Personal Narrative Film, Video Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Stephen Clay Baxter Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: Iraq War, 2003-2011
- Branch of Service: Air Force
- Location of Service: Iraq; United States
- Highest Rank: Major
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/52096
To help pay for college, Stephen Baxter enlisted in the Air Force Reserves in 1987. He spent two years waiting for an opportunity to train to become a navigator. After just missing the chance to participate in Operation Desert Storm, he did get to fly missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Stationed at Diego Garcia, a speck of an island in the Indian Ocean, Baxter had a long "commute" to and from his sorties over Iraq. His B-52 could stay in the air for many hours, thanks to mid-air refueling.
Interview / Recording
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PlayDescription of B-52 bomber's missions; stationed on Diego Garcia, supposedly undisclosed location during the war; turned down two chances to come home early, because he liked what he was doing so much; enlisted in Air Force Reserves to earn money for college; father had been in the Air Force, and he wanted to fly. 00:01:48.6 - 00:04:32.8
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PlaySeparated from reserves in August 1990; missed Desert Storm by a couple of months; had worked on planes in his reserve stint; his vision prevented him from becoming a pilot; during drawdown, opportunities for navigators disappeared, so he became an ICBM launch officer for two years until he could apply for navigator training. 00:05:27.1 - 00:08:11.0
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PlayFirst combat sortie in February 2003 in Afghanistan; while they were on the mission, they got news that the space shuttle Columbia had disintegrated; first time he employed weapon in anger was March over Iraq; flight from Diego Garcia to Iraq or Afghanistan is about 7 1/2 hours, "so you have plenty of time to think about what you're going to do", long flight back; considering the deaths he had just caused; on return from first mission, some crew were taking souvenirs from unused ordnance, but he didn't--he was the one who actually released the bombs. 00:08:44.6 - 00:14:08.8
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PlayRefueling in mid-air on the way up, once in theater, once on the way back; B-52s once flew a sortie during Operation Desert Storm from the U.S. to Iraq and back--over 23 hours in the air. 00:15:08.3 - 00:16:47.5
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PlayAccommodations on Diego Garcia; first lived in dormitory-style buildings, then in a tent; did have air conditioning, but it was still roughing it; got to move into hard billets with real showers. 00:19:40.8 - 00:20:50.5
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PlayCombat cameraman on aircraft; everyone takes turns napping; he took a picture of Baxter sleeping with his eyes open, whites only showing. 00:26:08.3 - 00:30:07.7
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PlayEncounters with Marines in a bar on Diego Garcia; crew was there to decompress after mission; Marine gave him a big bear hug in appreciation for the air cover the B-52s provided; war effort among branches of service is more coordinated now than in the past. 00:30:11.4 - 00:32:37.2
About this Item
Title
- Stephen Clay Baxter Collection
Names
- Durham Western Heritage Museum
- Vasquez, Luis G.
- Baxter, Stephen Clay
- Lothrop, Ashley
Home State
- Nebraska
Headings
- - Baxter, Stephen Clay
- - Iraq War, 2003-2011 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Air Force.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Race
- White
Status
- veteran
Service History
-
Iraq War, 2003-2011
- Branch of Service: Air Force
- Location of Service: Iraq; United States
- Highest Rank: Major
- Dates of Service: 1989
- Entrance into Service: Enlisted
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Video: DVD [1 item] -- Reference copy (collected 2006-12-13; 2012-04-13)
- Video: DVD [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2006-12-13; 2007-05-04)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/52096
Cite as
- Stephen Clay Baxter Collection (AFC/2001/001/52096), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- image
- video
Additional Metadata Formats
Part of
Wars & Conflicts
Service Branch
Location of Service
Battles & Campaigns
Highest Rank
Service Entrance
Discharge Status
Gender
Race
Home State
Interviewee
Interviewer
Organization/Affiliation
Featured in
- Wings of War | Occupations and Specialties in Service | Serving: Our Voices | Veterans History Project Collection | Digital Collections
- 21st Century Conflicts: Afghanistan and Iraq | Wars in Iraq (2003 to 2011) and Afghanistan (2001 to 2021) | Serving: Our Voices | Veterans History Project Collection | Digital Collections