Roy Church served with the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War as a bombardier-navigator and afterwards worked as a corporate and contract pilot for over forty years. He was born in 1944 in Great Falls, Montana. In high school, he was a member of the Marine Corps League Junior Rifle Team, ranking in the top ten of All-American rifle shooters for two years. After graduating from high school, Church was accepted into the Navy ROTC scholarship program and began studying at the University of Michigan. While enrolled, he was a member of the ROTC drill team and the University’s rife team. In July 1964, he was dismissed by the university due to academic performance.

After leaving school, Church took correspondence courses and held a job while trying to gain readmission. In July 1965, he changed paths and joined the Marine Corps Aviation Cadet Training Program. Though he failed the flight physical due to astigmatism, he was able to enroll in naval flight officer training and received training as a bombardier-navigator. He completed his advanced bombardier-navigator training in Sanford, Florida and his Grumman A-6 training at Cherry Point, North Carolina. From there, he was sent to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington State as part of the West Coast Navy Replacement Air Group. Upon returning to North Carolina in January of 1968, he received his overseas orders for Vietnam.

During his combat tour, Church served at Da Nang Air Base in South Vietnam. He flew 198 missions in North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and Laos. He also served for six months as the air group security officer. Church returned to the United States in April 1969 and was honorably discharged as a captain when his enlistment period ended in 1970. Afterwards, he served with the Marine Corps Reserve.

After leaving active duty, Church briefly returned to the University of Michigan and took a job as a part-time security guard for Chrysler. Chrysler offered him a full-time position and, in 1973, sent Church to flight school. From the 1970s to the 1990s, Church worked as one of Chrysler’s air taxi pilots. His passengers included Chrysler executive Lee Iacocca, as well as government officials and rock bands.

Church retired from Chrysler in the 1990s and launched a new career as an independent contract pilot. He also flew for a commercial glider operator while living in Hawaii. After retiring in 2008, he and his wife relocated to Gig Harbor, Washington. He joined The Museum of Flight Docent Corps in 2008 and is still an active volunteer as of 2018.

Sources:

Biographical information derived from oral history interview and additional information provided by donor.

The Vietnam War, between North Vietnam and South Vietnam, lasted from approximately 1955 until 1975 and was fought with the goal of reunification. The North Vietnamese were aided financially and militarily by China and the Soviet Union, while South Vietnam was backed by the United States.

Regular U.S. deployments began after the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident. However, U.S. involvement peaked in 1968 following the Tet Offensive, which was an attempt by North Vietnam forces to execute surprise attacks on military and civilian command and control centers throughout South Vietnam. The Tet Offensive triggered the decline of support from the U.S. public eventually dovetailing into the anti-Vietnam War movement. In May 1968, peace talks began between the United States and North Vietnam in Paris, France.

Gradual withdrawal of U.S. ground forces began in 1973 as part of "Vietnamization," a policy of President Richard Nixon's that sought to end American involvement by providing equipment and training to the South Vietnamese with the goal of transferring fighting solely to their forces. Additionally, President Nixon suspended military offensives against North Vietnam and on January 15, 1973, direct U.S. involvement ended.

Despite all parties signing the Paris Peace Accords, fighting continued between North and South Vietnam but South Vietnam was not able to sustain its defense against North Vietnam. The Vietnam War ended in April 1975 when the North Vietnamese Army captured Saigon, the capital city of South Vietnam. The countries reunified the following year.

Source and Further Reading:

Stanley Karnow, Vietnam: a history, New York: Viking Press, 1983.