LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Practically 50 years after the Vietnam Conflict ended, its legacy continues to form the lives of those that served. For retired U.S. Air Drive Main Don Harten, that legacy is deeply private—and unforgettable.
Now residing in Las Vegas, Harten is surrounded by reminders of his army service: images, medals, and reminiscences that span your complete size of America’s involvement within the battle.
“I loved it over there,” said Harten, “I didn’t mind it at all”.
Harten served from the start to the tip of the conflict, flying greater than 300 fight missions between 1965 and 1972. He piloted every little thing from secret B-52 bombing raids to nimble fighter jets just like the F-105 and F-111.
Vietnam veteran Don Harten’s house is crammed with memorabilia of his time as an U.S. Air Drive pilot. (KLAS)
Vietnam veteran Don Harten’s house is crammed with memorabilia of his time as an U.S. Air Drive pilot. (KLAS)
Vietnam veteran Don Harten’s house is crammed with memorabilia of his time as an U.S. Air Drive pilot. (KLAS)
Vietnam veteran Don Harten’s house is crammed with memorabilia of his time as an U.S. Air Drive pilot. (KLAS)
Vietnam veteran Don Harten’s house is crammed with memorabilia of his time as an U.S. Air Drive pilot. (KLAS)
His journey started with a top-secret mission often called Arc Mild One. It was the primary B-52 raid over North Vietnam. Earlier than reaching the goal, his airplane collided with one other B-52 in mid-air.
“I went through five stages of grief in a microsecond,” Harten remembers.
Amazingly, he survived the collision and ejected right into a raging Tremendous Storm under. Solely 4 airmen made it out of the crash alive. Harten by no means forgot the eight comrades he misplaced.
“When you lose eight buddies in a crash like I was, you gotta do something. You gotta make up for it,” he says.
So he saved flying.
“There’s a saying: hours and hours of boredom, punctuated by moments of sheer terror,” Harten explains. That was life throughout bombing runs over North Vietnam, the place enemy missiles typically streaked throughout the skies. However he remembers the plane fondly.
“The F-111 is the most beautiful plane,” exclaimed Harten, “It handles just like a dream.”
In the present day, Harten is a part of an elite group of veterans often called the River Rats—pilots who flew harmful missions into enemy territory. He shared his story in a guide referred to as “Arc Light One”. It is a tribute to his fallen comrades and the mission he nonetheless believes in.
“I was doing something very important to stop the communists, and I don’t care what anybody says,” Harten says. “It’s in my heart. It’s in my mind. It’s in my soul. I can’t get rid of it—don’t want to. I love my guys. I’d do anything for them.”
