Scope and Contents

Less than one linear foot of three rubberized evasion maps of Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, & Cambodia and twenty-four color slides document Jimmy B. Picken's service with the 22nd Military Airlift Squadron and the 834th Air Division, United States Air Force, 1964-1967 and 1971-1972. All materials date from the war period and are in good condition.

Biographical / Historical

Jimmy B. Pickens was born in Silver City, New Mexico in 1935. In 1957, Pickens volunteered for the United States Air Force, beginning a total of 23 years of service. His first assignment during the Vietnam Conflict was with the 22nd Troop Carrier Squadron, a military airlift squadron, from 1967 through 1967. According to Pickens, the 22nd TCS's specialty was oversized cargo and the squadron took pride at being the first multi-engine aircraft to land at each newly-built American airbase in Vietnam, so much so that they would 'tap' the brakes upon landing so as to leave a tire mark on the runway as a sort of calling card. While with this squadron, Pickens was ranked as a captain and served as a combat airlift navigator, instructor, and flight examiner for C-124 aircraft. He was stationed out of Tachikawa Airbase, Japan but had many extended TDYs (^D<'Temporary Duty Yonders^D>') to many of the major American airbases throughout Southeast Asia. Pickens was then transferred out of Southeast Asia for a few years but returned in 1971, attached to the 834th Air Division, 7th Air Force Airlift Division at Tan Son Nhut Airbase where he served as an air operations staff officer and a command briefing officer, ranked as a Major. Pickens was again rotated out of Southeast Asia in 1972, but during his total time in that region he was involved in seven air campaigns and Lam Son 692.

In 1980, Jimmy B. Pickens retired from the US Air Force. By this time he had received three Air Medals and the Bronze Star and had rising in rank to Lieutenant Colonel. Upon his return to civilian life, Pickens became a professional public school teacher of 8th grade Science at Wylie Junior High School in Abilene, Texas