Page 46 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2020- Online Magazine

John Nelson
Decorated and Distinguished,

Courageous and Confident
by Larry A. Williams

essential sorties of basic training, John went to
into these high-risk summer camp at Hamilton AFB
airfields to deliver in California for training. His
critically needed advanced training began at Vance
ammunition and AFB in Enid, Oklahoma. While
aviation fuel to Allied there, he trained on T-37s, T-38s
forces.” and T-41s. John recalled that “out
of a class of 55 pilots, there were
John W. Nelson 40 slots for C-130 transports.”
was the fifth-born Following this training, John
— “the baby” of was sent to survival school and
parents Burt and weapons training at Sewart AFB
Mary Nelson. His in Smyrna, Tennessee. John
father had grown arrived at Ching Chuan Kang Air
up in Montana. Base in Taiwan in October 1968.
John was born on The C-130s were the “pipeline
October 12, 1944 in to Vietnam.” Nelson and crew
Portland, Oregon, would “fly eight to ten sorties
where his father (combat missions) per day
worked in the and flew all over Vietnam. It’s
“The mission was sheer terror; shipyards during not a very big country, so we
then it was over,” said former U.S. WWII. Later, the family moved would be up and down quickly
Air Force Captain John Nelson of back to Missoula, Montana, delivering troops, food supplies,
the day in Vietnam after which where John graduated from ammunition, rubber bladders full
he would be awarded the Purple high school in 1962. While in the of aviation fuel, medivac doctors,
Heart. However, like many school’s ROTC program, John the wounded and sometimes
Purple Heart veterans, it was received his pilot’s license. He body bags. We flew 16 hours a
not the defining moment of the also “wrestled and participated day 24/7 with staggered shifts.
war for him. Often, it is not even in gymnastics in high school and We flew low and slow. The air
the medal they are most proud worked at a Safeway grocery traffic was always heavy.”
of. In the Order of Precedence store.” He attended the University
for AF medals, the Purple Heart of Montana and graduated in On February 2, 1969, C-130 pilot
ranks number 11. Nelson is 1966 with a degree in business. 1st Lt. Nelson and his crew were
prouder of his Distinguished He married his high school on a sortie to Fire Base An Hoa,
Flying Cross, which ranks sweetheart, Caryl Ann Burgess, about 50 miles from Da Nang.
number eight. His DFC citation on July 30,
reads in part, “Captain John W. 1966. He
Nelson distinguished himself by entered active
extraordinary achievement while duty in the
participating in aerial flight as a U.S. Air Force
C-130E Aircraft Commander for on January 1,
the 345th Tactical Airlift Squadron 1967 because
at Katum and Quan Loi Airfields, he “wanted to
Republic of Vietnam on 1 May 1970. fly.”
On that date, Captain Nelson braved
the threat of hostile ground fire and Since he
adverse weather to fly five combat had been in
ROTC, instead

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