B.J. Hannah: Atwater Air Force veteran reminisces on 26 years of service, leadership

Billy Joe Hannah was fresh out of high school when he enlisted in the Air Force. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but he definitely did not anticipate exploring different corners of the world.

Hannah, now 75, was born and raised in Louisville, Ky., and now resides in Atwater. With a sparkle in his eye and half a smirk, he said there are many stories he can tell about his 26-year tenure in the military, but he chooses to stick to the good memories.

He served during the Vietnam War and retired as a first sergeant. He oversaw the well-being of hundreds of other soldiers as part of the Air Force’s administrative unit.

The first story that comes to mind, he said, is his very first assignment in 1959. He was assigned to security services overseas in Turkey, about three hours outside Istanbul.

“Istanbul to a 19-year-old kid is absolutely exotic,” he said, recalling memories of the “Blue Mosque,” a historic site built in the 1600s, and the huge marketplaces, where he could find sapphire stones for less than $10.

He also remembers being trapped in the TUSLOG (Turkey-U.S. Logistics) building for about eight days during government protests, which resulted in the killings of students at the American University in Istanbul, he recounts.

After Turkey, he returned to the United States, and was stationed in San Antonio for about two years. He also served rounds in the NATO offices in Frankfurt, Germany, and spent time in Bentwaters, England, as well as Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam; Patterson, Ohio; Tampa, Fla.; and San Jose, among other U.S. cities.

Hannah was not directly exposed to combat. From the beginning of his military career, he was assigned to administrative duties, a situation he called “luck of the draw.”

“I really, really lucked out,” he said. “The time I’ve been around, there have been so many good things happen in the military.”

During his last assignment as a first sergeant, he was responsible for the health, wealth and welfare of all the enlisted troops in his area, explained. He said he knows he would have never had the opportunities and world exposure he did were it not for his time in the service.

He eventually settled in Merced County, where he did employment training for the county for 17 years.

“I had such good assignments,” he said about his time in the service. “The whole 26 years were really great, and I would do it again. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.”

This story was originally published November 7, 2015 at 1:56 PM with the headline "B.J. Hannah: Atwater Air Force veteran reminisces on 26 years of service, leadership."