Plattsburgh – October 12, 2019
At each North Country Honor Flight each veteran receives his or her Orders of the Day. Honor Flight Director Janet Duprey compiles biographies and reads them as the Orders are presented. Saturday’s vets included Ralph McClintock, a crew member of the U.S. Pueblo, who was held prisoner by the North Koreans for 335 days. Peru’s Rolland “Rollie” McGee was also one of the honored veterans. Click here for photos of all the vets.
John ‘Dick’ Adams
Marines 1953-1956 Korean Corporal
While in high school, Dick was a fireman on the USS Fort Ticonderoga (CV-14) and shoveled tons of coal to keep the ship running. He was the last person to run the engine as the Ticonderoga was decommissioned shortly after World War II. The ship was recommissioned too late for the Korean War but was active during the Vietnam War.
With the Fort Ticonderoga gone, Dick joined the Marines as a 30-caliber machine gunner before transferring to an Amphibious Track Company. He was then assigned as a truck driver, but he had never driven a car or a truck. After grinding the gears, a lot, he finally got the hang of it.
James ‘Fuzzy’ Blair
Navy 1952-1956 Korean Gunner’s Mate 3rd Class
James prefers to be called Fuzzy. He began his service on the USS Albany CA-123.
He clearly remembers crossing the Equator going from a polywog to a shellback. I thought that must be a Navy thing! SO, I did learn it’s a form of initiation that Fuzzy says was pretty severe – not for the faint of heart.
He was discharged in Beirut, Lebanon, and he then boarded the USS Lake Champlain. Fuzzy said where he grew up and is still living is just 3 short miles from Lake Champlain. Knowing the USS Lake Champlain was taking him home made his final Navy adventure a great trip.
Kenneth Bowlby
Air Force 1966-1987 Vietnam Master Sgt.
Ken served with the Civil Engineer Squadron as a Structural Technician and Production Control Technician. In 1971 he was stationed at Tan Son Nhut Air Base near Saigon.
The Red Horse Heavy Construction Squadron brought in concrete Ken and 6 others used to repair and replace damaged runways. They also finished concrete retainer walls around buildings and served as Security Guards. Working 6 days a week/12-hour days each of the 7 got a day off.
Although serving in a combat zone, they carried no weapons and were instructed to ‘make a mad dash’ to Armory if they needed their M-16 assault rifles. Having left his pregnant wife behind, Ken was in Vietnam when his oldest son was born.
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Peter Darling
Army 1945-1947 WWII Private 1st Class
After basic training in New Orleans, Peter had a short furlough in Syracuse joining other veterans on a train to Chicago where they were advised they could board an Army plane instead of riding the train to Fort Lawton, Washington. However, the flight took them to Utah, then California, before arriving in Seattle waiting for orders to Japan.
Instead of Japan, Peter went by troop train to Red River Arsenal south of Texarcana, Texas serving as a transmission tank mechanic. Final stop Fort Jackson, South Carolina as a motor pool driving instructor, teaching civilians on base to drive tanks and jeeps.
I assure Peter today will be a direct flight to Dulles and back – no cross-Country detours.
Lester Faville
Air Force 1966-1991 Vietnam Master Sgt
Lester was a Supply Sergeant who operated as a Rescue Unit member. He recalled being thrown out of Africa because Quadafi didn’t want anyone from the United States in his country.
While part of the US Air Force Support Squadron stationed at Royal Air Force Alconbury, England, Lester remembers peace protestors camped outside the gate.
During their time in England, Lester’s son played Little League baseball. If the team had won their final game, they’d have represented Europe in the Little League World Series.
Lester completed his military career as Inventory Management Supervisor with the 380th Bomb Wing, SAC receiving his discharge at Plattsburgh Air Force Base.
Glenn Flora
Air Force 1967-1971 Vietnam Sergeant
Glenn, who goes by Butch, transferred to 4 air bases in 1968: Lackland and Shepard in Texas, Dover, Delaware and Clark, Philippines. He then spent a year and half in Vietnam first at Tan Son Nhut Air Base before switching to Cameron Bay on the South China Sea.
Butch worked on the C-133 Cargo master planes. These planes brought 3 missiles – the Atlas, Saturn and Titan – to Cape Canaveral. Butch has the distinction of launching the last C-133 plane on July 30, 1971 as it left Travis Air Force Base in California landing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona.
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James Frenette
Army 1951-1953 Korean Corporal Reserves – Sgt.
Jim served in the 11th Airborne, 503rd Infantry Regiment. Volunteering for jump school, he found great esprit de corps among paratroopers.
They did maneuvers at Fort Drum and Alaska sleeping outside in tents or snowbanks often in open fields.
At Fort Drum the First Sergeant was short 4 soldiers at roll call. It turned out they were sleeping soundly under an overnight snow cover and just didn’t wake up.
On a practice flight, a Lt. Colonel unfamiliar with the process directed 18 paratroopers to stand up and hook up. Unfortunately, the plane was accelerating upward. The last to jump, Jim woke up in a tree unable to get out of his chute. He finally worked his way down dropping about 10 feet to the ground.
Herbert ‘Bucky’ Kentile
Marines 1945-1946 WWII Private First Class
Bucky quit school at 17 to enlist. While at Paris Island boot camp, World War II ended.
At Floyd Bennet Field, Brooklyn, the Marine barracks closed, and the Marines found themselves at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. At mealtime the Marines were seated at a table while the sailors stood in line. Bucky seemed to enjoy sharing that tidbit!
Bucky spent more time in China than in the United States performing guard duty at bases across China. A highlight was the Shandong vacation spot where the Marines went swimming in the Yellow Sea.
Heading home on USS Breckinridge, Bucky from Tupper Lake met John Fitzpatrick from Saranac Lake. They were discharged at Quantico, and 2 Adirondack soldiers went home.
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Ralph McClintock
Navy 1963-1969 Vietnam Cryptologic Technician 2nd (CT2)
Aboard the USS J.R. Perry, Ralph and 4 other Intelligence Collection Agency crewmen, volunteered to join the USS Pueblo on January 1, 1968.
3 weeks later on January 23rd, international waters, the Pueblo was confronted by a North Korean ship. Captain Pete Bucher (Boo-ker) said they were leaving, but seeing the U.S. flag, the North Koreans began firing 57-millimeter shells trying to kill everybody on the bridge and shutting down communications. One sailor was killed – 10 wounded.
Below deck, the intelligence team was destroying top-secret code documents as shells exploded in the passageway.
All were taken above deck and blindfolded as prisoners of war. Placed 4 in a small cell, they were randomly selected for torture and indoctrination.
Ralph is clear North Korean food sucked consisting mainly of sewer trout with a foul smell and taste many couldn’t eat – Ralph did. The food improved slightly, and rice was added late November. The water was warm, putrid, filled with dirt.
Routinely facing a firing squad, Captain Bucher (Boo-ker) refused to confess wrongdoing. When crew members were put in front of the firing squad, he wrote a phony confession with code words assuring the U.S. government would know he was not compliant.
After 11 months, 335 days, the captives were put on buses, told not to look back or they’d be shot. December 23rd, they crossed the Bridge of No Return through the Demilitarized Zone into South Korea. Freedom.
While at the checkpoint, Ralph realized the only news they had heard was the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy. Grabbing the young man, he asked “what happened in 1968”. With a shaky voice, he replied ‘3 men are on their way to the moon’.
Soon the released prisoners of war received a call from the Apollo 8 astronauts – James Lovell, Frank Borman, William Anders, thanking the POWs for their service, welcoming them home.
Ralph knew the ordeal was over – healing could begin. They were free.
Roland ‘Rollie’ McGee
Army 1959-1993 Vietnam Master Sgt.
Rollie started in Korea with the 4th Army Missile Command. At Fort Dix during the Berlin Crisis, he served with Army Security.
In 1976 back in Korea, Rollie worked directly with general officers assigned to the United Nations Command Military Advisory Group. Discussions with North Koreans were at a conference table with a line in the middle marking DMZ 38th parallel.
In Thailand for the World Bank Conference headed by Alan Greenspan, Rollie sat with members of Congress Patricia Schroeder and our District’s David O’B Martin.
A star athlete, Rollie began a Little League in Turkey umpiring and teaching kids baseball. He played on a traveling baseball team in Korea.
Ethan ‘Mac’ Purcell
Air Force Vietnam 1965-1977 Staff Sgt.
Mac joined the military with the 380th Bomb Wing, Plattsburgh Air Force Base as an Administration Specialist spending considerable time in the alert facility.
Transferred to the Electronic Warfare Office at Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Vietnam, Mac ran the administrative office completing paperwork for 20-30 officers. Every Saturday, a Major and Mac nervously drove into Saigon to buy steaks, potatoes and vegetables. The Colonel paid for dinner making Saturday the best day of the week.
Before leaving Tan Son Nhut, Mac re-enlisted and transferred to Germany serving 4 years as an Intelligence Administrator in Communications. Coming full-circle, Mac returned home to Plattsburgh.
Beverly Rock
Air Force 1952-1955 SAC Airman 1st Class
After high school, Bev had to wait for her August birthday to enlist. Instructed to eat bananas and drink beer to gain weight, they never checked her weight again.
Bev had basic training in Texas and communications school in Wyoming before arriving at the Pentagon. With security clearance she received coded teletype messages quickly transmitting them to 7 bases all with different codes. In Newfoundland it rained all the time – smelled like fish. In Louisiana she finally got a desired telephone operator position.
Bev and her husband Clifton met during the Korean War and planned to go together on Honor Flight. Bev’s beloved Rocky died May 23, 2018. Without a doubt, his spirit will be with Bev and their daughter Cathy all day.
Jean ‘Stoney’ Stone
Air Force 1951-1954 Korean Airman 1st Class
Jean prefers to be called Stoney. He began his service in Albany boarding a train that took 3 days and 3 nights to reach Texas. Arriving at 2:00 in the morning, the troops were given canvas cots and a tent. Stoney said he near froze that night! The tents were their accommodations for 2 weeks before they moved into barracks.
Stoney served as a Diesel Mechanic with the 13th Motor Vehicle Squadron. He spent 22 months in Guam as a bus mechanic.
During some down time, looking for something to do, Stoney decided to pick potatoes in the Limestone Majove fields. Stoney said he wasn’t very fast, but he received some assistance from two girls who helped him to catch up
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Robert Turoff
Navy 1959-1963 Vietnam Yeoman
Bob was part of VF-33, a small squadron of 125 men. He was invited to play chess with squadron officers – often beating the head of the administration department Lt. Richard Truly.
Years later, watching a PBS show about the early space efforts, Bob recognized the speaker as a familiar face. Former Lieutenant Truly was the Administrator of NASA. Bob reached out to him and has an autographed photo from the head of NASA who recalled Bob’s expertise at the game of chess!
Bob served on the USS Forestall — the ship’s bell is at the Dry Dock in Plattsburgh. He was aboard the USS Enterprise when they participated in the Cuban blockade.
Bob wishes he’d re-enlisted and spent more time in the Navy.
Gordon Young
Army 1954-1956 Korean Private 1st Class
Gordon completed basic training at Fort Riley, Kansas entering the 10th Infantry Division. He was assigned to Operation Gyroscope and ‘traded’ to Germany.
Stationed in Schweinfurt, Gordon recalled 30-minute mortar regiment training and using old weapons such as the M-1 and old WWII guns for target purposes. There was nothing modern.
Gordon describes the winters as ‘like our old winters use to be’. They trained at various training grounds throughout Germany. All winter the troops pitched tents and slept in the fields.
Wherever they were, it was cold and uncomfortable, and Gordon was glad to be traded back to the United States and the comfort of his Adirondack home.
