SCV Veterans History: Herby Hightower, USAF, Vietnam скачать в хорошем качестве

SCV Veterans History: Herby Hightower, USAF, Vietnam

Canyon Country resident Herby Hightower shares his remarkable life story and military experience in this episode of the Veterans History Project, Santa Clarita Valley Edition. Born in Macon, Georgia, Herby grew up sharecropping and picking cotton before leaving home as a young man in search of opportunity. After enlisting in the U.S. Air Force, he entered one of the service’s most demanding technical fields, training on highly classified bomb navigation and radar systems during the early Cold War era. Despite coming from a non-accredited high school and having little formal preparation, Herby persevered through intense electronics training and graduated third in his class. Herby went on to serve as an Air Force bomb navigation and avionics specialist on the B-47 Stratojet, the nation’s first jet bomber, working with the MA-7A computer and AP-24 radar system. After leaving the Air Force in 1967, he returned to Southeast Asia as a civilian contractor, supporting U.S. and allied forces in Vietnam by maintaining and repairing aircraft systems throughout much of the war. He later remained in the region during the American withdrawal and continued supporting allied governments in the years that followed. Key Moments 00:00 Introduction to the Veterans History Project 01:00 Growing up in Macon, Georgia and life as a sharecropper 02:10 Meeting an Air Force recruiter and enlisting 03:30 Basic training and aptitude testing 05:00 Choosing aircraft electronics and bomb navigation 06:40 Classified training and early struggles in school 08:10 Understanding the MA-7A navigation system 09:10 Graduating third in his class 10:20 B-47 Stratojet service and Cold War bombing accuracy 12:00 Mentorship, advanced training, and career growth 14:00 Leaving the Air Force and deciding to go to Vietnam 16:20 Civilian service in Vietnam and postwar evacuation 19:10 Later work overseas and reflections on racism and service Beyond his own service, this 2009 interview by Bonnie Romero of College of the Canyons holds special meaning because Herby Hightower played a key role early on in the creation of the Santa Clarita Valley Veterans History Project series, helping bring the idea of documenting local veterans’ stories to SCVTV. In this wide-ranging conversation, Herby reflects on military service, technical mastery, racism within the armed forces, life during the Vietnam era, and the importance of preserving veterans’ voices for future generations. #scvhistory #scvveterans #usaf #vietnamwar 👉 Check out our list of SCV Veterans History Project episodes here:    • SCV Veterans History Project   👉 If you enjoy this video, please like 👍, share with friends & community, and subscribe for more stories from the Santa Clarita Valley’s past. 👉 FOLLOW US ON SOCIALS ✔ Instagram -   / santaclaritahistorycenter   ✔ Facebook -   / scvhistorybuffs   ✔ Threads - https://www.threads.com/@santaclarita... 👉 EXPLORE THE SCVHISTORY ARCHIVE ✔ SCVHistory.com - https://scvhistory.com/