Personal Narrative Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Audio Recording Frank Jeannin Tomlinson Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: Cold War; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Korean War, 1950-1953
- Branch of Service: Air Force
- Unit of Service: 326th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS), 317th FIS; 16th Fighter Squadron; 56th Special Operations Wing (SOW)
- Location of Service: Suwon, Korea; Grandview Air Force Base and Richards-Gebaur AFB, Missouri; Tyndall AFB, Florida; Elmendorf AFB, Alaska; USAF Inspector General, Norton AFB, California; North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Oslo, Norway; Andrews AFB, Maryland (Base Commander); Nakhon Phanom, Thailand
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/38164
For Colonel Frank Tomlinson, joining the Air Force was what he terms a "watershed moment." Leaving his small hometown of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, he discovered a passion and aptitude for flying planes, which he decided to make his career. Following service in the Korean War, and stints at stateside bases, he volunteered for a combat tour in Southeast Asia and was sent to Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Base in Thailand in November 1968, where he spent most of his time performing search and rescue ("Sandy") missions, looking for downed American aviators. Interviewed here by his daughter, he also comments on what his career military service meant to his family.
Frank Jeannin Tomlinson Collection
Interview / Recording
Transcript
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PlayTraining on the Skyraider planes; assignment to Kakhon Phanom Royal Air Base (NKP) in Thailand; armed reconnaissance training; status of his family during this time. 00:22:10.0 - 00:26:42.0
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PlayArriving in Thailand in November 1968; first assignment to 22nd Special Operations Zorro Squadron; different types of operations going on there. 00:26:42.0 - 00:33:49.0
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PlayGoing on search and rescue (Sandy) missions; radioing with downed pilots; how these missions were conducted; two particularly exciting missions. 00:42:11.0 - 00:51:24.0
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PlayScary bombing run during which he was hit; keeping the plane going and not having to bail out. 00:57:03.0 - 01:00:58.0
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PlayTactics used by North Vietnamese to confuse search and rescue pilots; survival items that he carried. 01:01:00.0 - 01:03:45.0
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About this Item
Title
- Frank Jeannin Tomlinson Collection
Names
- Tomlinson, Frank Jeannin
- Mould, Kimberley Tomlinson
Home State
- Virginia
Headings
- - Tomlinson, Frank Jeannin
- - Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Air Force.
- - Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Air Force.
- - Cold War -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Air Force.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Race
- White
Status
- veteran
Service History
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Korean War, 1950-1953
- Branch of Service: Air Force
- Unit of Service: 16th Fighter Squadron
- Location of Service: Suwon, Korea
- Dates of Service: 1951-1981
- Military Status: veteran
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Vietnam War, 1961-1975
- Branch of Service: Air Force
- Unit of Service: 56th Special Operations Wing (SOW)
- Location of Service: Nakhon Phanom, Thailand
- Military Status: veteran
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Cold War
- Branch of Service: Air Force
- Unit of Service: 326th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS), 317th FIS
- Location of Service: Grandview Air Force Base and Richards-Gebaur AFB, Missouri; Tyndall AFB, Florida; Elmendorf AFB, Alaska; USAF Inspector General, Norton AFB, California; North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Oslo, Norway; Andrews AFB, Maryland (Base Commander)
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2003-10-13)
- Manuscript: Transcript [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 2003-10-13)
- Photograph: Copy photographic print [18 items] -- Photograph (collected 1954-1978)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/38164
Cite as
- Frank Jeannin Tomlinson Collection (AFC/2001/001/38164), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- audio
- image
- online text
Additional Metadata Formats
IIIF Presentation Manifest
Part of
Wars & Conflicts
Service Branch
Location of Service
- Andrews AFB, Maryland (Base Commander)
- Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
- Grandview Air Force Base and Richards-Gebaur AFB, Missouri
- Nakhon Phanom, Thailand
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato), Oslo, Norway
- Suwon, Korea
- Tyndall AFB, Florida
- USAF Inspector General, Norton AFB, California
Service Unit
- 16th Fighter Squadron
- 317th Fis
- 326th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (Fis)
- 56th Special Operations Wing (Sow)