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Dave Zook

Dave passed away on February 23, 2002

I found my military career to be fulfilling and rewarding. The first six years as an enlisted man had been divided between first the Army and then the Air Force. A great deal of that time was devoted to Communications and Electronic Warfare. My goal was to continue in that field.

My wish was delayed, first by a half year of serving as a Junior Training Officer at Lackland AFB after graduation from OCS, and then some time in pilot training at Larado AFB. When it became clear to the Air Force that I didn’t want to be a pilot, I was allowed to attend first navigation school and then, finally Electronic Warfare Officer’s School.

I was then back to my chosen field and I threw my soul into it. With a first place finish in ECM school I took my first choice of assignments which was testing ECM tactics and equipment at the Air Proving Ground Center (APGC), Eglin AFB.

A key part of that assignment was to be the testing of the QRC 160-1 jamming pods for use with tactical fighter-bombers. Details of this important part of my career are contained in my “War Story.”

My tests proved the worthiness of the pods. This turned out to be of great importance to the Air Force during the conduct of the SEA air war. Lady Luck smiled again when I was assigned to the 41 TRW at Takhli RTAFB, Thailand in early 1966. When I arrived there much of the base was still being built.

Soon after arriving at Takhli, I attended a “welcoming briefing” in our secure briefing room. There were about two dozen of us recent arrivals in the room when it was called to attention. Col. Robert R. Scott, our Wing Commander took the stage. He was flanked by the American and Air Force flags and above him was a large hand carved motto, “The mission of the United States Air Force is to fly and to fight, don’t ever forget it.”

Col. Scott looked us over and then said, “Look to the left of you and then to the right of you. One of the three of you will not finish your tour here as our losses are currently running 33%.” He went on to give us a short briefing on the Wing’s mission. Col. Scott left the room and a more detailed briefing was given by another officer. We were all quiet when we left the room.

From that time on I made a point of telling everyone I could about the results of the jamming pod test at Eglin and how the jamming pods could help cut the loss rate we were having with our F-105 aircraft. I was finally able to give a secure classified briefing to Col. Scott and some of the key Wing officers. Col. Scott liked the idea and arranged for me to go to 7th Air Force Headquarters, Ton Son Nhut AFB, Vietnam, to brief key people there.

Seventh Air Force also liked the idea and asked PACAF for the pods. After a lot of pressure from 7th AF and the Air Staff, PACAF gave in and let us test the pods in combat. The test results were spectacular: carrying the jamming pods and flying in a special formation, not one F-105 was lost to missiles during the tests.

Being able to prove the value of ECM jamming pods in combat was the high point of my life and without doubt the greatest contribution I could make to our war effort. Once the effectiveness of the pods had been proven they became standard equipment on the fighters and our loss rate was cut dramatically. I was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for my part in the combat test.

I flew 80 missions in the Hanoi area during my tour at Takhli and was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses and Eight Air Medals.

From Southeast Asia I was assigned to SAC. I was assigned first to Travis AFB and then to Mather AFB were I was to have several Bullet Shot TDY tours to Guam, Okinawa and Thailand. While on crew duty to SAC I served on the Senior Standardization and Evaluation Crew and the Wing’s Bombing Competition Crew.

After flying a few hundred combat missions in South Vietnam in B-52s I was lucky enough to fly a few in North Vietnam during Linebacker II. The details of these missions are also contained in my War Story.

From then until I retired I had non-flying jobs. After Linebacker II, I became the Wing Executive Officer of the 320th Bomb Wing and then the Squadron Commander of the 320 MMS. Next I was sent to Turkey and served as Commander of the TUSLOG Detachment 93 at Erhac AB. That was my only assignment in the mid-east and one I still relish.

Turkey was rich with history and I thoroughly enjoyed the Turkish people, especially the military. They were a wonder of being able to do a great deal with few resources. I gave my farewell speech in Turkish to the pleasure of my Turkish hosts.

My consecutive overseas tour took me next to Ramstein AB, Germany. My first job there was Chief of the Conventional Munitions Branch under the Deputy Commander for Logistics. I moved from there to become the Chief of the Avionics Division.

My last Air Force job was Director of Logistics for the Electronic Security Command Depot, Kelly AFB, Texas.

That’s the military part of my life in a medium sized nut shell. In my personal life, I married Freda in 1962, at Mather AFB where she was an Air Force nurse and I was an EWO student. Our two daughters were born at Eglin AFB in 1963 and 1965, and our twin sons at Travis AFB, in 1967, while I was assigned there to the 5th Bomb Wing.

Freda and I were married for 17 years and had to return to Kelly from Ramstein when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She died in 1979 and I retired with 26 years of service in 1980. After retiring I married Connie, my current wife. She was an Air Force nurse also.

Connie and I have been married for over 21 years and shortly before our last anniversary she too was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Connie and I have traveled a great deal and the both of us went back to college after she retired in 1981. We have five grandchildren.

I had started my college education while assigned to Eglin. Many interruptions from the Vietnam War prevented me from completing a degree program. Finally while at Ramstein I completed a BS in Sociology and an MA in Psychology. I had been deeply involved in a post graduate program when Freda, the four kids and I were assigned to Kelly. The reassignment was necessitated by Freda’s being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

I shall be eternally grateful to the Air Force Family for all the help we were given in that short notice move. When the chips are down the Air Force delivers.

My after-retirement degree was a BFA and I used that as a basis for a number of art related paying hobbies. That lead me to computers. Making art on computers became the means to my becoming a computer consultant and teacher. It’s been a great life and I love San Antonio. What more can I say?