Above the battlefield: Untold story of 92-year-old Vietnam War pilot

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Geneva Nguyen
JOINT BASE ANACOSTIA-BOLLING, Washington, D.C. — In the summer of 1950, 18-year-old Hank Lavery was walking through the campus of Queens College, New York, when a military officer jumped out of the bushes and recruited him to join the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, a program which trains future military officers while they attend college. 
 
“I didn’t know what ROTC was, so I thought it was another scam and said no thanks,” said Hank, a Queens, New York native. “But the officer said that the program pays $30 a month. So, I told him I’ve always been interested in ROTC.”
 
The white-haired jokester laughed as he recalled the memory. Standing at about 5 feet 8 inches, Hank’s voice filled the room as he told the story of how his Air Force career started.  
 
Born during the midst of the Great Depression in 1932, Hank’s father took on multiple jobs to stay afloat like many other families at the time. Although Hank said they weren’t completely struggling, any additional source of money coming in helped.
 
So, Hank took the ROTC offer. He started the program at Queens College in New York City where he first studied physics, but later switched to engineering. After graduating college in 1956, Hank headed off to flight school at the historic Hondo Air Base in Texas where he began his training to become a U.S. Air Force pilot. 
 
Throughout his training and early career, Hank said he flew various types of aircraft including the T-37 Tweet, B-25 Mitchell, B-47 Stratojet and KC-135 Stratotanker. As a highly-achieved new pilot, the Air Force sent him to finish his Master’s degree in economics at the University of Chicago. Life was going great for the young lieutenant. 
 
Little did Hank know, he was about to enter what some consider one of the most controversial wars in American history.
 
The war
 
Shortly after finishing his Master’s degree, Hank got orders to fight in the Vietnam War. 
 
Since it was a sponsored tour, his family was able to be with him. He lived in the Philippines with his family, but flew to Vietnam every couple of weeks to fly 13 missions a day. 
 
In the Philippines, Hank and his family had fond memories of the culture and people. 
 
“My youngest son, Marc, had blonde hair,” said Hank. “He figured out very quickly that his blonde hair attracted a lot of the local women there. So, he would walk in front of us every Sunday after church because he was getting all this attention.”
 
However, this was different from Hank’s experience in Vietnam. 
 
Hank and his team flew the C-130 Hercules to Vietnam from the Philippines to haul cargo, people, animals, and medical evacuations. Most of the time, Hank was sent to command dirt airfields in support of U.S. Army operations that were under night attack. 
 
“Our motto was, ‘You call and we haul’,” said Hank. 
 
During his three-year tour, he flew search missions where the planes were as low in altitude as 300 to 400 feet to look for those who were lost at sea. In these missions, Hank said he flew area searches until the plane was nearly out of gas, then he would refuel and come back and repeat the mission. 
 
Hank also faced numerous obstacles such as flying out of an airfield on three out of four engines to prevent the enemy from destroying the aircraft at night. However, the hardest thing was witnessing the wounded being loaded on the back of the plane. 
 
“The things you saw back there were the things you hope to never see again,” said Hank. “The wounded were in conditions you’ve never seen before in your life.”
 
Hank said his face turned white as soon as he witnessed the scene at the back of the plane. 
 
“One of the doctors on board noticed that I wasn’t looking well,” said Hank. “He said to me, ‘You don’t worry about us back here; you just get us out of here.’ So, I did.”
 
Out of all the combat missions, one type stood out most. 
 
“The medical evacuations were hard; but the most difficult evacuations were the ones where body bags were being loaded on the plane,” said Hank, tears in his eyes. “Those were Americans, and I’m taking them home.” 
 
Hank and his team left Vietnam in 1970. By then, they had completed over 1,000 combat missions.
 
A sailor at heart
 
After Vietnam, Hank was reassigned to the Pentagon. There, he continued his line of work in aviation as a project manager for the F-111 Aardvark program, specializing in tactical radar and electronic countermeasure. Hank eventually retired in 1980 after 23 years in service. 
 
Despite his harrowing experience in Vietnam, Hank said he focused on doing things he loves with the people he loves.
 
Although Hank dedicated his career to aviation, his affinity for boating never diminished. 
 
“I grew up around boats so I’ve always liked being on the water,” said Hank.  
 
Hank and his wife, Katharine, joined the Pentagon Sailing Club on Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C., in 1996, where Hank served as a chief engineer for over 20 years. He worked on sailboat motors and taught the younger generations on fixing and maintaining motors. 
 
“We found an abandoned boat and fixed it up,” said Hank. “At Bolling, we had a procedure where we would find abandoned boats that were still good, fix them up, and bring them to the club.”
 
He was part of a small group that started and coached the club’s racing team where they competed in local regattas on the Potomac River. 
 
“During the regular program, I taught racers every year – sailing on the Potomac,” said Hank. “We also taught wintertime classes for the educational program where people can get their advanced licenses and certifications, so they can sail in the bay and take out all kinds of boats.”
 
Aside from sailing and keeping busy with weekly exercise classes, bowling, and yard work, Hank and Katharine also enjoy spending time with their big family. With the combined family, they shared 7 kids, 16 grandkids, and 12 great grandkids. 
 
“With a family this big, we always have something to do, whether it’s birthdays or weddings,” said Katharine. “We have 60 family members in this area alone, so we’re planning to stay here and age in place.”
 
As Hank looked back at his life, he was glad that he took a chance with ROTC.
 
More than 74 years later, that kid who was walking down the campus of Queens College has transformed into a seasoned Air Force pilot, navigating the complexities of flight in multiple aircraft and bravely serving in Vietnam. Now, he finds joy in the tranquil water of the Potomac River, surrounded by family, relishing the serene moments and reflecting on a life rich with adventure and sacrifice. 


Author’s note: Hank would like everyone to know that if he had to live his life over, he’d live over a deli.