by Phil Rowe
It was like the United Nations, a gathering of people from many lands. But this one was military. It was Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi in the early 1950's, and a fascinating place it was. So many interesting people to meet.
Officers and enlisted men from many countries came to Keesler for technical training, as participants in a variety of treaty and military aid arrangements. Our government provided training in radar, communications and other electronics disciplines for systems operators and repairmen. People from Taiwan, France, Belgium, numerous Latin American countries and even some from the Middle East were here for six months to a year or more. All were at least minimally fluent in English.
The variety of different uniforms and confusing rank insignia sometimes overwhelmed our airmen. It was difficult to tell the difference between foreign officers and enlisted people. It was so difficult, in fact, that most of the US troops didn't bother trying to learn, or even show the courtesy of saluting foreign officers. Failure to salute a US officer was a punishable offense, but no special effort was made by our authorities to enforce reciprocity of military courtesy between the mixed services on base.
I recall an experience with a Taiwanese Air Force major, whom I met accidentally as we both approached the entry steps to the Base Exchange one afternoon. Though I did not know what rank the fellow was at the time, I saluted what looked like a foreign officer. In those days, as a lowly one-stripe airman, I either saluted or painted everything. If it moved, I saluted. Otherwise, I painted it.
The officer's rank insignia, worn on his shirt collar, was a small array of short parallel brass or copper-colored wires. The pin was about an inch square and a bit difficult to see against the deep khaki uniform. But salute I did, and that began a very interesting encounter.
The major returned my salute and then stopped me, explaining in very good English that I was the first US enlisted man to ever salute him at Keesler. He was clearly pleased and became very friendly. In fact, he invited me to join him then and there for a cup of coffee at the Exchange snack bar. I accepted out of great curiosity and just plain courtesy, for no officer ever bought me coffee before.
It turned out to be a very interesting encounter. The major said that he was in the US to learn about radio equipment and would return to Taiwan to assume duties as a communications officer. He explained the rank insignia of his fellow Taiwanese officers and enlisted men. It was news to me.
Though our meeting was brief, it made a lasting impression and made me more curious about the many other foreigners on base. I seldom met others, save a few that were in my classes.
Five years later, when I returned to Keesler to receive electronics countermeasures training as a lieutenant, I was startled to meet some foreigners wearing red stars on their uniform caps. Those were symbols of communist country forces and the last thing I expected to see, particularly in the so-called secret laboratories and equipment maintenance shops where the school kept our countermeasures equipment. Yet there they were, Yugoslavian enlisted technicians, working on the insides of supposedly sensitive stuff. It seemed to me that cooperation had run amok. What was this Cold War and who were our enemies?
It's quite common to find officers and men from foreign countries on many of our own military bases. Today we train German jet pilots in Arizona and New Mexico. And you will find all sorts of mechanics, technicians and support people in our military technical schools, not just Air Force either. It's a great way to meet some very interesting people.