GERALD E. (JERRY) KILLEN Captain, USAF (Retired)

USAF OCS Class 57C, OC Captain, Wing PSO

I was born on February 16, 1930, in Shreveport, Louisiana, and was raised in and around central Louisiana. I spent from June 1942 to June 1945 in New Orleans, where my father worked in a shipyard. I graduated from Lecompte, Louisiana High School on May 28, 1948 and then attended Louisiana State University from September 1948 until November 1949, when I enlisted in the Air Force.

After basic training, I was sent to Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas, for A&E school, after which I was held there as an instructor until my enlistment was up. I tried to get out of that job, and volunteered every time I could, for Korea. But, I was destined to help train others, so that they could be sent. I couldn’t go to flight training because I had not finished my second year of college. So, I got married on October 17, 1951. Then, the Air Force lowered the requirements for flight training to “high school graduate with 18 months of service,” but that change came too late – one could not be married and enter flight training.

After a few days as a civilian, I re-enlisted in the Air Force at England Air Force Base, Louisiana, for a wing that was being formed for shipment to Etain, France. The base in France was not ready for us, so we were dispersed in Germany, and I wound-up at Bitburg Air Base. It was there that I applied for OCS. I was given an outdated test and the newer one was not yet available in Europe. By the time I took the new test, passed it, and it was processed, I was over-age and required a waiver. This was requested by the Command in Europe, and I shipped out barely in time to get the last train south to Lackland Air Force Base!

During OCS, the recruiters for the Weather Service gave us a talk, to get some of us to go to weather school. I qualified, and it seemed I might be accepted. However, about three weeks before OCS graduation, that program was closed. I had also asked for the communications career field as a second choice, and was sent to Selfridge Air Force Base in Michigan, to fill such a slot. They looked in my records, and then put me right back into aircraft maintenance. In 1959, I was sent to Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois, for the Aircraft Maintenance Officer Course (AFMOC) and afterwards was assigned on paper to Bolling AFB, D.C. Now, a first lieutenant with two children can’t make it in the Washington, D.C. area, which is where my previous instructor experience came in handy. I was kept at Chanute to teach Advanced Maintenance Management, a course that I was not even qualified to attend, leave alone teach!

In 1960, I was sent to Castle Air Force Base, California as an assistant commander of a field maintenance detachment. In February 1961, I was assigned to Glasgow AFB, Montana, to set up a detachment there. Eight degrees below zero the first day and then down to 36 below zero within three days. Both detachments were for familiarization training for both pilots and ground personnel on the B-52 and KC-135.

From Glasgow, I went to Arizona State University for engineering school. I found out that Dennis Goudy had already been there, and had finished with all A’s. I also ran into Boyd Daily while there. I had marital problems while there and wound-up leaving without finishing the program.

I was then transferred to Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, with the help of my sister, who was working in Air Force Personnel Center, and helped arrange my transfer to Elmendorf. She also helped me to transfer to Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas later on. In 1965, my position -- along with several others – was eliminated and some of us were to be transferred back to the “lower 48.” I didn’t want to go, and a couple of others wanted and needed to go, but this particular colonel wouldn’t accommodate changes. So, again with the help of my sister and her husband (who was also in Air Force personnel), I got a transfer to Laughlin AFB in Texas, much to my subsequent regret. I remained at Laughlin until my retirement on December 1, 1969.

The maintenance unit at Laughlin was a pretty good outfit for a while. My first ER there was “Excellent,” but before the next one, we had a new Deputy Commander for Maintenance come from SAC, which no longer wanted him. He came with a chip on his shoulder and some truly oddball thoughts and waves. My next ER was also “Excellent” by my squadron commander, who was then ordered to downgrade it, but refused to do so, even though he was told that his own ER would reflect poor judgment if he didn’t do so. For some reason, that colonel and I just didn’t hit it off good. I had the endorsing remarks removed with the help of my commander, who wrote a letter explaining the situation.

I also had letters from the commander of one of the flying squadrons, a colonel, and one from an operations officer from another flying squadron. My next two ER’s were removed the same way. With two and a half ER’s missing, I was passed over for my tries at major. That colonel and his sidekick, a major, ruined a number of careers – mine included. One of our wing commanders had made Brigadier General and was then Vice Commander for Air Training Command, and he knew the story. He helped my squadron commander to get his ER thrown out, and he subsequently made lieutenant colonel. The colonel was told to retire or face the court. He retired.

At first, after my retirement, I did nothing in particular. Then I moved to my present location on September 20, 1970 to help my father and ended-up buying some land from him to help. I had no intention of settling in this area, but because of the circumstances, I did so. I worked for a job corps training center for a couple of years, first in security and then as a substitute instructor.

After that stint, I got some equipment of my own and started doing landscaping, clearing of land, and building minor roads and driveways. I also raised some livestock at the time. I finally sold my equipment and livestock, as neither was very profitable. Accidentally, my wife and I got started doing lawn maintenance (mowing and flowerbeds) as well as general handyman work. We did well working mostly for older people, who just seemed not able to get anyone to do any work for them. There was plenty of work to do -- more than we wanted as a matter of fact. It finally got to be too much for us, and we gave it up about three years ago. We do our own work now, all of which had been left undone during that time.

In 1987, we started setting up forms for a house. We did all the work ourselves except for some of the concrete work and topping out the plumbing. We did have some help from friends and neighbors at times, like raising walls and trusses. We painted a friend’s house in return for electrical and air conditioning work, although I did do a lot of the wiring myself. We did manage to get it built without hammering each other and we are still together. But, it took to 1993 before we could move in. At least it is all clear and paid for.

One of my daughters lives in Fresno, California, and is the mother of my granddaughter, who is the mother of my great grandchildren, two boys and a girl – one of which was born just after the reunion in April. My other daughter lives in Bakersfield, California, and is the mother of my only grandson, who is now 21, and has no idea what he wants to do. Hope he makes up his mind one of these days.

My wife, Janet, is originally from Minnesota. We were married in Alaska, just before my move to Del Rio. We have no children. So far, my health is holding up “fair.” I had to undergo cardiversion for aortal fibrulation in March of 1999. I had kept holding back about going to the reunion for some unknown reason. I found out why, when at about 2:15 a.m. on the morning of April 17, my wife took me to the hospital to have some treatment done again. Had I been in Laughlin, Nevada at the reunion, I would have been up the creek. Now, if this treatment will hold for another year, it won’t be so bad. I do have my pharmacy for blood pressure and a couple other minor things. My eyes give me problems, since they don’t want to focus properly when reading. All in all, I would say that I am quite fortunate.

OCS was a little rough, but it was also fun if you look at it the right way. I was the only one not on the ramp during the first weekend of walking. I managed to stay off the ramp all during second class days. Sometimes, it was hard not to laugh at the first class when they were trying so hard to be really mean. I did have to stomp a few smiles. Mr. Paxson of First Class was bound and determined that I would not go all the way through second class without tours, so he managed to get me the last week. I worked them off (all four) processing in the new class.

When in Alaska, I was maintenance officer for the transport section and took a flight back down to San Francisco with one of our classmates as navigator. I won’t say who he was, but we got so far off course and delayed that there was a write-up. The weather was really bad, though.

I had been looking forward to the reunion in 2000, but things just didn’t work out in the end. Hopefully, I will be able to make the next one.