Episode 49: 56th Equipment Maintenance Squadron, Jack Pollard, (NKP) Nakhon Phanom Thailand

This episode features an insightful interview with Jack Pollard, who shares his experiences serving in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War era. Jack enlisted in the Air Force straight out of high school, graduated from tech school as a jet engine mechanic, and arrived at Nakhon Phanom (NKP), Thailand, on February 14, 1970. He served at NKP for a year, until February 1971.

Jack recounts his arrival at NKP, flying in on a C-7 Caribou (“old shaky”) after an overnight stop in Bangkok. Upon arrival, he signed into the 56th Combat Support Group and was assigned to the 56th Fuel Maintenance Squadron at the jet engine shop. His first day was memorable, involving a humorous misunderstanding about building beds and a quick trip to the movies with a sergeant to avoid the first sergeant. He was issued a toolbox and advised that locks deter honest people, but not determined thieves.

While trained on F-100 fighter aircraft, Jack’s work at NKP primarily involved maintaining a variety of other aircraft. He worked on large helicopters (CH-3s and HH-53s), OV-10 Broncos, C-123K models, and C-119 gunships. Within his first month, he volunteered for night shift flight line maintenance, working from 6 PM to 6 AM. This shift allowed significant work to be done as planes were down and accessible.

Jack highlights the critical nature of the ground crew’s work, noting that pilots placed immense trust in them, knowing their lives depended on the maintenance performed. His skills as a mechanic were essential, as “without my skills the plane didn’t go,” and he felt his contribution was “pretty darn important” to the war effort. He describes working on ‘red ball’ work orders, which indicated an in-flight emergency item needing immediate repair before the aircraft could fly again.

A significant part of the workload involved supporting Max Effort days, which often focused on Search and Recovery (SAR) missions for downed pilots or troops in contact with enemy forces. Maintenance crews were on high alert during these times, potentially staying on duty past their scheduled shift until the mission was successful. Jack also shares moments that boosted morale, such as witnessing pilot returns from missions and celebrations at the squadron bar, “the hole in the wall,” particularly when someone returned safely from hostile territory.

The interview touches on difficult memories as well. Jack witnessed an F-105 fighter crash after an in-flight emergency involving low oil pressure, high engine vibration, and hung ordnance. The crash caused a quarter-mile debris field, destroyed a guard tower, and tragically killed a Thai guard beneath it. For years, Jack believed the pilot had also perished, only later learning that the pilot had successfully bailed out. He also recounts the personal tragedy of losing his good friend, Sergeant William Ripley, a CH-3 flight engineer, who was killed when his helicopter was shot down over Thailand while reportedly on a mission. Jack visits “the wall” to find his friend’s name and line number.

After his tour in Thailand, Jack returned to Langley Field, Virginia, working on C-130s. He experienced numerous Temporary Duty Assignments (TDYs), an Air Force acronym for temporary assignments away from the home base, to places like Germany, England, Alaska, the Panama Canal Zone, the Azores, and Spain.

Jack describes his transition out of the military and back to civilian life as “different,” noting a somewhat disconnected homecoming experience. Despite being offered a significant reenlistment bonus due to the demand for his skills, he decided to leave the Air Force, influenced by his wife’s feelings about the demands of military life on their family. His civilian career path wasn’t straightforward; he disliked his first job in construction but found more interest working in the travel business. Ultimately, drawing on a project called “Operation Police Manpower” he took while leaving the Air Force, he pursued law enforcement. After declining offers due to commute distances, he accepted a position with the Bloomsburg State Teachers College Police Department in February 1978, where he worked until his retirement in June 2008.

He feels the military prepared him well for law enforcement, calling it a “paramilitary organization” where he applied the skills learned in the Air Force regarding following orders and protocols. Jack also speaks about his family life, raising a son and daughter.

In closing remarks, Jack recommends both military and law enforcement as honorable professions. He notes the differences between today’s military and the era he served, particularly highlighting that his Air Force experience offered better living conditions than what some Army or Marine Corps personnel faced. He acknowledges the common jest about the Air Force building golf courses first, but emphasizes the crucial support the Air Force provided, especially in Search and Rescue (SAR) and close air support like the A-1, noting calls like “Prairie Fire” to get them out of danger. He specifically praises the bravery of the helicopter crews involved in these missions.