What They Never Told You About the Air Force in Vietnam

A lieutenant was yelling in his face about his jungle boots, and Alex Pelensky just laughed: what are you going to do, send me to Vietnam? He'd just gotten back. That was Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, 1970.Alex joined the Air Force in 1968 to stay ahead of the draft, trained in electronics at Chanute AFB and spent a year at Tuy Hoa Air Base on the coast of the South China Sea, keeping the autopilot systems on F-100 Super Sabres working. He arrived angry at being sent away from his wife and three-month-old daughter. By the end of his tour, he didn't want to leave.What he brought home nearly cost him everything: a career on Wall Street, a 17-year marriage, and seven years on the streets of New York. Then his mother died, and a line he'd heard in an AA meeting came back to him: you don't have to live like this anymore. Alex has been clean and sober since November 22, 1994. He raised his son, earned two master's degrees, and taught technology in New York City public schools for 20 years.This episode is dedicated to the airmen of Tuy Hoa Air Base and to every American who served in Vietnam, especially those who came home still fighting, and to anyone working their way back from addiction one day at a time.Content advisory: This episode includes discussion of drug and alcohol addiction, heroin use, homelessness and divorce. If you're a veteran in crisis, or worried about one, call 988 then press 1, text 838255, or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net.⏱️ CHAPTERS00:30 Meet Alex: East Village, New York City 01:44 College, partying and a 1-A draft notice 03:05 Joining the Air Force: basic and tech school 07:17 Cannon AFB, marriage and orders for Vietnam 11:16 Arriving at Tuy Hoa Air Base 14:12 The Maytag repairman: working on F-100 autopilots 17:51 Off base, attacks and the smoke-a-thon 22:05 Da Nang and heroin 23:07 Expo '70 and wanting to stay 26:36 Coming home radicalized 34:16 The GI Bill, Wall Street and a hidden habit 39:47 Divorce and seven years homeless 44:53 "You don't have to live like this anymore" 48:02 Raising his son and 20 years teaching 52:17 Looking back on Vietnam🎖️ SUBSCRIBE for new veteran interviews every week.Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UvdMjkOkOgoHM2yIckhlhListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-a-vet-podcast/id1854840136Read the blog: https://curioushumanography.com/Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/curioushumanography/If you're a veteran with a story to tell, or you know someone who should be on the show, reach out at [email protected]#VietnamVeteran #AirForce #VietnamWar #TuyHoa #VeteranStories #Recovery #AskAVet #F100