SGT. Ken Jorritsma
U.S. Air Force
827th Combat Support Group
Okinawa 1966-1970
U.S. Air Force
827th Combat Support Group
Okinawa 1966-1970
Ken was born in Worcester, MA on December 9, 1946. He attended the Northbridge Trade Vocational School and took carpentry. Ken enlisted in 1966. “It was getting kind of hot, so I decided it was time for me to go.” Ken has a brother that enlisted and shipped out for Guam and Ken didn’t know it. Ken said he was nervous like the rest of the guys.
His first stop was Lackland Air Force Base in Texas for basic training. He then went to Shepard AFB in Texas for technical school training. Finally, Ken was sent to the George Air Force Base in southern California out in the desert. There he worked on f-4’s. Ken originally received orders to go to Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam, but his orders were changed to Kadena AFB in Okinawa, Japan. “Didn’t make a difference to me.” A week before being assigned to Kadena, a B-52 crashed on takeoff.
In Okinawa, where it was 90-100 degrees, Ken was responsible for “handling” the flight crews of B-52 bombers that were preparing for bombing runs in Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos. These bombing missions would be flown at 35,000. He was tasked to make sure the air crew was healthy and ready to take off on time. It was critical that the flights left on time. “If we made a mistake, we were called on the red carpet.”
Ken worked with a new crew every day and he never knew what happened to the guys he worked with. The bombers would not return to Okinawa. They proceeded on to Guam or somewhere else. “The VC got anti-aircraft batteries from Russia and they were able to shoot the b-52’s down at 35,000. Ken mentioned that this was a Strategic Air Command Base and they had SR-71’s which were reconnaissance planes that flew at 85,000+ feet. Ken was in Okinawa for 18 months.
“I enjoyed my time. It took me a little while to go from civilian to military life. I got chewed out a couple of times, but I was ok”. Ken was hoping for a promotion to sergeant. “One day the Chief Master Sargent, we called him the Chief of Many Stripes, comes over ot me and says it that anyway for a Sergeant to look?” “That’s how I found out I was promoted. That was 2/3/70. I was happy. Now I out-ranked my father.”
I asked Ken what his memorable moments from his deployment were. I mentioned the Habu; venomous snakes that were everywhere. “Only 20 minutes to live if those suckers got you.” He also remembered getting a 30 day leave and went back to Worcester. I couldn’t wait to leave and get back to my buddies.” “They wanted me to re-up, but things looked good on the outside, so I left.”
Back in civilian life, Ken got a commercial truck license and was a long-haul truck driver for many years. He saw 48 states and eventually ended up with UPS. In 1985 Ken got married and they moved near Carlise, PA. In 2005 Ken’s wife passed away and he eventually found himself back in Worcester when his mother became ill.
Ken remembers the protests “but I still wore my uniform. I did get spit on at the San Francisco Airport by some hippy. I enjoyed the service. I was on my own. I just had to take orders.”
Thank you Ken, from a grateful and more informed nation.
His first stop was Lackland Air Force Base in Texas for basic training. He then went to Shepard AFB in Texas for technical school training. Finally, Ken was sent to the George Air Force Base in southern California out in the desert. There he worked on f-4’s. Ken originally received orders to go to Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam, but his orders were changed to Kadena AFB in Okinawa, Japan. “Didn’t make a difference to me.” A week before being assigned to Kadena, a B-52 crashed on takeoff.
In Okinawa, where it was 90-100 degrees, Ken was responsible for “handling” the flight crews of B-52 bombers that were preparing for bombing runs in Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos. These bombing missions would be flown at 35,000. He was tasked to make sure the air crew was healthy and ready to take off on time. It was critical that the flights left on time. “If we made a mistake, we were called on the red carpet.”
Ken worked with a new crew every day and he never knew what happened to the guys he worked with. The bombers would not return to Okinawa. They proceeded on to Guam or somewhere else. “The VC got anti-aircraft batteries from Russia and they were able to shoot the b-52’s down at 35,000. Ken mentioned that this was a Strategic Air Command Base and they had SR-71’s which were reconnaissance planes that flew at 85,000+ feet. Ken was in Okinawa for 18 months.
“I enjoyed my time. It took me a little while to go from civilian to military life. I got chewed out a couple of times, but I was ok”. Ken was hoping for a promotion to sergeant. “One day the Chief Master Sargent, we called him the Chief of Many Stripes, comes over ot me and says it that anyway for a Sergeant to look?” “That’s how I found out I was promoted. That was 2/3/70. I was happy. Now I out-ranked my father.”
I asked Ken what his memorable moments from his deployment were. I mentioned the Habu; venomous snakes that were everywhere. “Only 20 minutes to live if those suckers got you.” He also remembered getting a 30 day leave and went back to Worcester. I couldn’t wait to leave and get back to my buddies.” “They wanted me to re-up, but things looked good on the outside, so I left.”
Back in civilian life, Ken got a commercial truck license and was a long-haul truck driver for many years. He saw 48 states and eventually ended up with UPS. In 1985 Ken got married and they moved near Carlise, PA. In 2005 Ken’s wife passed away and he eventually found himself back in Worcester when his mother became ill.
Ken remembers the protests “but I still wore my uniform. I did get spit on at the San Francisco Airport by some hippy. I enjoyed the service. I was on my own. I just had to take orders.”
Thank you Ken, from a grateful and more informed nation.