Episode 19 – Interview with a Vietnam era wife

In a heartfelt first for *Military Tales*, Episode 19 features **Jim and Michelle**, the podcast’s first married couple, as they share their intertwined journey through love, war, and resilience. From meeting at Arizona State University to navigating 13 moves in nine years, they paint a vivid portrait of military life both in and out of uniform. Jim recounts flying the **A-1 Skyraider** on high-stakes missions over Southeast Asia—Search and Rescue, armed reconnaissance, night interdiction—while Michelle opens up about the often overlooked challenges faced by military spouses during Vietnam, from harassment and isolation to silent strength. Their daily letters, cassette tapes, and enduring teamwork—“a lead and a wingman”—held them together across continents. The episode builds to a moving moment when a stranger at the airport thanks Jim for helping save the woman who would become his wife, tying Jim’s wartime service to another family’s survival. With reflections on duty, sacrifice, and the unbreakable bond among veterans and their families, this episode is a powerful tribute to love and loyalty, both in the skies and on the home front.

More information on Episode 19 – Interview with a Vietnam era wife

This episode of Military Tales features Jim and Michelle, the first married couple interviewed on the podcast. The conversation covers their life together as a military couple, from meeting to navigating Jim’s service, including his tour in Vietnam, and the enduring bonds formed through that experience.

Meeting and Early Life: Jim and Michelle met while attending Arizona State University (ASU). Jim was part of an Air Force program that allowed him to complete a four-year mechanical engineering degree in 27 months. Michelle, focused on student teaching, moved into an apartment complex where Jim also lived. Although Michelle was initially unimpressed by Jim telling elephant jokes at the pool, they became close friends. Jim used the tactic of sitting in Michelle’s living room to meet her dates, and she would often go to his apartment to visit after her dates left. They became engaged in February (or January). Michelle graduated from ASU on a Friday, and they married the very next day, a Saturday, May 27th.

Jim’s Military Path and Assignment to the A-1: At the time of their marriage, Jim was an enlisted member attending school under an Air Force program, initially expecting to be an engineer at Vandenberg Air Force Base. However, after attending Officer Training School (OTS) in Texas, he stated he wanted to fly airplanes and was assigned to pilot training. After OTS, they moved to Valdosta, Georgia, for flight training, which lasted 13 months. Michelle noted this cross-country move was a significant adventure for her, especially as she was born in Valdosta and could explore her roots.

Life as a Military Couple: Michelle describes their marriage as a “lead and a wingman,” emphasizing their teamwork. Frequent moves were a part of their early military life, with 13 moves in the first nine years. Michelle always viewed these moves as an adventure, looking forward to new places and friends, and enjoying the problem-solving involved in setting up a new home.

Jim’s Vietnam Service and the A-1 Skyraider: Jim served a year in Southeast Asia, from June to June. He was assigned to fly the A-1 Skyraider out of Thailand, an assignment he specifically wanted due to growing up watching war movies featuring the aircraft. Before arriving in Thailand, he attended survival and jungle school in the Philippines. The A-1 Skyraider had five primary missions: Search and Rescue (SAR), armed reconnaissance, helicopter escort, night interdiction, and close air support. SAR was considered the most important mission, while armed reconnaissance and night interdiction were the most frequent.

Michelle’s Experience While Jim Was Gone: During Jim’s tour, they decided to use the year to pursue their respective training goals – Jim flying and Michelle teaching. Michelle moved back to Arizona, lived with a college roommate, taught in Phoenix, and attended graduate school. They communicated by writing letters every single day. They also used cassette tapes later on, taping over the same tapes. Michelle describes receiving letters sometimes one at a time or in packs of eight or ten.

Challenges for Military Wives During Vietnam: Michelle faced significant challenges, including harassment and isolation. Military wives were advised not to disclose their husbands were in Vietnam due to the prevalent negative cultural sentiment. Not being part of a military community due to her location and work/school made her feel isolated. She recounted several difficult incidents: receiving harassing phone calls, a break-in at her apartment where she followed Jim’s advice to make noise; her principal announcing over the school PA that she was going on R&R to see her husband; a confrontation with a teaching couple who called her husband a “baby killer,” to which she responded by explaining his SAR mission, leaving them surprised; and receiving harsh Christmas cards from relatives disapproving of the war and those serving. Jim and Michelle acknowledged that many men, including Jim who chose the Air Force over potentially being drafted for ground combat, went to Vietnam because of the draft.

Post-Vietnam and Lasting Connections: After his tour, Jim was assigned as an instructor at an undergraduate pilot training base in Enid, Oklahoma, an assignment they enjoyed. The interview highlights the powerful camaraderie and community among military members and their families. Michelle describes the bond among military wives as an amazing “sisterhood,” characterized by immediate friendship and mutual support in handling challenges. She notes their strength, courage, and resourcefulness. However, Jim observed that replicating this sense of community after leaving active service could be difficult.

A particularly poignant moment shared was an encounter at the Phoenix airport. A man recognized Jim’s Vietnam veteran hat and expressed deep gratitude to Jim because, due to what Jim did while serving, the man had his wife. His wife was on the roof of the embassy during the evacuation of South Vietnam, and the man connected Jim’s service, specifically mentioning his A-1 search and rescue role, to her survival and their 30 years of marriage. This resonated with the interviewer’s own memory of watching the embassy evacuation on television as a child. The discussion also touched upon how A-1s were involved in the evacuation, with one reportedly having 16 people emerge from it.

Finally, the episode emphasized the ongoing commitment veterans have to each other and their families. Jim shared how members of his squadron had an unspoken agreement to support each other’s wives and children if anything happened. He detailed instances where veterans have actively sought out and connected with the families of fallen comrades, providing crucial information and closure that the military sometimes couldn’t or didn’t provide. Jim described this continued support for families as a vital, unspoken obligation – “the right thing to do” – extending the principle of taking care of each other beyond active service.