Page 45 - May Sun Rays flipbook

after it started, it was declared over on Air Force Master Sergeant John Wood survivors.
July 27, 1953 with the signing of the
armistice. away when the other guys were sched- Wood tried to wrap his brain around the
uled for leave and he didn’t want to take news of the crash. He hoped and prayed
Thirdly, the Korean War posed no threat leave by himself. Wood agreed to wait. KLVEXGGLHVZHUHQRWRQWKDWÁLJKWEXW
to national security in the states, unlike they were. Suddenly, the realization of
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had passed since WWII was over and duty. Although he was just 22 years of WKHJXW´2KP\*RGµKHFULHG´,ZDV
folks at home didn’t want another war; age, he considered himself old in com- VFKHGXOHGWREHRQWKDWÁLJKW,VKRXOG
they were still recovering from the last parison to the other airmen in his unit EHGHDGµ
one. Consequently, unless one was actu- and felt a responsibility to make sure
ally there or had a loved one there, Korea everyone was okay. Since his buddies Just as quickly he said a prayer of
had no real effect on daily life. were scheduled to return from their leave WKDQNV´,·PJODG,PLVVHGWKDWÁLJKWµ
in Japan that day, he wanted to be sure
Although brief when held in compari- transportation was available to bring 7KHFUDVKRI´2OG6KDN\µLVVWLOOFRQ-
son with other wars, the Korean War them from Osan to Suwon Air Base. sidered one of the worst military air
is still considered one of the bloodiest. disasters in our nation’s history. Seven
1HDUO\ÀYHPLOOLRQSHRSOHGLHG0RUH It was late afternoon when he decided to of the 129 who perished were crewman
than half of those killed were civilians, FKHFNRQWKHLUWUDQVSRUWÁLJKW·V(7$HV- and the remaining 122 were servicemen
which exceeded the civilian fatalities in timated time of arrival) with the base’s returning to combat after leave in Japan.
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Americans and over half a million South ÁLJKWGHVN\LHOGHGQRLQIRUPDWLRQH[- ties and only one injury; a farmer work-
Koreans and other United Nation troops FHSWWKHÁLJKWKDGWDNHQRIIDIWHU LQJLQWKHÀHOGZKHUHWKHSODQHFUDVKHG
ORVWWKHLUOLYHVEHWZHHQ-XO\DQG hours as scheduled but there had been no received minor burns to his face while
-XO\0RUHWKDQDPLOOLRQWURRSV communication from the cockpit. A little attempting to rescue occupants of the
were injured, physically and mentally. while later he called again. This time, downed plane. His wife, who was in the
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One tragedy that is known to few in- RQZH·UHFKHFNLQJWKLQJVRXWµ$IWHUZKDW
YROYHVWKHFUDVKRID&$SODQH$ seemed like hours, he was told the news: :RRGDQG0DFZHUHÀQDOO\DEOHWRWDNH
mere 39 days before the end of the war, the transport plane had crashed three a four day leave in Japan a few weeks
D*OREHPDVWHU,,&$FUDVKHGDIWHU minutes after takeoff—there were no ODWHU7KHLUWUDQVSRUWZDVQRWD&$
takeoff from Tachikawa Air Force Base
in Japan. Its destination was Osan Air A month after the armistice was signed,
Force Base in South Korea and its occu- Wood boarded a troop ship headed this
pants were airmen returning to combat. time back to the states. He had spent 13
No one survived. months in Korea, battling not only the
North Koreans, but bitter cold, scorching
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because of its propensity to rattle ev- &KHFN&KDUOLHµ+HZDVPRUHWKDQUHDG\
erything and everyone aboard, was the to be home.
work horse for the Air Force. Spanning
173 feet from wingtip to wingtip, 127 feet Stateside, he was stationed at Bergstrom
LQOHQJWKDQGIHHWLQKHLJKWIURPWKH Air Force Base, where he met Barbara.
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Diane Klutz is a former nursing profes-
Wood was stationed at Suwon Air Base, sor at Texas A&M University in Corpus
which was located 35 miles south of Christi, Texas Woman’s University in
Seoul. He had nearly completed his 12 Denton and Midwestern State University
month tour of duty, and he and three of in Wichita Falls, TX. She is a Vietnam
his friends were planning to take a four- veteran and the author of “Round Eyes:
day leave in Japan. A few days before An American Nurse in Vietnam.”
WKH\ZHUHWROHDYHDQRWKHUEXGG\0DF
asked if Wood would mind delaying his
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