degree in Biology, Rob was drafted into the Army. At Fort Dix, Rob scored 3rd out of 1,000 on a science exam and was assigned to Fort Baker, 6th Army Medical Lab Division.

In the Lab, Rob processed specimens, including animals, urine, and blood.

A crew would go to a Russian “fishing vessel” to provide medical care, ignoring communication equipment to be addressed by another division.

Rob was influenced by his grandfather, a State Assemblyman. The meanest person Rob met in the military was the Selective Service lady.

 

Stephen Wood – U.S. Air Force 1968-1988 Cold War

Stephen went to basic training at Lackland and AIT at Chanute for missile technician training. Steve was the ‘Rocket Man’!

Steve moved around the country assigned to Air Force Bases: Grand Forks, North Dakota (twice); Ramey, Puerto Rico; Ellsworth, South Dakota; Robins, Georgia; Pease, New Hampshire; ended in Plattsburgh.

Steve deployed for two TDY simulations in Missouri and Texas. Steve flew as a B-52 simulation crew member using a bare base for training and preparations. Retiring after 20 years of service, Steve said, “I’m packing up and heading south;” instead, he stayed in the warmth of his family.