Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
9:22 | Operational readiness was critical for the Air Force during the Cold War. Charlie Pocock remembers many of the requirements and developments of the time when nuclear war could start at any moment.
Keywords : flying time flight efficient quick thinking fast base operations company commander leadership precedent ORI (Operational Readiness Inspection)
In order to avoid the draft, Charlie Pocock decided to go to college and enlist in ROTC. He then went into flight school which brought a new set of challenges.
Learning the equipment of the military was essential for Charlie Pocock. Avoiding incident while in training was difficult, and accidents led to loss of life.
After a miscommunication in the cockpit, Charlie Pocock and his flying partner had a near-death experience that they managed to navigate out of safely.
After re-enlisting in the service, Charlie Pocock passed his flight physical and was on active duty in Utah where he lived. When his plane was shot down over Vietnam, he had to think on his feet to run through the jungle and transmit his whereabouts via radio.
Charlie Pocock remembers rescuing a pilot that had gone down in the jungle near base. With the help of a soldier on the ground, he rescued the pilot and brought him back to safety.
