David Massamore, Lt. Col, Army, Madisonville, KY, 1968 – 1994 (Active and Reserves)

Started as a Private and ended up as a Lt. Col.

While he was in intelligence school he was contacted and asked if he wanted to go to Viet Nam or Germany. He asked, is this a trick question? They said, no, you have your choice. Massamore said, well, I am in intelligence school, so I’ll take Germany!

So, he ended up going to Germany and instead of a hot warrior, he became a cold warrior, literally and physically.
During his active service he was assigned for two years with the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division and spent most of his time freezing on the Czechoslovakia border, running up and down the West German and Czechoslovakia borders watching the Russians, because, according to him, it was never warm there.

One of the jobs he had there was to authenticate the release of nuclear weapons. As a second and First Lieutenant his job was to push the button, releasing weapons that could end the world. He feels it was an interesting responsibility for a kid from Dawson Springs.

David Pearson, Specialist 4th Class, Army, Madisonville, KY, 1969 – 1971

After graduating basic and advance infantry training at Ft. Knox he was assigned to Company D, of the 46th Engineering Battalion, in Viet Nam.

His primary duty was a driver for officers, and NCO’s and hauling heavy equipment that was used to repair and build roads and highways. He says his was a boring tour. He says nothing ever happened that was noteworthy. According to Pearson he wasn’t ever shot at or came under attack so he had a good tour!

David Sloughfy, Private First Class, Army, Hanson, KY, 1943 – 1945

He was assigned to South Korea from 1943 – 1945 he was assigned as a clerk typist for the 143rd Field Artillery Regiment where he worked his two years for the commander of the unit. He was glad to get home after the war was over.

Dennis Dame, Corporal, Marines, Manitou, KY, 1968 – 1970

Dame was a radio operator for the 3rd and 1st Marines and received two Purple Hearts for wounds received while he was in Viet Nam.

One time was during a patrol outside of Da Nang, Viet Nam.
He was the middle man on a patrol, when he stepped on a bobby trap and his foor sunk down about 8-10 inches into a hole. Several other members of the patrol passed over it, but he hit it just right. He heard the click and froze.

The other members of his patrol dived for cover and told him to take the radio of and throw it aside. He wasn’t too keen on that as he was afraid that the loss of the weight would set it off, so he jumped! He ended up with shrapnel wounds in his back and legs as a result of the explosion.

Richard “Dick” Frymire Jr., Major General, Marine & Air Force, Madisonville, KY, 1952 – 1983 (Active and Reserves)

Major General Richard Frymire served in the Navy starting in September 1952 where was commissioned as second Lieutenant in the United States Marines as a fighter pilot. He served on active duty till December of 1956 where he then joined the Kentucky Air National Guard, continuing to serve in fighter pilot and command roles until he retired in June of 1983.

During his tenure as Adjutant General, the Kentucky Air National Guard enjoyed a command combat-ready status for 20 consecutive months, terminating in April 1976 at the time of conversion to the RF4-C fighter. Within eight months thereafter, the Kentucky Air National Guard completed its conversion and successfully passed its Operational Readiness Inspection. The unit was rated outstanding in July 1977, by the 12th Air Force Standards and Evaluation Inspection Team.

His military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Air Force Commendation Medal, and the Combat Readiness Medal. He received the National Guard Bureau coveted Eagle Award and the Air National Guard Meritorious Service Award.

Don Perryman, First Class Petty Officer, Navy, Madisonville, KY, 1974 – 1988

Don was Yeoman/Journalist during his time in service and he related the following story.
In 1985, after the Marine Barracks were attacked by suicide bombers, we brought the sixth fleet rock band down from Naples, Italy where they were stationed. It was good for moral and they played and bounced around from ship to ship, but stayed with us on board the USS Puget Sound off the coast of Beirut Lebanon, which was the flagship in those days.

I got to know the guys pretty well as they hung out in our office at night, watched TV and whatever. When they were flying back I took leave, which is vacation time in the military, and arranged to fly back with these guys back to Italy. It was first flight, in or out of Beirut International, which was nothing more than a landing strip because all the buildings were blown away. It was the first flight since the bombing of the barracks.

They had the equipment on pallets and the helicopter took us off the USS Puget Sound into the landing strip there. So we’re at one end of the landing strip with these pallets, and we’re all wearing Navy whites and we’re throwing a Frisbee around in Beirut Lebanon.

There was this big wooded area just off of us and we’d been there for a couple hours and somebody kept running out from where the Marines were staying and would tell us the plane had been delayed and we kept getting these messages.

Then all of a sudden we hear gunfire! A hell of a lot of gunfire and it was coming from that same wooded area. Honestly, I don’t remember moving, but the next thing I know I’m laying on the tarmac behind one of the pallets and I realize that I was behind a big bass drum that wasn’t going to do me a lot of good! Needless to say, it got pretty quiet there amongst us for a little bit. Then out of the woods comes some Marines with the Lebanese Army and they’d had them back there training, but that was still quite a scare.

The plane did finally come in at just about dark when it landed and we got everything loaded. It was kind of a strange thing to see as we were flying off and you could see the tracer fire going from the mountains going across the top as we were taking off. So, that was for real, it was war.

Don Rickard, Sgt., Air Force, Madisonville, Ky, 1965 - 1969

Sergeant Don Rickard was a Security Policeman with the United States Air Force between December 1965 till February 1969. After training started his service at Bunker Hill AFB, IN guarding Convair B-58 Hustlers, the first operational supersonic jet bomber capable of Mach 2 flight that carried a nuclear weapon. He was working security for the bombers and spent so much time walking around them that he swears he could tell you at the time how many rivets were in each plane. He got so tired of walking around the planes that when he was asked in 1967 if he wanted to go to Vietnam he replied, why not!

He was assigned to Phu Cat Air Base a Vietnam People's Air Force military airfield in Vietnam. He worked security for the first six months guarding everything from ammo dumps to bombers and gunships on the runway to the outposts on the parameter of the base. After six months he spent the rest of his time in country working law enforcement on the base.

One time he almost lost his thumb one night when the enemy was trying to get through the parameter fence when he was on the guard tower. It was during the Tet Offensive and they were popping hand held flares one night to illuminate the fence and in the heat of the moment he almost sliced his thumb off on the lip of one of the cans that held the flares. Other times he recalls having to dive for bunkers over the months when they were attacked by mortars. He also recalls infiltrators making it onto the base, but "they didn't make it back out standing."

His closest call was when he was on the guard tower, he remembers the bullet from a sniper whizzing by so close to his helmet that he could feel the heat as it passed by. The bullet continued on and did kill a comrade sleeping in his bunk. "It just wasn't my time." He feels like all these years he's been living on borrowed time and has tried to live accordingly.

Donald L. Smith, Private First Class, Army, St. Charles, KY, 1951 - 1953

After basic training Smith was assigned to the 8th Regiment of the 4th Division, at Butzbach, Germany.

The 8th Infantry Regiment was organized as special police platoon at Schloss Kaserne, Butzbach. Germany. The mission of the SP unit was to protect personnel and property of 1st and 3rd Battalions, the 34th Truck Trans Company and a detachment of the 704th Ordnance Maintenance Company. The platoon aided the military police in street patrols, guarded the base entrance gates and acted as honor guards.

The SP platoon, the first in 8th Inf Regt, consisted of 30 specially chosen enlisted men, which Smith was one of. It was formed by Lt Cols Wayne M. Winder and G. Harry Huppert, commanders of the two infantry battalions at Schloss Kaserne.

Smith and his unit also provided support and security for the first integration between their unit which was all white, with a black unit. According to him the integration between the two units went off without any problems.

Donald M. Laffoon, Lt. Col., Army, Madisonvile, KY, 1943 - 1971

Army, Lt. Col. Donald Laffoon of Madisonville, Ky entered service at the age of 18 in December 1943 and served until August 1971, 28 years. He saw combat during three different wars.

During World War II he served in Germany during his first tour in combat and as a corporal he was the point man that led a patrol all the way to the Eagles Nest, Hitler's home in 1945.

On the way to the nest he recalls telling the local Burgomaster, who performs the duties of a mayor, which he and his patrol didn't want to see anyone between the town and the Eagles Nest along the way that didn't have a white flag. "If they didn't have a white flag, they're dead! He got the word out." He said he wasn't allowed into the nest however because at the that time only Sergeants and above were allowed in. After Germany he and his unit was redirected to the Pacific and was in route when the two atomic bombs were dropped. He was assigned to the 86th Division then, The Blackhawks, who were to be part of the force that would have invaded Tokyo. That ended the war and they were sent to the Philippines instead where there were still pockets of resistance that didn't know the war was over.

After the World War II he went into the Army Reserves and attended the University of Kentucky on his GI Bill and was assigned to the 100th Airborne Division, part of the 11th Airborne, at the then Camp Campbell, Ky, as a heavy combat jumper, also referred to as a glider rider.

When the Korean War began in June of 1950 his reserve unit was activated and as a newly commissioned 2nd Lieutenant he was assigned to the 7th Infantry Division and participated in battles at Inchon and the battle of Seoul where he was injured during an advance and received a Purple Heart. He and his unit also fought in many other battles around the country during his year there.

In 1969 during his tour in Vietnam he was a Lt. Colonel and the Operations Officer for the 2nd Corps. During that war he recalls once he was supposed to fly on a helicopter with a group of high ranking Vietnamese Officers for a aerial tour, but was removed from the flight because an U.S. Army officer of equal rank had to be onboard so his commanding officer, a full Colonel took his seat. A short time after takeoff the ship was shot down and all 14 people aboard were killed. It still haunts him to this day.

Donnie Carroll, Airman Second Class, Air Force, Madisonville, KY, 1958 – 1962

Carroll served in various roles as an Air Policeman during his four years of service.

In March of 1959 I was assigned to the 4084th Air Base at Sondrestrom Air Base in Greenland. It was jokingly referred to as the Miami of the north. It was an air fueling base for the Strategic Air Command. The Danish actually built the facility. I was there till March of 1960 and I came home the same time Elvis did, but I didn’t get the same reception.

Nothing exciting, one of the things we used to always joke about was that there was a woman behind every tree, but of course we couldn’t find any trees! There was always something like that.

One of the unique things about where the base was; we were about 90 miles inland up a fjord and in the summertime our supplies would come in by ship and troops from the Army would unload it. Being the Air Force how we work was a little different than the Army. They’d fall out every morning, reveille and all that good stuff, we’d lie in bed and holler please keep the noise down till it’s time to go to work!

While I was in high school I took typing and that’s one of the best things I guess I ever took! Because the fact that I ended up becoming the desk sergeant, which helped keep me out of the cold! In the winter it would get to a -60 or -70 degrees!

Doug Long, Sgt., Army, Beulah, KY, 1949 - 1961

Sergeant Doug Long of Beulah, Kentucky who was 16 when he enlisted in the Army in October of 1949. He took his boot camp at Ft. Knox and right before his unit shipped out to Korea it was discovered that he was underage and he was switched over to the Air Force and sent to Texas. After Texas he was assigned to Edwards Air Force Base as a photographer and knew the likes of Chuck Yeager, who test-flew the experimental X-1 rocket plane and broke the sound barrier. In 1951 he was reassigned to the 51 Fighter Interceptor Wing at Suwon, Korea close to the 38th Parallel where he served 9 months in the combat zone where his unit received two Bronze Battle Stars. He still recalls today the night his base was under attack in the pouring rain and the sky was red from artillery throwing up flak, as the one where he got serious about finding the Lord. His next overseas assignment was to the 5th Air Force's 3921st Recon Tech Squadron in England where he processed the aerial film from Gary Powers U-2 Spy plane flights during the time he was shot down. He left service in 1961 after serving six years in the Air Force Reserves.

Dudley Riley, CMSgt, Air Force, Dalton, KY, 1955 - 1981

Chief Master Sergeant Robert Riley, of Dalton, Ky, who served as a K-9 Dog handler in the United States Air Force for 27 years as a Security Policeman. He enlisted in January of 1955 and retired in July 1981. During his career he trained K-9 handlers and their dogs all over the world including the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam and the U.S. Also he served on security details for two presidents, Johnson and Carter. Riley was also handler for Nemo, a K-9 that was retired from service after saving the life of his handler in Viet Nam and was wounded in the action. Nemo and Riley toured the country giving talks and demonstrations to raise awareness and donations of dogs for the military working dog program.

Eric Mullen, Corporal, Marines, Madisonville, KY, 1981 – 1985

Mullen was CH-53 Heavy lift Helicopter Avionics Technician and while he served in several locations during his service his most memorable was while he served with President Ronald Regan’s helicopter squadron.

In summer of 1984 while serving with HMX1 (Marine One), at the time we were President Ronald Regan’s helicopter squadron, we departed Virginia headed to Chicago where the President was going to address, what I’m almost sure was the American Legion National Convention that was taking place that year.

During the flight, we suffered a mechanical failure, which was particularly disturbing in the fact that something in the gear box that controls the tail rotor latterly broke. We know it broke because there’s a magnetic sensor attached to the bottom of that gear box which functions as a magnetic switch. When anything becomes adhered to it then it turns that switch on and gives the pilot a chip warning indication.

The reason that’s distressing is that the tail rotor is the only thing that keeps us from spinning out of control. In most catastrophic failures, at least on the military side of the house, a tail rotor gearbox failure is virtually unrecoverable, from any altitude. So there was no discussion on where to land, but how quickly could we land. So we landed in some fellas freshly cut wheat field somewhere in Iowa. Never did really find out where; we were literally in God’s country. The other aircraft that were with us put it down right there with us.

Once we got on the ground the really distressing part was over, because we had another gearbox on hand and we literally changed it right there in the field. When I say in the field in the military that usually means somewhere off base, but this was actually in a wheat field!

The problem then was getting this group of helicopters off the ground without setting this wheat field on fire! That became our primary concern after we had repaired the aircraft. Each helicopter had two jet engines attached to it and the downdraft with the hot exhaust and sparks could easily start a fire.

So we sat fire crews out. The crews from all the other helicopters stood by with fire extinguishers and as each one would take off the fire crew would get smaller and smaller till the last helicopter took off. The last one figured, well, we haven’t burnt down the field yet, so we probably won’t and we completed our mission to Chicago without any other interruptions.

When that tail rotor went off, it was the tensest moment for me ever, during my time in service.

Frank D. Boris, Corporal, Army, Hanson, KY, 1963 – 1965

Boris was a Heavy Mortar Man that served in Germany and Korea.

He started out at Ft. Knox for his basic training. Afterwards he was assigned to Ft. Lewis, Washington for learning his specialty as a mortar man.

Afterwards there were all kinds of talk about them going to Germany as part of a special unit that would move into areas if the Russians ever came across the border. Then everything changed about two weeks before leaving. They started all kinds of gorilla and jungle type training. He didn’t know if his outfit was going to Vietnam or what, but he really wanted to get overseas somewhere. He was friends with the company secretary and the only place where you could get a year’s duty was Korea at that time. So he put in for Korea and got it.

In 1964, his last year in the Army, he was assigned to Camp Casey in South Korea with the 7th Division. They were a backup for those on the line in case the North Koreas ever tried to come across the 38th Parallel. No one figured those that were on the line would survive if they did and so other units were kept further back in reserves. They had troops, tanks and air craft that were all prepared and on alert in case the north ever came across the line.

He says, he was never in any real danger or anything like that. They was shooting along the DMZ every once in awhile, but was all.

On a humorous note he related, “they use a lot of human waste in their fertilizer in their fields and the local farmers had a contract to buy our s..t. Well the other farmers would sneak in at night and steal it! It was really funny at the time.

Some of his fondest memories was during his service and thought about re-enlisting. There’s been many times over the years he wishes he had.

Charles “Frank” Roy, Air Force, Sergeant, Madisonville, KY, 1970 - 1974

Roy was an Aircraft Electrician and during his entire service he was assigned to Eaker Air Force Base in Blytheville, Arkansas with the 2nd Air Force’s 97nd Bomb Wing and flew with the B-52G’s and the KC-135 refueling aircraft.

He recalls that they were called in on alert one night around 1972.

Everyone thought it was just an operational readiness check or inspection. When we got there the alert level had actually been lowered and we’re going; what the heck? Of course Viet Nam was hot and I guess that’s your first thought, but that was actually when Russia had sent nuclear weapons into Egypt.

Every Strategic Air Command base, from what we were told was put on alert. They loaded the B-52s and I believe we had 14 or 15 in our wing and about 13 or 14 tankers. The B-52s were loaded and lined up on the end of the runway with the engines running, with the tankers behind them and we sat there for 36 hours, loaded, ready to go!

At the end after it was over they told us it was for the satellites where Russia could see that we were ready to react, before they finally pulled them back.

George Siria, Sgt., Army, Madisonville, KY, 1950 - 1952

Army Sergeant George Sira served from December 1950 - November 1952 and was assigned to the 7808 Station Complement Unit attached to the 7th Army in Garmisch, West Germany.

He was in special services supply.

When he went to Germany he admits that he had a attitude. He wanted to be a heavy equipment operator and instead he got assigned to supply. Not a happy camper at that point. He worked alongside his German counterparts to issue recreational supplies to military units that used this military resort community.

He was just a private when he and some of his German co-workers were closing up to head off to lunch one day. The Germans were the ones that had control of the keys and he had them on this day and was locking up as they were waiting. His commander saw this and read him the riot act basically telling him that he wasn't allowed to have the keys. He got upset and threw the keys at Henry, his German counterpart and stormed off. When he got back he went and saw the commander and told him that he wanted transferred out of the unit. He said, I don't want to work in a unit that trusts Germans before they trust an American Soldier.

Well, that was a beginning of another deal for him. His commander said, are you through? Sira said yeah. First place he had ribbons all over and had been in the Battle of the Bulge. His commander continued, in the first place when you talk to me you say sir, second you stand at attention and I'm not transferring you anywhere. You haven't even been here long enough and you're still wet behind the ears. Every time I see you you've got feet propped up reading a book instead of doing the jobs you were assigned. Now you get out there with the Germans and help them take inventory. Well, I snapped to attention and said yes sir! He made a soldier out of me. From then on I said sir when I talked to him and stood at attention. He deserved it. After awhile his commander put him in for Corporal and eventually Sergeant. His commander said Sira was a born leader. By the time Sira left there in 1952 he was the only one that had permission to sign his commander’s name.

Harry Davis, SP5, Army, Madisonville, KY, 1967 - 1969

Army Specialist Fifth Class Harry Davis of Madisonville, Ky served from 1967-69 in a position during Vietnam that was considered one of the most dangerous jobs. He was radio Operator for the 1/27th of the 25th Division, The Wolfhounds. His job was one the enemy used to try to pick off as it would disrupt communications for the team and because of that he was wounded five times during his time on the front lines. When General William Westmoreland, who commanded US military operations in the Vietnam War at its peak, including during the Tet Offensive was presenting Davis' 3rd, 4th and 5th Purple Hearts he asked, haven't I done this before? Davis replied, yes sir. Westmoreland asked, why are you still on the line? Harry said, sir I'm a soldier. That sums up Davis' pride in his service to his country from 1966 - 1970.

Harry Waide, Specialist Third Class, Army, Madisonville, KY, 1954 – 1956

His job was Artillery Surveyor and he was responsible for establishing the co-ordnances for the artillery.

He was assigned to the 4th Artillery at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma however he didn’t spend a lot of time there and they were the only observation battalion in the United States. So anytime there were war games or training where artillery was concerned one of their units had to go.

He recalls once we were at Ft. Hood out in the field surveying and were in two jeeps. We were racing back in and I was in the font jeep and we were coming up on this sharp curve.

I looked out the back to see what the other jeep was doing and as they were rounding the curve the jeep turned over! The funny thing about it is there were four guys in it and they all crawled out and instead of standing up they just kept crawling! There were four guys in a row crawling across the road. It just tickled me to death!

Ira Johnston, Army, Private First Class, Madisonville, KY, 1943 - 1945

Johnston came ashore at Omaha Beach in early September 1944. He then moved on to St. Lo, France to the replacement depot where he was eventually assigned to the 104th Infantry Division and moved from France to Bastogne, Belgium and on into Germany, battling along the way.

He recalls on Christmas Eve 1944 they were along the Roer River across from the Germans. “About midnight, there was a silence that fell on the area; no rifle fire, no machine guns, no mortars and no artillery fire was heard. Then I heard some music. The Germans were serenading us with a recording of “Silent Night, Holy Night.” I do not remember how long the silence lasted; just that the impression of that time has had a lasting effect on me.”

In March of 1945 he and his unit were training to cross the Rhein River by boats. Training continued until the 7th Armor Division captured the bridge at Remagen and put a small force over the river. A huge smoke screen protected that bridge plus the engineers built a pontoon bridge across it also and the smoke screen protected both bridges. They then crossed on one of the bridges and prepared to start another offensive drive.

Johnston recalls, “One night while we were waiting to start the attack on the German troops, my friend and I was ordered to lay a telephone line to one of the platoons an take them a telephone. We started on a path toward the platoon, when a noise that sounded like a hive of angry bees whistled past our ears. Well, of course it wasn’t bees, but bullets from a machine gun! My Lord and Savior had other plans for me and kept me safe.”

Jamica Greenwell, Air Force, Airman First Class, Madisonville, KY, June 1964 – August 1964

Greenwell served only a short time in the Women’s Air Force (WAF) till she was discharged medically due to medical issues with her knees. She say’s even though she served only a short time, she was proud of her service.

“I’m from a military family,” relates Greenwell. Of course most of them were Army. I felt like I was accomplishing something that most women didn’t get into then. It felt good to belong to something, to help out. Knowing I could have gone to Viet Nam if I stayed in, didn’t really bother me. I felt that growing up that was our obligation we needed to serve, even if it was just for a year, or two everybody needs to serve. No matter if it’s National Guard, combat service,
whatever, we’re obligated to the United States. It’s our country and that’s the way I feel about it. Women have a say so too! Back then they said, well women don’t need to serve. Women don’t need to do this or that. Basically stay home, keep house and have kids and I said that wasn’t me.

James Gibbs, Army, Sergeant, Madisonville, KY 1979 – 1990 (Reserves and Guard)

Gibbs primary jobs were in Unit supply, Arms Specialist and Medic.

One time I was training for unit supply specialist at Ft. Lee, VA. During the training we had to go out into the field for a week where you learn how to do your job out in the field. Well, they had a tropical storm roll through there the night before so the next day we dug this huge trench around the tent, which took us all day long. I was just worn out. They were telling us to take a break every once in awhile, drink some water. Well, I went inside the tent to get out of the sun and I sat on my rucksack.

As soon as I sat down I hear this hissing noise and I’m like, oh my gosh, I’ve broke something! It didn’t register to me that it was going to be a rattlesnake. So, I went to push myself up and that rattlesnake popped me right on the arm, but it didn’t let go! You know in the movies they bite and let go and leave these two little round holes? No, no that’s not the case, I had these two small holes then it had these smaller teeth and there were marks from them as well. The fangs went in, but they also partially went out the other side of my arm, so I didn’t get the full blast of the venom, but that snake held onto my arm! It just bit and stuck there! I jumped up; this snake was dangling on my arm and I’m yelling HEY! Screaming, yelling and stuff and this drill sergeant, was like a 6’ 5”, muscled up dude, right. His name was of course sergeant Holliman, yeah that’s a drill sergeant’s name because he hollers a lot!

He comes running into the tent and says, what the hell is going on? He just stops, looks and says, SNAKE! SNAAAAKE! And just backs out of the tent. I’m like, great! Come on! You’re the drill sergeant! You’re always talking about this big tough guy you are and as soon as he sees that snake hanging on my arm he just like takes off out of the tent! So a guy who was a E-4 and part of the training class with me came in and he got it off, had a trenching tool and he hacked it. Then the other guys came in with their trenching tools and each one of them took a turn of hitting it with their trenching tools, it was really bizarre! They all would just come in and like, HA, see, I got you snake, even though the E-4 had already killed it.