| Born on date: January 24, 1949, Northbridge MA, 5th child to George and Hilda DeBoer. Three older sisters, one older brother. Grew up on the farm in Sutton, went to Sutton schools, graduated June 1968. Dated Grace Siska starting in 1965, high school sweethearts.
On December 12, 1968 I proposed to my lovely wife Grace, for a July 12, 1969 wedding. On January 24, 1969, my birthday, I received a call from the Army recruiter saying “you’re going to get drafted anyway, so why not enlist for three.” I took all the test and tried to get in to ASA, but then my draft notice came and the only thing open was 67A10. Same old story, at Ft. Rucker, got called out and asked if I wanted to go to ATC School, and you know the rest. So on April 1, 1969 I left for basic at Ft. Jackson S.C. June 1, found me arriving at Keesler AFB, with my little written guarantee from my recruiter that I would get two weeks off for my wedding. BFJ, they told me I could leave after class Friday night but I had to be back by 2 PM on Sunday. I had to take about five different flights to get back to Boston by 9:30 AM Saturday morning, wedding was at 11 AM, left the reception at 4 PM stayed overnight at a hotel at the Airport in Boston and Grace and I flew back to Gulfport and I made it back by 2 PM. We lived off base, first in a one room apt down town Biloxi and then in a nice apt (the hurricane house) right on Highway 90 across from the beach, next to Lums restaurant. August 17, 1969 hurricane Camille blew through town and took everything on RT 90 but spared our apt. We managed to stay there in spite of no water or power for over two weeks. I would have to bring my wife to the barracks for showers. After a few weeks of chain saw details, school got back underway and by October 15th I was promoted to Sp-4, sent to Ft. Rucker for POR training, home for two weeks leave and landed in Nam on November 11, 1969. After a week in the 90th Rep Co. I got orders for the 363rd ADD at LZ Betty (Phan Thiet). Our hooch was about 50 ft from the edge of the runway, so when the C130’s and 123’s would land or depart the wing tips were about 15 ft. from my bed. (Loved those C123 engine mag checks) Spent my entire tour at the 363rd I was a 93H20 and in Aug. 70 the GCA and all the 93J20’, CO, NCOIC and office was sent to Cambodia, leaving about 5 of us with a Sp/5 in charge. At that time we were under the command of the 125th ATC. I was supposed to get a 90 day drop in September, but they never sent me my orders, and ended up spending an extra 90 days in country. Went back to the world on November 10, 1970, 30 days leave, back to Ft. Rucker, promoted to Sp/5, assigned to Hunt Stage field, also did some time at Hooper also, got my FAA certification in November 1971. Got a 3 month early out and ETS January 4, 1972. Went back home to Sutton, MA and have been here ever since. Our one son, Brandon, was born October 16, 1974. Tried, unsuccessfully, to get into the FAA, finally, in Aug. 1979 was picked up by the Great Lakes Region, sent to the FAA Academe in OK city where I maxed all the phases and labs 2, 3, 4, and 6, (1 and 5 had an instructor who said Army ATC didn’t work “real traffic”). Seems the FAA has a real problem with Army ATC. So myself and the other 3 former Army ATC guys got the boot. Went back to college for Engineering and have been working as a Sr. Mechanical Engineer for a Machine tool distributor for the last 18 years. Was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis in October, 2001, was hurt on the job in October 2002, have had two back surgeries and haven’t worked since December 2002. Still married to my High School sweetheart, July 12, 2006 will be 37 years. I’m now the househusband, as she works for Commerce Insurance, as Special Investigative Unit Specialist. |
| Bob DeBoer
363rd ADD Phan Thiet RVN Sutton, MA |
| Last Updated: Jan. 30, 2006 |
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