Korean War Legacy Project

Anthony Vaquero

Bio

Anthony “Tony” J. Vaquero Jr. was born in Syracuse, New York and grew up in nearby Solvay. After high school, he enlisted in the US Air Force in 1952. He received basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas before radio operator’s school at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. He was deployed to Korea in January 1953 and was attached to the 4608th Aircraft Central Warning Squadron where he monitored radio frequencies for aircraft in distress. Over the next ten months, he performed these duties until being rotated back to the US in November 1953. Upon return, he was assigned to Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina and then Robins Air Force Base in Georgia for the last two years of his service. After his time in the military, he returned to Syracuse, where he worked at a factory and attended Syracuse University from 1956 to 1960. He then worked in the Syracuse school system from 1960 to 1988. Today, he is active in the KWVA, having served as commander for the C.N.Y. Chapter.

Video Clips

Joining the Air Force

Tony Vaquero talks about joining the Air Force because he wanted to be a pilot. After being ruled ineligible to fly, he describes being sent for training to be a radio operator at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.

Tags: Basic training,Home front

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We Want to Transfer to the Army

Tony Vaquero tells a story when, while training to be Air Force radio operators, he and two of his classmates visited their First Sergeant and requested being transferred to the Army. He describes the sergeant's reaction and what happened in the aftermath of the request.

Tags: Basic training,Home front

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Radio Operator on the Top of a Mountain

Tony Vaquero describes his duties as a radio operator in remote eastern Korea on the top of an isolated mountain. He talks about sitting in a radio truck and monitoring for aircraft in distress.

Tags: Front lines

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Finding the Remains of Chinese Soldiers

Tony Vaquero tells a story when he and several of his comrades, while exploring the countryside near his station, found the aftermath of a battle. At the top of a heavily damaged hilltop they found shoes, soon after finding the remains of Chinese soldiers.

Tags: Chinese,Cold winters,Physical destruction

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Photos

Bert Crowson and a bush with leaves are turning to red

Bert Crowson and a bush with leaves are turning to red

Bert Crowson and a bush with leaves are turning to red

Bert Crowson with his rifle

Bert Crowson with his rifle

Bert Crowson with his rifle

Bert Crowson leaning on piles of sand bags

Bert Crowson leaning on piles of sand bags

Bert Crowson leaning on piles of sand bags

Bert Crowson beneath a hole made of boxes

Bert Crowson beneath a hole made of boxes

Bert Crowson beneath a hole made of boxes

Bert Crowson sitting on a military truck and drums

Bert Crowson sitting on a military truck and drums

Bert Crowson sitting on a military truck and drums

Bert Crowson sitting on a large stone

Bert Crowson sitting on a large stone

Bert Crowson sitting on a large stone

Bert Crowson stting on piles of sand bags, with his back toward the ridges of mountains

Bert Crowson stting on piles of sand bags, with his back toward the ridges of mountains

Bert Crowson stting on piles of sand bags, with his back toward the ridges of mountains

Close up view of Bert Crowson with his back to mountain

Close up view of Bert Crowson with his back to mountain

Close up view of Bert Crowson with his back to mountain

Bert Crowson with blue sky

Bert Crowson with blue sky

Bert Crowson with blue sky

Bert Crowson holding a guitar

Bert Crowson holding a guitar

Bert Crowson holding a guitar

Bert Bert Crowson posing with a gun

Bert Crowson posing with a gun

Bert Bert Crowson posing with a gun

Bert Crowson sitting on CPS-5 radar

Bert Crowson sitting on CPS-5 radar

Bert Crowson sitting on CPS-5 radar

BerBert Crowson posing with his back to green mountains

Bert Crowson posing with his back to green mountains

BerBert Crowson posing with his back to green mountains

Bert Crowson waving his right arm

Bert Crowson waving his right arm

Bert Crowson waving his right arm

Bert Crowson inside tent

Bert Crowson inside tent

Bert Crowson inside tent

Bert Crowson on snow-covered fields

Bert Crowson on snow-covered fields

Bert Crowson on snow-covered fields

Bert Crowson in front of tent on snowfields

Bert Crowson in front of tent on snowfields

Bert Crowson in front of tent on snowfields

Bert Crowson going down on one knee with his back to a tent

Bert Crowson going down on one knee with his back to a tent

Bert Crowson going down on one knee with his back to a tent

Bert Crowson wearing captain's hat and sunglasses

Bert Crowson wearing captain's hat and sunglasses

Bert Crowson wearing captain's hat and sunglasses

Bert Crowson wearing winter jacket with shoulder-high snows

Bert Crowson wearing winter jacket with shoulder-high snows

Bert Crowson wearing winter jacket with shoulder-high snows

Bert Crowson being boxing

Bert Crowson being boxing

Bert Crowson being boxing

Bert Crowson carrying A-frame on his back

Bert Crowson carrying A-frame on his back

Bert Crowson carrying A-frame on his back

Bert Crowson carrying A-frame on his back and Korean winnow in his one hand

Bert Crowson carrying A-frame on his back and Korean winnow in his one hand

Bert Crowson carrying A-frame on his back and Korean winnow in his one hand

Bert Crowson smiling - photographed with double exposure

Bert Crowson smiling - photographed with double exposure

Bert Crowson smiling - photographed with double exposure

Bert Crowson and a Korean house boy

Bert Crowson and a Korean house boy

Bert Crowson and a Korean house boy

Bert Crowson at Kimpo Airfield

Bert Crowson at Kimpo Airfield

Bert Crowson at Kimpo Airfield

Bert Crowson standing at road to Det #4

Bert Crowson standing at road to Det #4

Bert Crowson standing at road to Det #4

Bert Crowson went to Seoul as a courtmartial witness

Bert Crowson went to Seoul as a courtmartial witness

Bert Crowson went to Seoul as a courtmartial witness

Bert Crowson with shovel and friedman

Bert Crowson with shovel and friedman

Bert Crowson with shovel and friedman

Putting up boxing pole

Putting up boxing pole

Putting up boxing pole

Putting up boxing pole

Putting up boxing pole

Putting up boxing pole

Soldier being boxing with the pole

Soldier being boxing with the pole

Soldier being boxing with the pole

C-124 to Seoul

C-124 to Seoul

C-124 to Seoul

C47-K18

C47-K18

C47-K18

Can opener

Can opener

Can opener

Carrying water to hut

Carrying water to hut

Carrying water to hut

Charles Albright with a rifle in a deep side of mountain

Charles Albright with a rifle in a deep side of mountain

Charles Albright with a rifle in a deep side of mountain

Charles Albright with a rifle in a deep side of mountain

Charles Albright with a rifle in a deep side of mountain

Charles Albright with a rifle in a deep side of mountain

Chopper at snow field

Chopper at snow field

Chopper in air

Chopper in air

Chopper taking off

Chopper taking off

Getting on a chopper

Getting on a chopper

Pilot and chopper

Pilot and chopper

Three soldiers on CPS-5 radar

Three soldiers on CPS-5 radar

Three soldiers maintaining CPS-5 radar

Three soldiers maintaining CPS-5 radar

Three soldiers maintaining CPS-5 radar

Three soldiers maintaining CPS-5 radar

CPS-5 radar after maintainance

CPS-5 radar after maintainance

View of detachment (black)

View of detachment (black)

Detachment on the ridge of mountain

Detachment on the ridge of mountain

Snow-covered detachment

Snow-covered detachment

Snow-covered detachment

Snow-covered detachment

View of detachment

View of detachment

View of detachment and military ambulence

View of detachment and military ambulence

View of mountain from det

View of mountain from det

View of mountain from det

View of mountain from det

Detachment on the ridge of mountain

Detachment on the ridge of mountain

View of mountain from det

View of mountain from det

Detachment on the ridge of mountain

Detachment on the ridge of mountain

View of detachment and U.S. national flag

View of detachment and U.S. national flag

View of detachment and military ambulences

View of detachment and military ambulences

Taking pictures of each other

Taking pictures of each other

Taking pictures of each other

Taking pictures of each other

Playing card game inside tent

Playing card game inside tent

View of detachment covered with fog

View of detachment covered with fog

View of the ridge of mountaions covered with cloud

View of the ridge of mountaions covered with cloud

View of the ridge of mountaions covered with cloud

View of the ridge of mountaions covered with cloud

Communication trucks in a line

Communication trucks in a line

Generator

Generator

A group of soldiers on hill

A group of soldiers on hill

Guard duty

Guard duty

Height finder

Height finder

Korean house boy

Korean house boy

Korean house boy playing melodeon

Korean house boy playing melodeon

Korean house boy and thatched house

Korean house boy and thatched house

Korean house boy posing for a picture

Korean house boy posing for a picture

Jamesway

Jamesway

Jamesway and snowfield

Jamesway and snowfield

JH Royer reading a book inside tent

JH Royer reading a book inside tent

JH Royer reading a book inside tent

John Leute

John Leute

John Leute

John Leute inside tent

John Leute

John Leute inside tent

John Leute wearing helmet with his back to mountain

John Leute

John Leute wearing helmet with his back to mountain

Leland K Smith doing boxing with a boxing pole

Leland K Smith doing boxing with a boxing pole

Leland K Smith doing boxing with a boxing pole

Downhill from Det

Downhill from Det

View of mountain and seacoast

View of mountain and seacoast

Det in monsoon

Det in monsoon

Det in monsoon

Det in monsoon

RA Taylor in front of jamesway

RA Taylor

RA Taylor in front of jamesway

RA Taylor burying onions

RA Taylor

RA Taylor burying onions

RA Taylor in front of tent

RA Taylor

RA Taylor in front of tent

RA Taylor inside tent

RA Taylor

RA Taylor inside tent

RA Taylor taking a picture with camera

RA Taylor

RA Taylor taking a picture with camera

Richard Hambley standing in shoulder high snow

Richard Hambley

Richard Hambley standing in shoulder high snow

Richard Hambley standing in shoulder high snow (close up)

Richard Hambley

Richard Hambley standing in shoulder high snow (close up)

Richard Hambley in front of Jamesway

Richard Hambley

Richard Hambley in front of Jamesway

Royer holding a cup in his one hand

Royer

Royer holding a cup in his one hand

A sergeant getting out of building

A sergeant getting out of building

Taking out signal generators

Taking out signal generators

View of sunrise

View of sunrise

View of sunrise

View of sunrise

Snow covered landsacpe

Snow covered landsacpe

Snow covered det on hill

Snow covered det on hill

Snow on hill

Snow on hill

Sunrise towards Japan

Sunrise towards Japan

Tank truck

Tank truck

Snow covered TPS1d

Snow covered TPS1d

Two TPS1d

Two TPS1d

Snow covered TPS1d

Snow covered TPS1d

Soldier on roof and TPS1d

Soldier on roof and TPS1d

TPS1d at sunset

TPS1d at sunset

RA Friedman maintaining TPS1d

RA Friedman maintaining TPS1d

A soldier in front of tent

A soldier in front of tent

Smoking soldier

Smoking soldier

Detachment #4 Clouds below

Detachment #4 Clouds below

View of detachment with clouds

View of detachment with clouds

View of detachment with clouds

View of detachment with clouds

View of detachment with clouds

View of detachment with clouds

Looking down from the detachment

Looking down from the detachment

Looking down from the detachment

Looking down from the detachment

View of detachment #4 in snow

View of detachment #4 in snow

View of detachment #4 on the ridge of mountain

View of detachment #4 on the ridge of mountain

View of detachment

View of detachment

Diesel freeze

Diesel freeze

Bert Crowson and F4U #210 at K18 #210

Bert Crowson and F4U #210 at K18 #210

F4U #210 - possibly at air show 2003

F4U #210 - possibly at air show 2003

F4U at K16

F4U at K16

F4U at K18 (2)

F4U at K18 (2)

Workyard near Yokohama (2)

Workyard near Yokohama (2)

Workyard near Yokohama (1)

Workyard near Yokohama (1)

Water detail truck off road

Water detail truck off road

Water detail, Anthony Vaquero in front

Water detail, Anthony Vaquero in front

Carrying water in snow

Carrying water in snow

Firing weapon

Firing weapon

Water detail (2)

Water detail (2)

Carrying water

Carrying water

Water detail (1)

Water detail (1)

USS Mitchell (2)

USS Mitchell

USS Mitchell (2)

USS Mitchell

USS Mitchell

USS Mitchell

USS Gaffey on deck

USS Gaffey on deck

USS Gaffey bunks (2)

USS Gaffey bunks (2)

USS Gaffey bunks (1)

USS Gaffey bunks (1)

Truck off road near Kangnung

Truck off road near Kangnung

Truck off road near Kangnung

Truck off road near Kangnung

Truck off road near Kangnung

Truck off road near Kangnung

Truck Lost on road to Det #4

Truck Lost on road to Det #4

Anthony Vaquero eating orange

Anthony Vaquero eating orange

Anthony Vaquero listening to other colleague

Anthony Vaquero listening to other colleague

Anthony Vaquero and Senator Clinton

Anthony Vaquero and Senator Clinton

Anthony Vaquero and Senator Clinton

Anthony Vaquero and Senator Clinton

Anthony Vaquero and Korean General

Anthony Vaquero and Korean General

Anthony Vaquero's Quonset

Anthony Vaquero's Quonset

Anthony Vaquero in snow

Anthony Vaquero in snow

Anthony Vaquero sitting on hillside

Anthony Vaquero sitting on hillside

Anthony Vaquero in Det #4

Anthony Vaquero in Det #4

Anthony Vaquero standing by Truck

Anthony Vaquero standing by Truck

Anthony Vaquero standing by Quonset

Anthony Vaquero standing by Quonset

Anthony Vaquero at work

Anthony Vaquero at work

A soldier looking at sunset in USS Mitchell

A soldier looking at sunset in USS Mitchell

View of sunset from USS Mitchell

View of sunset from USS Mitchell

The great south gate of seoul

The great south gate of seoul

Seoul, damaged rail station

Seoul, damaged rail station

Seoul, Olympic Stadium

Seoul, Olympic Stadium

Kimpo airfield

Kimpo airfield

Seoul, bombed buildings

Seoul, bombed buildings

In flight from Seoul to K-18

In flight from Seoul to K-18

Seattle Friends

Seattle Friends

Romeo Sanchez and Talbert on Gaffey

Romeo Sanchez and Talbert on Gaffey

U.S. Harbor boat, San Leandro

U.S. Harbor boat, San Leandro

Road from K-18 to Det #4

Road from K-18 to Det #4

Special orders (2)

Special orders (2)

Special orders (1)

Special orders (1)

Personal action memorandom (Bert Crowson)

Personal action memorandom (Bert Crowson)

Travel order; names of Bert Crowson and Anthony Vaquero on it

Travel order; names of Bert Crowson and Anthony Vaquero on it

Travel order; names of Bert Crowson and Anthony Vaquero on it

Travel order; names of Bert Crowson and Anthony Vaquero on it

Tony and Murry McMahon

Tony and Murry McMahon

U.S. soldiers and Japanese women

U.S. soldiers and Japanese women

U.S. soldiers and Japanese women

U.S. soldiers and Japanese women

U.S. soldiers and Japanese women

U.S. soldiers and Japanese women

Soldiers on board US Navy's Gaffey, heading to Seattle

Soldiers on board US Navy's Gaffey, heading to Seattle

Anthony Vaquero with his medals

Anthony Vaquero with his medals

Shaking hands with South Korean ambassador

Shaking hands with South Korean ambassador

S.Korean ambassador thanks U.S. veterans

S.Korean ambassador thanks U.S. veterans

The highest 5th Air Force station on Korea

The highest 5th Air Force station on Korea

A lineman reparing a highline on the mountain top

A lineman reparing a highline on the mountain top

Tent in military base near Yokohama

Tent in military base near Yokohama

Mount Shasta taken from train on way from Seattle to Los Angeles

Mount Shasta taken from train on way from Seattle to Los Angeles

Three of soldiers sitting on sandbed

Three of soldiers sitting on sandbed

Soldiers standing by Quonset

Soldiers standing by Quonset

Men on truck in Det #4

Men on truck in Det #4

Man with glove

Man with glove

View of mountain looking from Det #4

View of mountain looking from Det #4

Korean woman setting a basket on her head

Korean woman setting a basket on her head

Korean with a traditional hat made of bamboo

Korean with a traditional hat made of bamboo

Korean soldier boiling water

Korean soldier boiling water

Korean house and kids

Korean house and kids

Korean house and family

Korean house and family

Two Korean kids

Two Korean kids

A Korean child and US airman

A Korean child and US airman

A Korean child holding cans

A Korean child holding cans

Korean Gentleman

Korean Gentleman

Korean market in Kangnung

Korean market in Kangnung

Korean traditional irrigation

Korean traditional irrigation

Korea children waiting for candy

Korea children waiting for candy

Giving candy to children

Giving candy to children

Korean kids in their house

Korean kids in their house

Korean old mans playing Korean chess

Korean old mans playing Korean chess

Phase 5 on Korean War

Phase 5 on Korean War

The Immeasurable Cost of freedom

The Immeasurable Cost of freedom

In commemoration of the Korean War "Freedom is not free"

In commemoration of the Korean War

Phase 4 on Korean War

Phase 4 on Korean War

Phase 1 on Korean War

Phase 1 on Korean War

Phase 3 on Korean War

Phase 3 on Korean War

Phase 2 on Korean War

Phase 2 on Korean War

The Korean War

The Korean War

Pacific Stars and Stripes 'Map of The War'

Pacific Stars and Stripes 'Map of The War'

Pacific Stars and Stripes 'Map of The War'

Pacific Stars and Stripes 'Map of The War'

C-124 at K-16

C-124 at K-16

Taking off at K-18

Taking off at K-18

K-18 Base operations

K-18 Base operations

K-18 Maintenance control office

K-18 Maintenance control office

B-26 at K-18

B-26 at K-18

Head

Head

F4U at K18 (3)

F4U at K18 (3)

Filling sandbags (1)

Filling sandbags (1)

Filling sandbags (2)

Filling sandbags (2)

Fishermen near Kangnung

Fishermen near Kangnung

Fishermen near Kangnung (2)

Fishermen near Kangnung (2)

View of Gold Gate from 8mm on USS Mitchell

View of Gold Gate from 8mm on USS Mitchell

Headquarters (1)

Headquarters (1)

Headquarters (2)

Headquarters (2)

F9F damaged at K-18

F9F damaged at K-18

Close up - F9F damaged at K-18

Close up - F9F damaged at K-18

F9F wingman at K-18

F9F wingman at K-18

ROK F-51 at K-18 (1)

ROK F-51 at K-18 (1)

ROK F-51 at K-18 (2)

ROK F-51 at K-18 (2)

ROK Pilots at K-18

ROK Pilots at K-18

Watching flight movement at K-16

Watching flight movement at K-16

Sunset at K-18 (1)

Sunset at K-18 (1)

U.S. soldiers playing ball game

U.S. soldiers playing ball game

Korean tile-roofed house in Kangnung

Korean tile-roofed house in Kangnung

South Koreans and view of Kangnung

South Koreans and view of Kangnung

Downtown in Kangnung

Downtown in Kangnung

Rescue Helicopter at K-18

Rescue Helicopter at K-18

Flights at K-18

Flights at K-18

Helicopter at K-18

Helicopter at K-18

K-2 Office

K-2 Office

Sunset at K-18 (2)

Sunset at K-18 (2)

Kangnung

Kangnung

Sightseeing in downtown of Kangnung

Sightseeing in downtown of Kangnung

South Koreans and view of Kangnung

South Koreans and view of Kangnung