Page 65 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2018- Online Magazine

several USO shows, including one with Bob Chaplain Manning has graciously offered to lift
Hope. Hope informed Rod that they were trying anyone up in prayer who feels the need. You may
to get clearance to go to Vietnam because, he said, contact him below.
“Those boys really need us.” The USO team did
get approval and went to Vietnam in December
1964.
He was once again stationed at Walker AFB in ROD MANNING HOME: 806-368-0710
Roswell, and then to Little Rock AFB. He received RLMANNING@HOTMAIL.COM CELL: 806-392-6501
orders to go to Vietnam in May of 1968 and was
stationed at DaNang, also known as “Rocket
City”, because of frequent rocket attacks by the
Viet Cong. He flew as an observer in an O-2b
aircraft. They flew at low altitudes where, among
other duties, they tried to detect enemy movement
on the ground. He learned quickly that the plane
would sometimes take small arms fire. He said, “I
began using three flak jackets. One I wore, sat on
another and I placed one on the floor in front of
me.”
Rod was sent to Birmingham, Alabama as a
recruiter in 1969. Then, after tours at Laredo AFB
and Keesler AFB, he retired in May of 1974 with
24 years of active duty. One day, after settling in
Alabama, he was asked to fill in for a preacher
who was to be out of town for a couple of weeks.
That experience inspired him to study to become a
Certified Lay Speaker in the United Methodist
Church in 1974. While in Alabama, he served in
the State Department of Corrections as Director
of Investigations & Intelligence. He retired from
that department in 1995 with 20 years of service.
While in Alabama, he obtained a Master’s Degree
in Criminal Justice from Troy University.
Rod and Jo moved to Lubbock in January 2008 to
be near their daughter, Kathy, who is a Physician’s
Assistant. He transferred his Disabled American
Veterans membership to Lubbock and became the
chapter’s chaplain, where he still serves to this
day.