Presentation Date: June 22, 2017
Staff Sergeant, John Gates, United States Air Force (Retired)
John entered the Army at age 16 and served as a medic.
Later, he joined the Air Force and served as a crew chief:
-- in Vietnam on B-57s.
-- at Wendover AFB Utah and Beale AFB California on U-2s and SR-71s.
After more than 20 years of service, John retired in the rank of Staff Sergeant.