Vets All Fields - City of Fort Thomas

Paul Stegeman
Navy
EM-3

Paul Stegeman attended St. Thomas Grade School and High School, graduating in 1964. He joined the Navy and entered boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Training Center in November of 1965. Paul became an Electricians Mate. He was then stationed in Norfolk, Virginia and assigned to work on the USS Vulcan, a repair ship, during the day while staying in a barracks on the base.

After a few months he was assigned to the USS Bon Homme Richard CVA-31, an older Essex-class aircraft carrier home-ported in San Diego California. The day after he arrived, they pulled out to sea so Navy pilots could train taking off and landing on an aircraft carrier. After a few weeks, they left to join the Seventh Fleet off the coast of North Vietnam; arriving there in early February.

The routine for their 1967 “cruise” to Vietnam settled into a routine. Their ship was usually cruising off North Vietnam with one or two other aircraft carriers carrying out bombing operations against military targets in the north.

Paul’s job was repairing electrical equipment and standing watches for 4 hours per watch. On a ship, all major equipment needed an operator, sometimes many more. Routine operation work was called a watch. Paul’s watch station was on the steam turbine 5-kilowatt generators. When they weren’t performing their 8-hour maintenance and repairs every day, they would be assigned a watch; sometimes daily or it might be every 2 or 3 days.

Whenever a ship needed more bombs, they were brought by a ship that transferred them by lines from them to the aircraft carrier and every bomb was unloaded by hand. They would be assigned to help carry the bombs and put them on the carts to be wheedled away and ready to be put on a plane.

The routine would continue, day after day, for many weeks as long as they were needed, until another carrier would relieve them “on the line”. They would usually pull into Subic Bay, the Philippines, or sometimes, to Yokosuka or Sasebo Japan for repair, supplies and R and R at U.S. Navy bases there.

When the ship left San Diego, they had been told that they would be gone about 6 months but after 4 or 5 months, they were informed that their time with the 7^th Fleet would be extended until October. Finally, in early October, they began the trip home. He had planned to fly home to visit his family and friends when he got back from Vietnam, so he arrived home in time to celebrate his 21st birthday.

On November 6^th,1967, his flight to Los Angeles crashed upon takeoff at CVG. It had poured for days, and a Delta jet was stuck in mud on a taxiway, clear of the runway. As they lifted off, there was a loud Bang! The pilot tried to abort the takeoff, but their right wing was on fire.; they ran off the end of the runway and went airborne for a short distance. The landing gear and right wing broke away and the fuselage cracked open. The passengers managed to jump from the burning plane and up a hill to safety after the plane came to a halt. A few who couldn’t get out without help were rescued. Many people had minor injuries, but some had broken arms, legs, or a broken back. One elderly woman suffered a heart attack and passed away later. This caused Paul to arrive back 1 day late, so he was technically AWOL. He was going to have to go before a Captain’s Mast to determine any punishment but with TWA Airline’s help, the charge was dropped.

The second cruise to Vietnam started off with their ship being sent to North Korea after the North Koreans had unlawfully captured an un-armed U. S. Navy ship, the USS Pueblo. Paul and his shipmates had expected to be in San Diego another month but they were told to get underway as soon as the ship was ready. The USS Bon Homme Richard CVA-31 spent several cold weeks off the coast of North Korea conducting operations to influence North Korea to release the crew.

The type of mission didn’t change the routine. It was always work, stand watch and try to get some sleep. After weeks up north they headed back to the Gulf of Tonkin and back to the same weeks of bombing. But now the main targets were on the Ho Chi Minh Trail that the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong guerrillas from South Vietnam used to infiltrate and supply the takeover of the democratic south.

When the ship left San Diego, they expected to be gone 6 months, but they were once again extended a few months. Finally in late September the ship headed to Japan a final visit. They left Japan on September 26^{th, 1}968, on their way home; But two days after leaving Japan they ran into Typhoon Della, whose winds exceeded 150 mph. The winds were so strong that it delayed homecoming by 3 days! Finally, the USS Bon Homme Richard pulled into North Island Naval Air Station in Sam Diego on October 6^{th, 1}968. Paul was released from active duty at the end of October 1968 and flew home. He was happy to be home, but he still says that getting out was the hardest thing he has ever had to do!

Noel Stegner

Chris Stegner

Robert W. Steinhauser

Harold J. Steinhauser

Robert Sterrett

Donald Stickling

William R. Strasinger

Paul (Stu) Stuntebeck

Richard O. Wegert
US Air Force
Major

Richard O. Wegert enlisted on September 30, 1942, with the E.R.C. and served with the 758 Bomb Squadron, 459th Bombardment Group (Heavy Bomber), 304th Bombardment Wing, 15th Air Force during World War II.

Called to active-duty January 29, 1943, and served at Patterson Field, Fairfield, Ohio for the United States Army Air Corps.
Graduated Aviation Cadet on May 23, 1944 & reenlisted
Overseas late 1944 – June 3, 1945
Separation of Service on November 27, 1945
Served until retirement in Active Reserve – Retired as Major

He served with the United States Army Air Corps and enlisted for one year. By April 1943, he was stationed at Mississippi State College taking courses, upon completion was to be Army Air Force Flying Training as an Aviation Cadet. By October 1943, he was one of thirty Aviation Cadets from Cincinnati training at the San Antonio, Texas, Aviation Cadet Center. Upon completion of training in Texas, Richard and two other Aviation Cadets were sent to Frederick Army Airfield, Oklahoma for their final training as bomber pilots in March 1944. Richard
completed the training received his wings and commission as a bomber pilot on May 23, 1944.

This was also the date for his second enlistment. By August 1944, he was promoted to 2nd Lt. and in aerial combat training at Davis-Monthan Field, Tucson, Arizona and a pilot of a Liberator
bomber. This was his final training before being assigned to combat duty. Richard arrived in Italy and assigned to the 15th AAF in October of 1944. In January 1945, he was awarded the Air Medal and was still based in Italy. On March 8, 1945, his plane, a B-24 Liberator, went down and he was reported missing in action. His was the co-pilot on a mission to Nové-Zámky, Hungary when his aircraft was forced to leave formation due to a lack of fuel. All but one crew member parachuted to safety and they were captured and taken to a prison at camp Moosburg, Germany. He was released June 1945 and returned home. His honorable discharge was announced in the Cincinnati newspaper on October 16, 1945. Richard was formally discharged from service in November 27, 1945. He then reenlisted and served with the Reserve and served until his retirement as a Major. Richard kept busy at home but never forgot the war or his fellow comrades. He became a member of the DAV, Disabled American Veterans, of Cincinnati. He organized reunions for his 459th Bomb Group and was an active member in the 8401st AF Reserve Base Support Group. In 1957 Richard received his B. S. C. degree at Salmon P. Chase College. He was a member of the St. Catherine Bowing League. Richard died March 29, 2004, at the VA Hospital in Fort Thomas, Campbell County, Kentucky. He is buried at Saint Stephens Cemetery, Fort Thomas, Campbell County, Kentucky.

Medals and Awards
– Purple Heart
– Air Metal
– Prisoner of War Medal
– American Campaign Medal
– European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
– World War II Victory Medal
– Army Air Forces Pilot Badge
– Armed Forces Reserve Medal

Rank and Achievements
– May 23, 1944, Bomber Pilot
– 1944 promoted to 2nd Lt.
– January 21, 1946, promoted to 1st Lt.
– October 15, 1953, promoted to Captain
– October 15, 1960, promoted to Major

Harry Jr. Weitkamp