Vietnam-era enlistee retires after 40 years of service

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jason J. Brown
  • 633rd Air Base Wing Public Affairs
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (ACCNS) --  On a neatly-organized desk in a cubicle at the 633rd Civil Engineer Squadron's Emergency Management section, three-ring binders lay open, displaying time-worn photos of a slender, red-haired young man in an unfamiliar uniform adorned with Airman's chevrons. Another photo shows the man donning a colorful ball cap, perched in the cockpit of an F-4 Phantom and smiling for the camera.

While the master sergeant rifling through these artifacts is not as youthful or svelte as the Airman in the photos, his smile withstands the test of time.

The binders chronicle the illustrious career of Master Sgt. William Pook, a reservist assigned to the 633rd CES. After 40 years of service to the Air Force, Pook retired Sept. 23, capping a career that began during the Vietnam War.

'Off we go, into the wild blue yonder'

As a boy, Pook developed a fascination with the Air Force, watching the nation embroiled in the "space race" against the Soviet Union, hurriedly developing aerospace technologies. The Air Force served a major role in the exploration conquest, constructing rockets and experimental aircraft. 

Pook enlisted in the Air Force in October 1971, a year before then-President Richard Nixon won reelection and began withdrawing U.S. forces in Vietnam. He owned a low draft lottery number that year - 76 - and saw the Air Force as a way to avoid being drafted by the Army.

"I'm sort of a draft dodger," he said, chuckling. "I wasn't interested in going to Vietnam. So I joined the Air Force before the Army could get me."

Within the months following his basic military training and technical training at now-closed Lowry Air Force Base, Colo., Pook received orders to Southeast Asia, and served in Vietnam, despite his attempt to avoid entering the war.

'Hello, Vietnam'

As Nixon ordered troops from Vietnam into neighboring Thailand, Pook assisted in the relocation of the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing from Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam, to Takhli Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, on June 30, 1972. While in Thailand, Pook participated in Operations Linebacker and Constant Guard.

Later that year, Pook served in supply at Udorn RTAFB, Thailand. On the night of Oct. 3, 1972, North Vietnamese "đặc công," special forces, known by U.S. forces as Viet-cong sappers, attacked the base as night fell.

"Instead of breaking for chow, I hung out in the warehouse, listening to Alice Cooper on the radio," he recalled. "Suddenly, there were gunshots in the direction of the chow hall. Alarms went off, and the air police [security forces] started rallying to fight.

"If I hadn't stayed back to listen to the radio, I might not be here today," he reasoned. "Thank Alice Cooper for that one."

A sense of normalcy

After the war ended in 1972, Pook served an assignment in Spain before returning and separating from active duty in 1975. He had seen enough and wanted to enjoy life as a civilian in post-Vietnam America.

"I got out in the mid-70s. Nam was over, and Nixon had resigned," he said. "I wanted to go to school, grow my hair, drink beer, and most importantly, chase women."

Following graduation from the University of Wisconsin, Pook started a career in emergency management and settled in Milwaukee. His life outside of the Air Force was going well.

Answering the call

However, in 1990, a co-worker suggested that Pook bring his expertise to the Air Force Reserve to aid the fight against Saddam Hussein in the Gulf War.

"Why not? I liked being in the Air Force, and wanted to serve my country again," Pook said.

So Pook enlisted in the Air Force Reserve and served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He continued re-enlisting for the next 21 years.

After cross-training and career changes, Pook became an individual mobilized augmentee, accepting assignments at Offutt, Nellis, and eventually Langley AFB in disaster preparedness and emergency management roles.

'The times, they are a'changin'

As time progressed, so did technology. Sophisticated software interfaces and equipment replaced aging, antiquated gear. Pook found himself behind the curve, having difficulty adapting to the dynamic, modern workplace. Rather than cling on and struggle to keep up, he decided in 2011 it was time to pass the torch.

"I don't want to be responsible for using technology in a crisis that I don't know how to use," he said. "But it's okay. The young folks we have in the Air Force today are awesome. They're smart, savvy and know how to accomplish their mission in this era.

"They're good kids," he continued, with a relieved smile and relaxed tone. "I feel comfortable leaving the keys with them."

With a new girlfriend and a career serving as an emergency manager for Region 5/6 Homeland Security in Nebraska, Pook said he feels the time is right to hang up his cover.

"No sense in being the stubborn old guy who can't give it up," he said. "I don't want to be a Brett Favre."

Coming full circle

Under dim amber lights amidst the whir of fans and echoes ricocheting off the concrete floor, Pook's career ended just how it began - in a warehouse near the flightline. The timeless fanfare of the military retirement ceremony commenced, complete with a display of certificates, photos and keepsakes that spanned Pook's illustrious career.

The warehouse was not the only familiar sight at his retirement. Pook's life-long best friend, retired Lt. Col. David Pacheco, officiated the ceremony. Pook and Pacheco met at the beginning of their Air Force careers and never lost touch.

Pacheco warmly recalled memories of serving alongside Pook, from basic military training at Lackland to putting around Spain in his car while stationed at Torrejon Air Base. Most importantly, he reminded the audience, which was composed primarily of civil engineers, to grasp the significance of Pook's accomplishment.

"Bill is one of the last active servicemembers to have received the Vietnam service medal," he said. "There's so much history, so much of the Air Force story told in one man."

Following his retirement, an emotional address and a presentation of mementos, Pook humbly, but succinctly, resigned to the reality at hand - this was the end of one of the longest active military careers in the United States.

"Old Airmen never die," Pook said, paraphrasing the late Gen. Douglas MacArthur. "They just fly away."