Since my retirement in 1992 I have lived in the house where I was reared on the 80 acre farm that my grandfather sold to me after he passed away. I have completely restored and added to the house, torn down two old barns and built a shop. I farm the hay crop which I sell to a neighbor. I have owned and operated a lawn care business for ten years, driven a schoolbus for fourteen years, been a bus mechanic for three years and husband of my childhood sweetheart for sixteen years. In 2000 I was asked to Pastor a newly reopened church in a nearby county, while there I was ordained as a minister in the Christian Faith. I am active with my local Masonic Lodge, local church. and various civic and community activities.
My wife, Wanda and I share four children. She has three, a son and two daughters and I have one daughter. Together we enjoy and love ten wonderful grandchildren. The oldest is eighteen and the youngest is one year
We plan to retire again in 2009 in order to draw social security and spend time with our kids.
Retire we did and are loving it. We purchased a new travel trailer last fall. We plan to enjoy it as much as possible. I did go back to work partime as a court security officer. I am also starting a Concealed Weapons school since I became qualed as an instructor
Vietnam War/Tet Counteroffensive Campaign (68)/ Yankee Station, North Vietnam
From Month/Year
January / 1968
To Month/Year
April / 1968
Description Yankee Station was a point in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam used by the U.S. Navy aircraft carriers of Task Force 77 to launch strikes in the Vietnam War. While its official designation was "Point Yankee," it was universally referred to as Yankee Station. Carriers conducting air operations at Yankee Station were said to be "on the line" and statistical summaries were based on days on the line.
The name derived from it being the geographic reference point "Y", pronounced "Yankee" in the NATO phonetic alphabet. In turn the term Point Yankee derived from the launch point for "Yankee Team" aerial reconnaissance missions over Laos conducted in 1964. It was located about 190 km due east of Dong Hoi, at 17° 30' N and 108° 30' E.
During the two periods of sustained air operations against North Vietnam (March 2, 1965-October 31, 1968 and March 30, 1972-December 29, 1972) there were normally three carriers on the line, each conducting air operations for twelve hours, then off for twelve hours. One of the carriers would operate from noon to midnight, another from midnight to noon, and one during daylight hours, which gave 24-hour coverage plus additional effort during daylight hours, when sorties were most effective. However at the end of May, 1972, six carriers were for a short period of time on the line at Yankee Station conducting Linebacker strikes.
The first aircraft carrier at Yankee Station was USS Kitty Hawk, which was ordered there in April 1964 for the Yankee Team missions. Kitty Hawk was joined by Ticonderoga in May and Constellation in June, two months prior to the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Ticonderoga and Constellation launched the first bombing missions from Yankee Station on August 5, 1964. Constellation was also the last carrier conducting operations at Yankee Station on August 15, 1973. USS Forrestal suffered a major accident while at Yankee Station when a series of fires and explosions on her deck killed 134 men and injured another 161.
A corresponding Dixie Station in the South China Sea off the Mekong Delta was a single carrier point for conducting strikes within South Vietnam from May 15, 1965 to August 3, 1966.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
January / 1968
To Month/Year
April / 1968
Last Updated: Dec 22, 2023
Personal Memories
Memories We flew 58 missions with 250 hours of flight time in the EA 3B2Q Skywarrior. The crew and I were TAD to VQ 1 from VQ 2. Lots of good mission time and lots of party in Alongapol City.