Good Times on Easy Queen Mountain
Memories of Easy Queen Mountain in winter
Rifle fire still echoing from the DMZ fourteen years after the
Korean Police Action has ended
Snow piling up against the tents as Thanksgiving leaves and
Christmas comes and goes on frosty wings
Reminding 5th Tac that my enlistment is up and being told
not to worryNeeds Of The Air Force will extend my
enlistment whether I like it or not
Response: Youll have to Im not re-enlisting while Im on
this frigging mountain. Extension goes through
Army asks if they can borrow our M-16s for training, seems
they have ammo, but no M-16s - Situation Normal All Fucked
Up
Korean Officer appears in tent on Christmas Day with gift
of lighters as thanks for working on their behalf silence from
5th Tac
Balky radar demanding constant attention and only three-level
apprentices fresh from tech school to help out, exacerbated by a
pushy Butter Bar in Ops who has to be reminded that he is not in
charge of maintenance
Almost nearly, but not quite longing for the heat of
Viet Nam, maybe for just a few days
Called to Seoul by Korean Air Force brass to give my opinion of
present radar and recommendations for a replacement
A year or so later find that they have installed the radar I had
wearily recommended
Meet my replacement in Seoul, along with replacement parts for
antennafind that he has no experience with UPS-1 radar, so
back I go with him, not quite understanding why I care
A few months after finally returning to Clark, brass floats idea of
my returning to Easy Queen - nobody else can keep the little critter
on the air
Its nearly time for me to return to the States, so the suggestion meets
with the scorn it so richly deserves. I would have to extend my tour in
SEA, and I dont want to hear that Needs Of The Air Force crap
again
So, after nearlly four years spent mostly in the tropic heat of SEA, they
send me home to the States, Northern Minnesota, and
Memories of Easy Queen Mountain in winter
©7/26/2003 Thurman P. Woodfork
