Stan Scoggins and Jan Scoggins

00:05 My name is Stan Scoggins. I'm 55 years old today is Saturday December 12th. 2020. I'm in Los Angeles, California, and I'm here today speaking with Jan Scoggins and she is my mom.

00:23 And as Stan said today is December 12th, and it's a Saturday afternoon or me Saturday morning for Stan. I'm in Dodge City, Kansas and it is a home of my do I remove many times? I'm back in Dodge City again, and I'm so thrilled to be speaking with my oldest son and my firstborn Stan Scoggins. So let's go see. Okay. All right, so I thought I would start off some we want to talk about some of your experiences when you were younger. And when I didn't have a concept review Beyond just that you were my mother and I thought I would hear about them. I was thinking as you said you were born and raised in Dodge City. You've never lived anywhere else. Then you went to Manhattan to Kansas State and so that was a little bit of a move.

01:23 And then I got married and one of the first things that Dad did as I understand it was enlist in the Air Force at the time that the Vietnam War was already going on before the draft. So I'm curious to see like I mean, how how did the two of you come to that decision? Was that scary? Did you think that you'd be then moving around in a military family or what happened? You could avoid going to the draft if you enroll in ROTC Reserve officer training Corps and Frank actually when when we were married and then he was at K-State went to every male over a 15 had to

02:17 Sign up

02:25 Supposed to go into the

02:28 But my very good friend Jan engstrom was there where do registered at K-State for ROTC? And he was to be in Army ROTC. She knew I had married him. She was a good friend of mine and she pulled his name out and said I will put you in Air Force ROTC because it was

02:50 Supposedly a little more special so had it not been for my good friend Jennings Durham. I would have had a little different life. We would have all because we would have done Army ROTC instead of Air Force ROTC during those years. Of course, they had the training there at

03:09 At Manhattan and you also did a flight school. I'm glad you brought this up stand because it's very important. So we would take a little plane and fly out of Manhattan just around because that was part of the training process there for ROTC Air Force ROTC and you were so excited. You would always say I want to see the people get little I want to get see the people get little because you knew when you got up in the air Every Woman little you would be asleep before we got to the end of the runway and when you got we would land you would say, people get little so so that's kind of a fun introduction that to my only Heir experience was in the very small little single engine.

03:59 Biplane and then you sat in the back asleep. You knew he was going to take on that you you knew you were going to be a military wife. Early.

04:16 And I thought that was just some people I didn't think everyone went into ROTC. Okay, that's how it was back then cuz it was

04:33 Okay. Yeah, I'm sorry. I thought somehow I thought the draft didn't happen until 1970 the actual so well, then let's talk about moving on. So suddenly your world's I'm guessing is changing. I'm guessing you did not anticipate that and I know night not all of your friends went on to be military wives that you did. And so you moved. I remember we moved to Texas and then to Florida and then back to Texas and in Big Spring and then

05:12 I guess what does before we get into to the to the big changes to my life. Then I guess you decided that you wanted to be more a part of things. We venture please route to Okinawa Japan and lived off-base. You didn't speak the language with how did you I mean how did that decision come to you? Because I'm guessing that also was really your decision and not something that was imposed on us or move overseas. Face.

05:45 That's where all assignment the Okinawa assignment came after Vietnam and it was supposed to be a very family-friendly where Frank would be home more and it did not turn out that way.

06:00 But nobody never had any choice of where we would be assigned. In fact, I even had other Air Force wives they would stop them on the highway and say I'm sorry you're going to another base and they got to turn around and go someplace else. Oh, no, we never had any input. You could not have stayed cuz I remember we we move back to Dodge City. And so you were given the option of staying while Dad was assigned to Okinawa.

06:30 Oh, I suppose I could have but but no.

06:34 Okay. Oh, I was thought you made my day.

06:41 Now I am going on now. I'm just I think what I'm really interested in is.

06:57 You moving from from someone who's who's world was fairly, you know small and and happy to really getting there till it's movie backtrack to the first time that you did get on a big plane you flew internationally, I would I do I didn't go but I remember you leaving for what felt like a month. I'm sure it wasn't but but I remember you being gone for a long time. And so maybe talk about text. I'm guessing that was you tell me but I'm guessing that was sort of your first introduction to a bigger world. I mean Tampa. Yes Big Spring was similar to Kansas. I'm Temple is probably different but I think really different would be going and seeing another country for the first time.

07:45 This is a fun story. Thank you for asking us about it because it is something that so I can't believe I did during the Vietnam war that were serving overseas. And your dad of course was fighting over there. He was out of Thailand and tonic he flew right up there and that was where his face was located.

08:07 And I have it was called R&R rest and recuperation which they allowed.

08:13 Service members to have R&R he came back to the States for about a week at one point.

08:22 And then the next R&R most wives and husbands would meet in Hawaii. I did not want to meet in Hawaii. It was incredibly important to me and always has for a person any family member. I want to see where they are and I was going to say where he lived in Thailand and can we just go back to how often did you get our timing? How long cuz to me that the time that your kid is sick of it. It seemed like he was gone for a long time.

08:55 What year but during that year he came home for one week, but that included his travel time. So I think he was home for maybe four days.

09:03 And then generally it's a week if we would have gone to Hawaii. Well, I had a friend.

09:12 When you went on here and

09:19 I think what I'm asking to say is how often did he get R&R?

09:28 So every 6 months

09:30 About yeah. That would that would clarify it.

09:35 So I have this friend I said I wanted to go to Thailand I wanted to

09:41 Wanted to see him and see where he threw out of and that was just incredibly important and she said oh I can fix you up. I have the name of the lady who can get you over there. And I said, okay and this lady was in Virginia and she said oh, yes, she would make all the arrangements. Well here I am at that point. We were back in Dodge City. We were in Big Spring. That's why we came up to Dodge City so that you can stay and I drive for Wichita Kansas and get on this plane. This lady said a man will meet you in LA and he will get you to your husband clarification. Do you remember where that when this happened? What what month?

10:30 But I'm thinking the 1870s that sound right, but I do know that and I was so excited and packed all the most special things a wife could to know that she's going to go see her husband. And anyway, so this lady that said things I've said that this man would meet me in LA and he would take me all the way to meet my husband and I said, that's great.

11:03 And when I got to the LA terminal I was there 12 hours early and I was so petrified. I would miss the plane. I sat at the gate for 12 hours. I would run to the bathroom and come back and run to the bathroom and come back. So I sat for 12 hours waiting if I'm wrong, but that was when you left you were very dressed up and I think you even liked had on your phone wig. I think there was

11:35 Going to a very high class luncheon fly on a plane.

11:49 And so just you know when it was time to load not one, but two men came up and they said we're going to take you to Thailand and they gave me their first names and quite frankly. I can't remember. I think it was John and Tom and I said, oh, that's great. And so we got on the plane and they sat on either side of me and I had cards and we played games and we laughed and we had the most wonderful time. We landed in Hawaii in Honolulu, and they said have you ever been up in a a tower in in the tower? And I said well and they were all busy and I was looking out the window and then they said it's time to get on the plane again.

12:41 Which we did out there was We were supposed to land in Taipei Taiwan. There was a huge hurricane a typhoon and our plane was.

12:56 Then we landed get on at the tip of Taiwan. So we were away from the hurricane. They unloaded This Plane of people set up a big meal for us these two men that give me your passport and I said, okay and they said we're going to get another plane out of here. So I hand in my passport and they just were serving us this wonderful meal and the guys came and said come on. We've got another flight we're taking Air Italia and I said, we're going to an Italian airplane I do is fine with me. So what we get on this plane and we end up and Hong Kong and they said you don't have what was needed to go into Hong Kong. So I was put into quarantine in this concrete cell.

13:43 And they said give me your passport and we'll get you take the front. So I had in my passport. Can I just get a sense of how many hours is it? Since you left and had you been able to change clothes? Like do you still had your wig was it?

14:09 Caught my wig and started to blow it off and the man just laughed and I grabbed it and put it back on. So I'm yeah, I'm still in the same clothes and now I'm sitting in this concrete box. How many hours has this been? I mean this sounds like at least 24 hours.

14:26 I got no not yet. So any weather in Hong Kong and and then they come back and get me out of quarantine and said we have a flight to Tokyo the lights were getting on Japan Airlines and we're flying a plane with the Ambassador. And I said who that'll be fun for the three of us hop on this plane and we go to Tokyo as soon as we land in Tokyo. They said we have a hotel for you and we the three of us got on this bus and we went to a very Posh hotel, but the two men left and they said this woman is going to take care of you and this woman showed me how Japanese toilets were squat toilets, and she said I will sit outside your door all night long. I will take care of you and I thought it always so she took me to this really nice restaurant in the hotel where I had two servers sitting behind me. And as soon as I was done eating a dish while my takeaway in summer.

15:26 It was a very poor. How are you paying for all of this?

15:36 A song that came with meals international travel used to be much more glamorous, but I not guess they have nice food on the plane.

16:00 Horse change clothes and they said we will get you on into Bangkok.

16:05 They pick me up that next morning after a good night sleep and and I would.

16:11 Will you were in Tokyo at this point correct? Can't make any sort of a call or tell anyone your delay. You just go about doing what you can so we get on this plane from Tokyo now, it did not seem unusual to me because I didn't know any different. I guess that's what this whole thing is about. This is my first experience so I wouldn't have any questions about someone saying give me your passport. So at this point I had only one guy with me and the other one didn't get on the plane and we got on this plane and went to bed. I don't remember which is a plane and I was excited.

17:11 In Bangkok

17:17 When they landed it was dark and the fellow that was with me said we have a taxi.

17:24 And we got out in the dark in this taxi and had all of my luggage loaded out of that plane.

17:31 And he said I know where your husband is and I said, oh good Isis cuz we're a day late. We've already now missed one whole day of 24 hours.

17:41 It was and

17:44 Star War I was so excited and he stopped at this one hotel and went in and he came back. He said your husband isn't here. I'll look. I'll check another hotel. So he went to the next hotel and he came out and he got me and he says I'll take you to your husband. So we went up and knocked on the door and we will course. We're in a cab when taking a cab and here's this man standing beside me and Frank had not expected open the door and there I am and I said honey. Do you have some money for this guy for the taxi?

18:15 In Frankston, how did you get here to know the whole thing was just bizarre to him? Because they thought I was still stuck in Taiwan, which I was not obviously answer he gave the guy somebody the guy said thank you. I thank him. I said it was a delightful flight and and the Frank said, who was that man? And I said, well I said, I don't know I said he flies for some company called are America and Frank about fell over because that's the CIA.

18:46 Stop Advanced taken to Thailand by the CIA and I was a wonderful person to do it because I was so doggone innocent and it allowed them to fly and nobody would have thought they were CIA. So that was my first commercial experience and commercial with air quotes.

19:09 Courseden. I was just so thrilled to be in Bangkok and and it was so new and exciting and and I said I wanted to go see the city. I want to take taxis. I wanted to do some back roads not just everything but we got to see all the different Buddhas. We saw the Golden Buddha the Ruby boot over. He's so funny one.

19:34 The reclining Buddha and then of course, we were scheduled to go out to udon Thani which is

19:41 A 12-hour taxi ride. And so we scheduled a taxi and it was quite hot and I said, do you have air condition taxi? And he said no you only get a fresh air taxi.

19:52 And it was some did you have

20:01 I'm just thinking how it would all fit in the taxi for 12 hours and laughed at my lingerie and pulled it out and make fun of me, I mean, we were only 20 miles away from the from the fighting. I mean, we were we were on our way to be in the Warzone, but there I was in this taxi with my husband. We had a wreck. That's a long word Island where there aren't a lot of bathroom stops.

20:52 Wait, I had a wreck with a water buffalo. I cannot imagine why the driver ran into a water buffalo. They're quite big. He just could have gone around it, but he bumped into it and then we watched then they drive we did stop at a restaurant the food was not what I was accustomed to being a girl from Kansas, but I was just thrilled to be with my husband be with Frank and and though it was just incredibly exciting.

21:29 Delaware

21:31 I did watch it was so interesting the children would walk a water buffalo down to the water and they would wash the waterbus. They would write if they all these people would be on the back of a water before they go to the water hole and wash the water buffalo and then wash themselves and then gather their water to take back which to me was rather backwards, but I observed that and then we got on up to the door and Tawny and I got to be on the base. I did shopping up there and their little town and that's a whole nother story because maybe we want to talk about some other things than this thinking. I mean that is so exciting and I have no idea.

22:22 Or he was probably you were there for a week with him. And then you have the travel plate seems like longer to me.

22:30 So let's go back and let's talk then about so that I mean that is an adventure but it sounds like you had somebody taking care of you. It was all fantastic. And then so we're moving to Okinawa and I do remember that was a long flight and I think we also stopped it. We did Hawaii and Japan and then got there but then there you are in Okinawa and so, you know, you had to get Japanese utility to get your utility setup. We had an apartment rented but it didn't come with Furniture. I don't believe and

23:11 Wait, we landed and as soon as we landed it was supposed to be a family, you know, this was after Frank been gone a whole year and and the minute we landed they handed him orders and they said you will be your wife will stay here and you will go to Thailand to Taiwan. You're going to fly out of Taiwan. You have three weeks to get your wife settled. And so we were in just a very small apartment for about 2 weeks and then we got the house on East akkala that looked over like the ocean and that the Riverstone 129 Riverstone ichikawa, Japanese, Japan and Okinawa Japan because we were

23:59 Yes, it had reverted back to Japanese.

24:03 Rule by and supposedly they could come back for a three-week standing then go for 3 weeks and back and forth. But sometimes it was they were gone for six weeks and back for a week. It was never the three weeks on three weeks off that we had at least hoped would for some sort of family continuity, but it didn't you can't just immediately go on base there were so many people on Okinawa so many service families that you had to wait your turn. So your

24:52 Okay, and I remember us being operation. I remember being a long way since I went to school on the base and I feel like it was almost a 40 minute bus ride back and forth pretty close with the island is only 20 miles long, but the speed limit was 15 km, and there was only one highway highway one went the entire length of the island. So and everything was Dirt Road off the main highway. So yes, you went to school we were off base and it did take at least 20 minutes on a good day to drive into base. And so by the time you would have left the house it did take you almost 40 minutes.

25:49 Looking for me. I remember it being intimidating and you didn't appear scared but I have to think when I put myself in your position with the things that were happening. I mean now that now that you don't have to worry about me freaking out how hard was that the the adjustment to

26:11 Is suddenly living not on a base so you do, you know, we didn't have if we wanted to shop for anything that we were used to we had to drive to the base, but we're all the other things, you know week.

26:23 We were out there and we had neighbors who spoke Japanese and also military neighbors, but

26:31 What do you mean? What were you really not that worried? Was it similar to your first trip or were you actually really trying hard to keep the panic down?

26:44 Making

26:48 Make it as pleasant as possible and meet as many friends as you recall your early life in the Air Force. We moved many many time and I would always try to make sure your bedroom was set up first and the same from moved to move because I remember the first move you we found you after the movers and taking everything and you are hugging your bedroom wall crying not wanting to leave and I knew my my goal was to make

27:17 You as comfortable as possible. I would look at those planes taking off every day and think why am I on this island? You know where on this island, but I did everything I could to help you adjust and to see everything there was to see and to go to

27:35 Well tattoo whatever we could if we had one one group of houses down in front of us and then the cliffs went straight down into the the ocean so we could see the typhoon's coming. It was an adjustment but the neighbors were friendly and you know, you have your choice I could have been like a lot of wives and sat and cried or gotten mad.

28:09 AR but I thought this is where we are and so we will do our best to fit into the culture and I did take Japanese lessons you remember and then when I had a problem with the car and I went to the car mechanic speaking my best Japanese and he said oh you need it.

28:33 Speak map images

28:39 We were lucky because our off base house had a phone but you had to pay for the unit you had to pay for the pole you had to pay for the line to get it into your house. There were there were times and of course, I experienced discrimination big time because Americans weren't you know, they like this and like their money, but we were an occupying Force. I think it's

29:09 Today I got this letter and I couldn't read it and I didn't know what it was. And so housekeepers just came with the house anybody that did the yard or was the housekeeper. You just had the higher when you didn't have a choice and that's so I asked my housekeeper I said, what is this? And she said, oh, she said you owe was like a $300 phone bill. You've made all these calls to Tokyo and I said, I think she said you have a court date tomorrow and you're going to go to jail if you don't pay this.

29:43 And I I was at that was that was really scary. I didn't want to go to jail. Okinawa jails are not nice.

29:52 But it was my landlord was making all these calls and putting it on my bill and I asked I went to the down to channel to kadena Air Force Base. Oh my gosh. Wow, we haven't much at all and I did have to pay the bill and goodness. There's so much more we can talk about but this is a good starting point as you remember it was during typhoon that we got to move on base. And that was really exciting. Do you want to talk about anything off base?

30:25 Well, I mean to me off face was more was once we were on base.

30:30 You couldn't quite pretend you were in the United States, but things are much more familiar. It was safer. I mean we had things in again. I'm I will say I was you know, you always seem to have it under control. Even when we had the Steely voice. I didn't remember use me was a

30:53 With a gang of boys that would go in basically hit the off base off-base military personnel because most of the husbands were gone. And so it was like wives and kids and my memory of that the first time was we didn't know what it was but it's sad that the neighborhood dogs all died. They been poisoned and then someone you told me cuz I'd heard from my friends that the dogs were dead in the Steely boys were coming and then you were latching down or tornado shelters. You are tying up the windows and that first night. I remember sleeping under the coffee table and you sitting there banging on pots yelling every time you could hear them trying to get in the window. I mean that I meant to be

31:47 Terrifying you heard that was done under the coffee table who would definitely woke it up when you started chewing the fat that's what they were called resteely Poison. They would hit different parts of wherever military people lived off-base and they would come into your house whether you were there or not. They just took things they did not hurt you.

32:11 They didn't I wondered about that.

32:23 Is a big Marie like six foot six and he had a little puppy a little like a dog that he dearly loved and it was poisoned.

32:34 So he knew that the Steely boys were going to hit again. I don't know how he knew but he did.

32:43 Because that was the second time in time and stop.

32:56 Because that's just the way it was. Well, he and his buddies were hiding up there.

33:09 And when the Steely boys came the big Marines came down and took care of them and they were pleading for the Marines. And as long as they live there we didn't have any Steely boys ever hit. It should call him ever again and then we moved on base and I don't know what happened after the right. Let me see.

33:47 About that is where we have the Gunnery Range and it's also where the Ernie Pyle Memorial is. She was the World War correspondent and that was it heavily fought fight in Okinawa and Iwo Jima. I went for 4 days after the Athena Frank was fighting up there and I think I was the first white woman that had seen in ages ages ages and ages. They were all fascinated with me and my red hair. They wanted to touch it out the women.

34:23 Play the Mystic.

34:34 When in shower I did ask Frank to stay outside cuz I wanted privacy when I showered and that's so he he accommodated but the interesting thing I've had this experience of being 20 miles of being in the war zone. Now. I'm on the Gunnery Range and he is Jima and because the plane go Supersonic and there is strafing it's a strafing range. So the jet comes in the fighter jet and the bullets have to be even faster because you're going Supersonic and if you're shooting out bullets you'd run into him. So they go really fast and you're standing there watching and you see him hit the ground and then you hear the noise of the bullets hitting so it was an experience that tab

35:23 Most people don't have I did go to get my hair done get my hair was cuz I didn't stay in the shower very long and they have you out all the ladies of the village came to watch me get my hair washed because I was pretty exciting this lady with red hair you tip your head over this sink and they turn on a flame Alli flame next to the water pipe right by your head at the heat the water while they shampoo you and that I thought my guys, you know, my hair could go up.

36:02 Anyway, but that that yes, thank you Sam. I had totally forgotten about Hiroshima till you brought that up and

36:10 That was quite an experience all about 3 hours about the one that was pretty much just you and I you and I

36:25 A lot of Adventure

36:33 Course, there was Trixie Strategic Air Command the Tactical Tactical Air. Command was a fighter pilot strategic and then we also have the U2 that was out based out of

36:46 But the Strategic Air Command which would be called Sac Sac. They would use the pool and that we I would have to tell you. I'm sorry. You can't go swimming cuz the sack people are there in one day. You said Mommy. Will you please take me to go see the sack people because you

37:07 You're not with us fun little things that so

37:11 That happened that are fun memories of you asking to see the sac peopling.

37:16 That was normal for you to go play in the jungle. And at our mom on our mom is on that came in and such a wonderful little adventures. Then we came back. I was pregnant we came back for more training in Las Vegas. That was just at 3. So we were back in Las Vegas for three months. And that's when your young brother was born and I do have the Western Union telegram that says to the service that Frank is to have another dependent go on board back to Okinawa and I side looked at that just the other day and so of course stamp Steve was born there in Las Vegas and that you have those memories and and I will talk about that another day, but this is our adventure.

38:16 Thank you so much damn for doing this. This was really special to share this time with you and they have it on storycorps weather in and one will ever hear it or listen to it. At least you and I had a good conversation at this holiday season with covid-19. So

38:39 Anything else you want in the last minute?

38:43 No, I mean, I think we've come to a good a good nice natural closure last time. I got to interview my mother. It's wonderful this time to be the mother and be interviewed by my son. So that being said, I guess we'll call it today. Thank you. Love you.

39:11 Love you. Bye.