Page 67 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2021- Online Magazine
P. 67
air force
Korean War
After ten months and 16 days in Korea, Vic received
orders to return to the states. He shipped out on the
USS General W.H. Mann and remembered, “I was just
glad to make it home alive.”
After a 30-day leave and eight days at home for
Christmas, Sergeant Astwood was assigned to
Amarillo Air Force Base. He continued working on
aircraft engines until he was discharged on February
28, 1956. He stayed at Amarillo AFB “doing basically
the same job, but as a civilian.” He stayed there for 14
years until the base closed in December 1968.
Vic’s wife, Sue, recalled how the couple met. He was
still in the Air Force at the time. “Vic had a military
a.m. It was pouring down rain. Even though we had friend in Hart. He told Vic that he had a cousin who
.50 caliber machine guns guarding our perimeter, I wanted to go to Halfway to see his girlfriend.” Vic
used to sleep with my .45 pistol between my legs. We was to be Sue’s blind date. “When they arrived at
jumped up and shot at anything that moved outside our house in Plainview, I went to the door, and there
our perimeter.” stood the most handsome man I had ever seen. We
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