As R. Craig Vulkoff ’56 discusses his service to his country and two deployments to Vietnam, his spouse, Barbara “Oz” Osborne, weeps several times. It could be from his bravery as he flew combat missions or her fears of losing him in action and what that might mean to their family… or probably both. Read as he discusses his time at Lehigh, his life as an officer and pilot, the complexities of the conflict in Vietnam, and its impact on the nation.
Lehigh Time
I consider myself the Class of 1956, but I graduated in the winter of 1957 with my degree in industrial engineering. I grew up in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Haverford High. My time at Lehigh was wonderful. I lived in Drinker and then pledged Phi Gamma Delta.
Back then we had to commit to two years of ROTC. I then completed two more years of advanced ROTC. That meant I could enter the service as a second lieutenant and was paid half of what an enlisted airman earned while at Lehigh — $85 every other month.
When I graduated, I began in sales at Leeds & Northrup, an electric technology company based out of Philadelphia. My territory was southeast Pennsylvania where I sold precision temperature-measuring equipment. I loved the work but not the sales.
In August of that year, I was called up to active duty. I completed primary training in Georgia and then went to Alabama to begin basic training as a pilot, flying T33 aircraft.
Finding Love
When I was home for the Christmas break, I went to visit my sister, who was married and living in East Hampton, New York. She wanted me to go out with her and her husband and looked to find me a date. Her mother-in-law’s cousin had a son who had a high school sweetheart. Her friend became my date. Oz and I met that Christmas and were married in July 1958. We have been together 64 years.
First Deployment
In October 1958, Oz and I went to Williams Air Force Base in Arizona where I trained on the F86. We were there six months. But the Air Force was phasing out the F86 and wanted me to train in the B47. I wasn’t interested, so I began to train students in the T33 and T37 back in Selma, Alabama.
It was a tumultuous time in history for Selma while we were there. Our family grew — we had two babies: a son, Mark, and a daughter, Deborah. I was an instructor for five years.
In 1963, I was brought into the personnel office and given two choices: fly an A1 in Vietnam as a volunteer or leave the Air Force. I agreed to go. The Air Force seemed to need some public relations help to fight a war that we were not supposed to be fighting. I’m not sure it helped others volunteer. But we went to Florida where I trained on the A1.
In October 1963, I was sent to Vietnam for a one-year tour. Oz didn’t want me to do it, afraid I would be killed. Mark was five years old and Deborah was three. They rented a house back in East Hampton to have the support of her family while I was away.
My unit stopped in Hawaii on the way and then again in the Philippines where we received some jungle survival training. I then was loaded into a C47 and flown to Bien Hoa, Vietnam. It was unbearably hot and humid. My barracks was a tiny hootch, almost like a corn crib. I went to the officer’s lounge when I arrived and was welcomed by many people I knew.
At this point in the conflict, the United States was not directly involved. We were there as advisers to the Vietnamese. There were no U.S. flags flying on the base and no U.S. markings on the planes. I was training Vietnamese pilots and had one in the side seat next to me in our A1.
Our flights were in support of ground troops. It was a guerrilla war. If our GIs were getting shot, we would bomb and strafe. We flew low to the ground, just above the treetops. We took on plenty of ground fire. I flew 208 combat missions in the course of my year.
The Gulf of Tonkin crisis in early 1964 changed things. That’s when the U.S. became more actively involved in the conflict. It was exhilarating to see the American flag fly over the base before I left. We only lost 12 men that year. As promised, I returned home in October 1964.
Second Deployment
When I got home, people asked what I did that for. It was widely known that the U.S. wanted to stop the advance of communism, but people weren’t in support of how that was happening.
I worked in the staff office for the Air Force for a number of years. Then in 1973, the Air Force was running out of pilots and asked if I would go on a second tour. This time I’d be flying an A7 on air combat rescues.
I agreed to go. It didn’t make Oz happy. She won’t even talk about it now.
Things were so different upon my return. The operation was a whole lot slicker. It was more highly organized, more business than adventure. Everything was air conditioned. Oz visited me, and we had R&R in Bangkok, Thailand, where we ate fresh seafood on the beach.
It didn’t feel like the first tour. Back then we were tougher than everyone else. This time it felt like we were just doing our jobs. I mostly sat around waiting until someone needed saving.
Then we did what we were taught and trained to do. We’d find a downed crew and help guide a helicopter in to save them; we provided air support and helped suppress ground fire. I returned home in 1974.
Reflections
Would I do it all again? In a minute. Service to our country is a worthwhile endeavor.
But I learned that there is no such thing as a merciful war. During my second tour, we told the enemy where bombs would fall in order to reduce civilian casualties. Armed Services as a profession is very noble, but war is hell. How does a person justify those two things?
When I returned home in 1974, the population was tired of war and not in support of the military. The U.S. was right to exit Vietnam. It didn’t feel like anyone wanted to win. The conflict damaged America a lot. The news around it was bad, and trust for the government decreased.
Since then patriotism has changed. Not everyone stands as flags go by in a parade. The country seems divided. My father would say that Republicans and Democrats both think America is great, and both want to help us get better, just in different ways.
So you can look at the other side as bad — you have that choice if you want. I hear conservatives talking about their fear of a “woke military,” how no one will want to be recruited or fight. People seem afraid to understand that there are many versions of the same history. But the worries and fears and accusations on each side now can go viral thanks to the speed of information. That’s no reason to lack civility.
Post Service
I retired in 2001. After my military career, I was a pilot instructor, teaching flight safety in civilian aviation. I taught about Lear jets in a ground school and used a flight simulator for pilots who were just starting their careers and those who needed refresher courses.
My Lehigh education was worth every penny. I used my engineering skills every day and was well rounded in my knowledge, drawing on the other classes and critical thinking I gained on South Mountain.
There is an alumni group in Arizona that I meet up with. Many of the current students and younger alumni assume I fought in World War I.