Destruction and Reconstruction by Richard L. Taylor

Having completed his first combat tour in Southeast Asia in November 1970, Captain Myers served briefly with the 80th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, before joining the 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, in March 1971. In addition to flying night bombing missions, Myers served as an F-4 forward air controller (Fast Fac) and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross. The squadron’s primary mission was to interdict the infiltration of men and materiel from North to South Vietnam. That December he reported to the 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Udorn Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand. First Lieutenant Myers then joined the 417th Tactical Fighter Squadron, stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany the squadron would redeploy to Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, in August 1968.Ĭaptain Myers transferred to Homestead Air Force Base, Florida, in April 1969, where he trained as an F4-E Phantom command pilot. After earning his wings a year later, he transferred to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, and completed back-seat pilot training in the MacDonald F-4 Phantom fighter-bomber. That June Second Lieutenant Myers began flight training at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, learning to fly the Cessna T-37 Tweet and Northrop T-38 Talon aircraft. In January 1965 he graduated with a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering and was subsequently commissioned a second lieutenant on 3 February 1965. Enamored with airplanes-jet fighters in particular-since his first ride on a commercial airliner he enrolled in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Course and acquired his private pilot’s license while participating in the program. After graduating from high school in 1960, Myers entered Kansas State University-Manhattan. While attending Shawnee Mission North High School he played the saxophone and piano in a small band and competed in football, basketball, and track. He grew up in a middle class suburban neighborhood, the son of a regional manufacturing representative and former primary school teacher. Richard Bowman Myers was born on 1 March 1942 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Destruction and Reconstruction by Richard L. Taylor