This is the second year for the 29 Mar Vietnam Veterans Day. Although I was never in Vietnam, I was at Mt Hebo AFS from 65-67 (radar maintenance +) and we did have a MARS station that was an alternate gateway for GI traffic from Vietnam. I also attended two schools at Keesler where we had students from Vietnam in my class. The first was in 64 at the Ground Electronics Officer Course (Radar) where I had electronic fundamental at Annex 3 along with 2 RVN officers. The second was the C&E Staff Officer class in 74 where the class included the senior RVN officer at KTTC who was also responsible for the many RVN pilots training in T-34s. At 0600 the pilots would routinely take off usually from the end of the field by the Back Bay. This was right across the street from my Base House at 463 Kensington Drive. I can attest to the loudness of the T-34 engine. Together these 3 contacts with Vietnam made our US commitment all the more real for me, even if it was on the other side of the world! Unfortunately after the fall of the RVN, I never was able to learn what happened to my RVN classmates!

My grandfather, Harlan W. Collar, was part of the the early radar programs. He was at Wright-Patterson during part of WWII, then a stint in England/France near the end of the war. (Family story that he was in Paris before the soldiers got there.) After the war worked for RCA near Philadelphia, but on a lot of government contracts. He was the head of some large division there.

If anyone finds his name in anything, would love to know! He has flown to the other side...and was a kind, but quiet person.