LESLIE S. LANGHUS Major USAF (Retired)

USAF OCS CLASS 57C, OC LT, 6th Squadron Adjutant

I grew up on a farm in northwestern Minnesota, and graduated from high school in 1949. After completing two years of study at the University of Minnesota, I was given my draft notice. My physical exam in December 1950 earned me the classification of 1-A. Thus, in July 1951, after much worry about being drafted as an army grunt and facing the snowy mountains of Korea, I enlisted in the Air Force.

Since my undergraduate education had been in agriculture, the Air Force assigned me to the veterinary career field upon completing basic training. I attained the grade of staff sergeant during my first enlistment. In 1955, I tried to finish college under the GI Bill, but it was impossible to attend college full time and support a wife and child, without also being fully employed. So, after nine months as a civilian, I re-enlisted in the Air Force, retaining my grade of staff sergeant, but losing my time in grade.

In early 1956, there was a lot of media coverage and congressional hoopla about why the Air Force needed a veterinary corps, when the days of the horse cavalry had long been gone. It was suggested that all people in my career field get onto another AFSC track. After several years of procrastinating, I applied for Officer Candidate School, and was accepted into Class 1957C.

Upon graduating from OCS, I received my wings, and attended F-86 fighter school at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona. Since no fighter jobs were open, I was sent to flight instructor school, and was subsequently assigned to Greenville Air Force Base, Mississippi. This base closed, and I was then reassigned back to Williams AFB.

In 1965, I applied for and was accepted to attend F-100 fighter training at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. Upon completing that program, I was assigned to England Air Force Base, Louisiana, and shortly thereafter was transferred to Misawa Air Base, Japan with temporary duty tours to Kunson Air Base, Korea. I was eventually sent PCS to Phan Rang Air Base, Vietnam for a one-year tour. After Vietnam, I was assigned to Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. I served there as Chief of Wing Standardization – Evaluation, until my retirement in 1972 as a major.

After I retired from the Air Force, I took a job with the aircraft division of Northrop Corporation. We sold F-15F and F-15E aircraft to Saudi Arabia. I was one of a cadre of thirteen instructors who undertook the job of training Saudi pilots, to instruct in this aircraft. After three years, Northrop’s contract for this activity was not renewed.

I returned to Texas in 1975, and settled on a small forty-acre ranch about forty-five minutes southeast of San Antonio. I attended Southwest Texas State University, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree and a teaching certificate. But, when faced with the relatively low pay that Texas teachers were getting at the time, I took a job in industry.

I worked for seventeen years as a technical representative and customer service representative with the Alamo Group, which is the world’s largest manufacturer of specialized roadside mowing equipment.

I retired fully in 1996. My first wife died in 1992, and we had three children together. They have given me ten grandchildren. I married Kathleen in 1995, sold the ranch, and moved to San Antonio. Kathleen passed away in February, 2001.

I keep busy with duplicate bridge, church activities, amateur gun smithing, and traveling.

Les Langhus