Page 79 - The History of Veterans at Highland Springs

RON NICHOLS
HIGHLAND SPRINGS RESIDENT, AIR FORCE
Enlisted in August 1964 and was sent to Officer Training School at Lackland in San Antonio and commissioned in November that year. Stationed at the University of Oklahoma for weather school January 1965 to 1966. Other training included Southeast Asia training at Eglin Air base and High-Altitude Training at Kadena, Okinawa.
Though Weather was always a tenant organization, I was stationed at 12th Air Force Headquarters January 1966 to November 1967. Duties included giving weather briefings in the command post there and providing weather support a couple of times for National Guard units.
After being assured by my boss that I would not receive a Southeast Asia assignment, I was sent to Royal Thai Naval aviation base at Utapao, Thailand in support of the 4258th Strategic Wing USAF.
There my duties included weather briefings for the B-52 bombers and KC 135 tankers. We worked 12-hour shifts; two days, two nights on and two off so I had time to visit Bangkok on my days off.
The most dangerous part of that assignment was riding in a taxi on the roundabout just outside the Bangkok airport. We were sure the drivers were kamikaze pilots
At Utapao, I met the best boss or commanding officer I ever had: General Alex Talmant. People would work around the clock for that man. He always looked out for them. There was a briefing each afternoon where he asked the lowest ranking airman there how he could make it better for them whilst still completing our mission. He was instrumental in me going on flying status as a weather observer.
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