Oral history interview with John A. Webb, [sound recording], 1999.

ArchivalResource

Webb, John (Jack) A., 1936-. Oral history interview with John A. Webb, [sound recording], 1999.

Oral history interview with John A. Webb, [sound recording], 1999.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/773366248

John "Jack" A. Webb, a Durand, Wisconsin native, discusses his career in the Air Force, including service in Asia during the Vietnam War and the Cold War. Webb mentions his family's military history, enlisting in 1954, and his military training, including work with radar and with electronic countermeasure systems for B-47s. He touches on volunteering for Combat Control, going through jump school, and joining a team at Hurlburt Field (Florida) in 1963. Webb outlines his career and states he served in Laos and Nakhon Phanom (Thailand) between 1964 and 1966, as well as in Korea and in Japan after the USS Pueblo Incident. He discusses taking different types of Special Forces training, including jungle survival in Panama and infiltrating a CIA base. He speaks of "Operation Water Pump/Project 404": living at Vang Pao's secret headquarters at Long Tieng (Laos), duties as an air controller working in conjunction with the Laos military, and officially being a member of the U.S. Embassy rather than an Air Force employee. Webb expresses regret that when he went to Laos, little was known about Hmong culture and everyone called the Hmong a derogatory term without knowing better. He compares working with Hmong soldiers and Royal Lao Army soldiers. At Udorn (Thailand) in 1964, Webb describes living at CIA-operated airline facilities and their quick conversion to military bases after the Gulf of Tonkin incident. He touches on going on some ambushes with Hmong guerilla soldiers, getting attacked by Russian tanks, and being held back by American policy, such as not being allowed to use napalm in Laos. Webb highlights some dysfunctional relationships with officers from other U.S. military branches and reflects on his two-person, enlisted-men team being replaced by a bigger unit composed of officers. He explains how targets were set, the fluid nature of his resources, and difficulties caused by the rules of engagement. He describes attending Vang Pao's house parties and participating in a Hmong cultural ceremony at a village. Webb talks about sponsoring Hmong immigrants in the United States. He comments on daily life and a typical duty day. Webb details doing an emergency landing after having his airplane's battery shot and getting the plane restarted afterwards. He characterizes the men in his unit, relates an uneventful homecoming, and states he wore his uniform in the early 1970s as a recruiter in Green Bay (Wisconsin) and never encountered a problem with protesters. After his retirement, Webb talks about using the GI Bill to attend college, shares his frustration about the difficulties he has witnessed Hmong immigrants face, and highlights the contribution of the Hmong people to the war effort. He touches on his membership in the VFW and the American Legion China Post 1 (exiled out of Shanghai).

Sound recording : 2 sound cassettes (ca. 78 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Master sound recording : 1 sound cassette (ca. 78 min.); analog, 1 7/8 ips.Transcript : 31 p.

Wisconsin Veterans Museum Research Center