Page 64 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2018- Online Magazine

WORLD WAR II
Rodney Manning
First picture after Sheppard Air Force Base caliber pistol to the 20mm cannon. While attending the school in 1951, he met
November 1950 Wichita Falls, TX his future wife, Josie (Jo) Klassen who was working in Denver for Continental
Airlines. Not long after completing
the weapons course, he received
orders to go to Kimpo Air Base,
Korea. He arrived in Korea after a
two-week trip aboard a U.S. Navy
troop ship, the USS Randall.
At Kimpo, he was advised that they
had an excess of weapon mechanics
and was asked what else he would
like to do. He had previously
applied to be an Air Policeman but
had not met the minimum height
and weight requirements. Since
there was a need for Air Policemen
in Korea, the requirements were
waived. Rodney’s career in law
enforcement was launched. His
duties varied. Sometimes, he
patrolled on and off base. Other
times he served on a mobile strike
team as a .50 caliber gunner on an
M-20 armored vehicle. On occasion,
he responded to sniper fire from
the rice paddies around the base.
Another of his duties was to help
guard the wing’s F-86 fighter
aircraft on the flight line. Base
personnel would count the planes
returning from missions and, if one
64 Lubbock Senior Link
Air Force
by Katherine McLamore and
Larry A. Williams
Veterans Liaison Co-Chairs Texas South
Plains Honor Flight Committee
odney Manning didn’t start out to be a preacher. He grew up in
Somerville, Massachusetts in a “pretty rough neighborhood.” It
Rwas said that, in his neighborhood, most young men either became
“policemen, priests or convicts.” Unlike some boys he hung out with, he
always had nice clean clothes because his mother worked in a laundry. His
mother said, “At least, you’ll be the best dressed bum on the corner.” His
mother told him that, when she was pregnant with him, she was convinced
she was going to have a girl and did not have a boy’s name picked out. At the
time, the British battleship HMS Rodney was berthed at the Boston Navy Yard,
and his mother liked that name, so Rodney it was.
In June 1950, Rodney had just completed the 11th grade. He went to the post
office where he met a recruiter and told him he wanted to join the Army.
The recruiter said, “No, you don’t, son. You want to join the Air Force.”
Rodney took his advice, but the timing was not ideal. The day before he was
scheduled to leave for basic training at Lackland AFB, North Korea invaded
South Korea, and the war started.
Rod began his military career as a Chaplain’s Assistant at Sheppard AFB, but
he applied for a three-month weapons repair school at Lowry AFB in Denver.
It was there he learned to repair and service USAF weaponry, from the .45
was missing, they AFB near Concord and
knew it had been reenlisted there. He
shot down. One had only 90 days in
such plane lost in which to reenlist and
February of 1952 retain his rank and
was that of Major collect his reenlistment
George Davis, Jr. bonus. He beat the
from Lubbock. deadline by only
He was a highly 3 days! There, he
decorated pilot who served as a patrolman
later received the and an Air Police
Medal of Honor for Investigator. In 1958,
his actions. he was assigned to
Chateauroux Air
Rod was then Station in France
assigned to Walker where he worked as
AFB in Roswell, a Town and Highway
New Mexico to Patrolman. He
provide security was then assigned
for nuclear-loaded to Amarillo AFB where he was
aircraft. His future wife lived stationed for 4 years. In 1964, he
in Albuquerque at the time, and was assigned to Osan Air Base
they were married by her father, a in Korea where he served as
Methodist minister, on December 6, driver for General Billy Mitchell,
1953. Rod was discharged in 1954 Jr. Though assigned to Osan
and returned to Boston intending Air Base, he actually lived in an
to join the Police Department or Air Force VIP hotel in downtown
the Massachusetts State Police, but Seoul. He assisted in providing
neither was accepting applications transportation and security for
at the time. So, he visited Hanscom