He will never forget that sound. A reassuring yet ominous sight that echoes in dreams as a symbol of the war itself and reminds of both hope and survival. Still to this day Army Vietnam Veteran Robert Creech still hears them in his mind, perhaps landing in his barracks of the 44th Medical Brigade, on his childhood acres in Johnston County, North Carolina or the front yard of his home since 1972 in Southport, North Carolina.
That sound is namely the ‘Whoomp, Whoomp, Whoomp’ of a Huey Helicopter. They were used throughout the war for combat rescue operations, transport of wounded to medical facilities, supporting combat operations by getting troops over mountains and jungle to Landing Zones (LZs) where they were needed, or delivering the mail. It was the main vehicle to both fight the war and rescue the wounded from it. The design was so good Huey descendants still fly today.
Robert Creech at the 44th Medical Brigade in South Vietnam 1967
However, for soldiers such as Robert and his generation that fought in Vietnam, it will always be associated with that jungle terrain. Simply hearing a recording of the rotor blades prompts emotions to surface for Vietnam Vets; it reflects the worst day of many of their lives and for many others, the day they survived.
As with previous Veterans Day stories shared, learning what is Beyond the Door and the Marathon Man of Honor and Strength, it is an honor to see through Robert’s eyes to help us all realize that:
“A soldier’s story is a mirror held up to humanity—showing both our deepest fractures and our highest capacity for love and loyalty.” — Anonymous
Huey in Action (Credit: Warfare History Network)
Porch Time in Carolina
In the Carolinas, porch time is a way of life, a hub for family, friends, and neighbors, and offers a sanctuary where time moves at a slower pace.
As I would walk through Southport on Saturday mornings, I would go by Robert’s home and we would always say ‘Good Morning’ to each other. Many Carolinians liken their porches to an extended family room, inviting spaces with several chairs or couches, lamps, tables, that foster conversations and getting to know those around you. In fact, when we recently renovated our home in 2025 we added a front porch for some porch time of our own and to share with others.
Robert and I enjoying some Porch Time
I have learned in life that you never know where the next conversation will lead, and one morning I decided to go up the stairs to the Creech’s porch and introduce myself. I quickly learned that crossing paths with Robert and Saturday mornings sharing with each other, that he has seen so much in his life; the changes in scenery from growing up on a rural farm, his time in the Army and in Vietnam, and life in a town that has changed rapidly since 1972. I also noticed a POW MIA flag in his yard, and asked if he would be willing to share his story for Veterans Day this year, to honor him, other Veterans, and his service to us all.
Thank you Robert for opening up about your life and Vietnam War experiences, and reminds us when it comes to Veterans:
“They fought for our tomorrow, and the wisdom they bring back helps us navigate our today.” — Unknown
Life on a Farm and the Farming Life, with a New Tractor and Perfect Attendance
Looking at his medals and commendations from the war, I noticed a rifle marksmanship medal. Being naive, I wondered how farm life enhanced his ability to shoot accurately. Robert calmly let me know that because of his childhood farm life, he learned how to shoot accurately. Another lesson learned!
What is evident is that his rural farm upbringing forged a resilience, physical endurance, and practicality that served him well in Vietnam and his post-war life.
Born in Wilson, North Carolina, Robert spend the first 18 years of his life on a small (50 acre) family farm in rural Johnston County, North Carolina. His parents, Doris Boyette and Ivey Creech, are both native North Carolinians, for many generations, in Johnston County. He was the third of four children, with an older sister and brother (Phyllis and David) being pre-WWII babies, and him and his younger brother (Jeffrey) post-WWII babies.
Robert’s Parents, Ivey and Doris Creech, on their farm in Johnston County, NC
Robert and his siblings, Phyllis, David, and Jeffrey
The main cash crop on the farm was tobacco, although there was also cotton, corn, soybeans, and always a large garden for home use. There were farm animals with 7,000 laying hens for egg production (about 5,000 daily), a milk cow, several hogs, and a
mule. And you know what was cool when he was around five years old, his parents got a tractor in 1952!
In the Tobacco Fields on the Creech Farm
Baseball, Hotdogs, Apple Pie, and Chevrolet…and being on the High School Baseball Team
The farm was a community effort, and it was always neighbors helping neighbors, especially during tobacco harvest, and hog killing. Robert, as well as his parents, attended a small community school, Glendale School, that was first through twelfth (1st-12th) grade in one building (approx. 250 – 300 students). All of his classmates were farm children, and Robert also drove a school bus his junior and senior years. You know what another miracle is, he did not have one sick day for twelve years, perfect attendance. Unbelievable, likely, to his parents as well. For hobbies, he would work with his dad on farm equipment (especially the John Deere tractor); cook with his mom, ride his bicycle, put together plastic model cars, play with his model train, played on little league and high school baseball teams, was in Boy Scouts, and worked on small Briggs & Stratton engines and the family cars.
Robert on one of family horses
A Christmas Morning at the Creech Family Home
Sounds like there is a Norman Rockwell painting of one of these childhood hobbies and farm life somewhere.
“The farmer has to be an optimist, or he wouldn’t still be a farmer.” – Will Rogers
What came in the mail today?
Serving came before him, and after him.
His father, Ivey Creech, served in WWII in Italy from 1943-45 as a Supply Sergeant; he was there when Mussolini was killed and has the picture to prove it (not that he needs it). He was also assigned to the post-war peacekeeping force in Switzerland. His maternal grandfather was a WWI veteran, as was his wife’s father. Along with his father, many of their neighbors were WWII veterans (Army) and Robert would hear some of their “war stories” in the tobacco field when they were harvesting the crop.
Robert’s Grandfather Boyette and WWI Veteran
Robert and his wife, Kay, have three sons, Joseph, John, and Jay. Joseph and John both served; Joseph, was in the Air Force for eight years as a Loadmaster and John was in the Army Airborne, as a rigger and combat engineer, for four years, with a year in South Korea. Joseph had a one-year assignment in Guam.
Patriotism ran deep in his family.
For those who experienced it, the latter half of the 1960s was a turbulent time in America; culturally, racially, and the war in Vietnam was a contributor to that unrest. As a young child my mom would turn off the TV when anything related to the Vietnam War was shown (it was the first war that had TV exposure).
August 29th, 1966…it was his 19th birthday. Robert had just finished an unsuccessful year at North Carolina State University. I am sure when he and his family saw the official military envelope with his name on it, something along the lines of ‘Is that what I think it is??’ ran through their minds. And that is what it was, a draft notice on his birthday which brought some shock, fear, and uncertainty realizing daily life, career plans, and education are being interrupted.
That likely did not go down better with a slice of birthday cake.
The mandatory invitation to go here came on Robert’s 19th Birthday
However, instead of allowing the process to control him, he pivoted. I asked him if with the instability in the world, did he have family and friends support for this decision? Totally and completely. Having heard that most Army draftees were trained to be “Light Weapons Infantry” and some draftees were assigned to The Marine Corps, Robert decided to enlist.
Robert’s home for a year (1967-68), next to his cot and nightstand
Reliable, Responsible, Always One Step Ahead…Robert “Radar O’Reilly” Creech
It is a decision that he has never regretted, even though the draft was a two-year commitment, and enlisted was three years. By enlisting, he knew he had more options and could choose his career field, provided that he scored high enough on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). His choice was Personnel Administration Specialist. He conveyed to me that he was akin to the 44th Medical Brigade’s ‘Radar O’Reilly’ (from the long running TV Series M*A*S*H).
“The uniform changes over the generations, but the heart of the family wearing it remains exactly the same.” – Anonymous
From Acres of North Carolina Farmland to Acres of Warzone in South Vietnam
Robert shared some wisdom with me recently, namely that life is a series of micro-decisions, that lead to bigger decisions at life’s crossroads, not knowing what the outcome will be. He never knew where that decision to enlist would lead, however his journey through the Army and post-Army life exemplifies that indeed.
Seems poetic that we were able to spend some Porch Time in Southport, reflecting on the years and lessons of those times, and everything in between.
The first stop, Fort Ord, California.
Completion of Training at Fort Ord, Robert is 2nd Row, Far Right
On Veteran’s Day, 1966, 60 years ago, Robert graduated from Basic Training at Fort Ord with a parade and also received a trophy as the Outstanding Trainee of his Company, along with a Certificate of Membership to The “450” Club, having scored 474 out of 500 on The Physical Combat Proficiency Test.
Once in the Army, Robert is All In…achievements from Training at Fort Ord
After basic training, he completed advanced training as a Personnel Administrative Specialist. Soon thereafter, the assignment to Vietnam came, and it was to a hospital unit part of the 222nd Personnel Service Company assigned to the 44th Medical Brigade which staffed four major hospitals; his base was 17 miles north of Saigon, Long Binh, near the town of Bien Hoa. He and his brigade were responsible for hospital and morgue administration (staffing and records), and during his assignment from February 1967- February 1968, he made many friends, flew in Huey Medevac helicopters, and experienced up close the pain, injuries, and emotional toll of war. He remained focused on his assignments and the often unpleasant scenery each day and was promoted to Specialist E-5 in December 1967, a mere 15 months after enlisting. He enjoyed the team he worked with, and they were very cohesive and got along great.
Robert with some buddies at 44th Medical Brigade
Communicating back home was not as expeditious as it is nowadays, with the only form being letters and a reel to reel audio tape of Christmas morning at Granny Boyette’s (his mother’s mom)…that must have sounded as heartwarming as the fireplace crackling in the background, and I am sure it would now too. Before he left, Robert had a serious girlfriend (or in those days, it was called going steady) and he received a “Dear John” letter from her after five months. He was sad, of course, and it was disheartening to say the least, however he knew he had to move on. His parents, siblings, and friends wrote to him frequently.
Robert hooping it up with one of the kids, Lee, from the local village
Going into nearby town of Bien Hoa
For those that lived through these years, and the changes that transpired, one of the changes that Robert was acutely aware of was the declining support for our military, not from the older generations, but from the younger generation that were born post -WWII. I asked him if during his time there, did he or his colleagues keep tabs on the temperature/pulse of the societal disarray back home, and they did not; they had a mission and needed to focus each day.
Christmas 1967 with Floyd Parris (Alabama), Richard Stuart (NY), “Chopper” Segatta (NJ), and Robert
“Radar” Creech on duty at the 44th Medical Brigade
So, what was it like coming back home?
Robert’s last mission was simply getting safely from the Army base to the airport so he could get home. It was two weeks after the Tet Offensive, and they had to make that trip in an Armored Personnel Carrier (APC). They were all required to travel in uniform once back in the US and he distinctly remembers being met with much disrespect upon arrival. That said, there was one individual that treated him with respect at the Oakland, California airport and bought him a beer. (By the way, if you have not seen it, the movie The Greatest Beer Run Ever, recommended and it is a true story). When he arrived at Raleigh-Durham airport, his parents were there with proud hugs, knowing full well many did not get to hug their sons again.
Receiving Medals and Recognition at Fort Bragg, NC
A teenager when he left, and a 20-year-old upon return…now what? He reminded himself; you know what…at least he did come back. And for that, he is grateful. It was a great welcome home.
“The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.” ~ Charles Dickens, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, 1839
Serving Well and The Drive Inn Grill, at the Intersection of Dodge and Ford
Robert served his country when his country needed him and did it well. He received The Army Commendation Medal for his service and he won several awards, and when asked about the turbulence at home, he knew that his job was to serve his country regardless of what people thought. As he transitioned back home, he was stationed at Fort Bragg to be closer to his family. While he was in Vietnam, the thought bubbles of a cool ride came to the surface often and he saved every penny and would forgo R&R in hopes of buying a car upon return as he had never owned a car before. To put some context behind this, Robert’s pay was approximately $200 plus $65 monthly combat pay.
The car he had his mind and eyes on? The 1968 Dodge Coronet, and he asked his father to send him information on his soon to be Grease Lightnin’. Did not take long to decide and yes, that’s it and he asked him to order one; it arrived at the dealer about a week before he got home. I tried not to weep learning this, the new car cost $3,200 and Robert had diligently saved $1,600 and borrowed the rest.
At Ft. Bragg, Robert served in the Basic Training Company handling personnel records. He was enjoying his new Dodge Coronet and one evening in April 1968, decided to go cruising at the Drive In Grill in Selma. It was there that his Dodge met a Ford Fairlane, and the driver Kay Pilkington. They lived seven miles apart, however their social circles were completely different, though Robert later learned that he did play baseball against Kay’s younger brother. That Drive In served as the meeting place for a lifetime of treasured times together, and the decision for each of them to go that night independently…another crossroads that became the main road of their lives.
Cruisin’ in the Dodge Coronet, Kay could not say no!
Starting at the intersection of a Dodge and a Ford at the Drive In Grill…they were married in September 1968. Kay still says it was that Dodge was the reason she married him! Great decision Robert.
Robert and Kay, Wedding Day, September 1968
Their first dinner together was a can of Spaghetti O’s and Kay even kept the label from that can to this day!
“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” — Douglas Adams
Love for Hueys, Back to School, and Now What
It was quite the change from earlier in the year on the ground in Vietnam during the start of the Tet Offensive.
I wondered how with all these major life adjustments, where his purpose from the barracks changed drastically to being back on the farm and then newly married. He was still in the Army at Fort Bragg, however, knew there would be a day when he hung up his uniform for the last time.
With their first year of marriage being in Fayetteville, NC for Fort Bragg, Robert wanted to make more of a career in the Army and go to Helicopter Flight Training, as the sound of Hueys were still hovering above his head and in his mind. Kay was strongly against the idea for she knew what that meant; an assignment back to Vietnam. Robert wanted that. However, he saw Kay’s point and after his three-year service, he decided to leave and pursue outcomes unknown.
The first choice? Law enforcement, however, he did not meet the height requirements. The decision was then made to go back to college on the G.I. Bill, with Kay continuing to work and Robert working part-time on his family’s farm. He went to Wayne Community College and earned an associate’s degree in industrial engineering.
The official dates of Army Service: September 9, 1966 – August 29, 1969. Critical and impactful years.
Thank you, Robert…
Robert shared that it was an honor and privilege to serve, however when he was done and hung his uniform for the last time, he needed to put it behind him and move forward. His Army service, though not enjoyable (warzones are that way), he would never give up what serving in the Army gave to him yet never do it again. His Army uniforms are all still all there, in the closet perhaps with ‘Whoomp’ Whoomp’ ‘Whoomp’ sound in his mind and the vivid memories.
Thought this would resonate well for all who see their uniforms in the closet:
“There is something humbling about seeing an old photograph of yourself in uniform. You recognize the face, but sometimes you barely recognize the person. You look younger, look different. And you realize just how much life has happened since that picture was taken.
That younger version of you did not know what was coming. They did not know who they would marry, what their children would look like, which friendships would last, or what challenges life would bring after the military. They did not know which memories would become precious or which names would eventually become painful to remember.
But they knew something important.
They knew what it meant to be part of something bigger than themselves, to be responsible for the person beside them, and to show up when showing up was difficult. They were becoming the person you would carry with you for the rest of your life.
And maybe that is what makes military service memories so powerful. The person in that photograph did not know the future, but they helped build yours.” – Soldiers Angels (The Uniform in the Closet)
Time to Power On and Where is That?
In the late 1960s to mid-1980s, in response to global oil supply volatility and natural gas scarcity, the U.S. launched a massive buildout of coal-fired and nuclear power plants. Perfect timing as after Robert received his degree in Industrial Engineering at Wayne Community College, Carolina Power & Light (CP&L) offered him a job in Power Generation at the Lee Power Plant outside of Goldsboro. He and Kay were there one year before his supervisor tapped him on the shoulder and let him know the company needed him at a new facility they were building, the Brunswick Nuclear Generating Station in Southport, North Carolina (opened in 1975).
So, where is Southport? Having lived in mid-state North Carolina on farms most all of his life, neither he nor Kay knew where it was. A coastal community would be quite a change of scenery. After consulting a map, they found it and came down to look around for a weekend; they decided to make the move. It was the largest town that either of them lived in, except for their one year in Fayetteville when he was in the Army.
They have been pillars of Southport since 1972. They raised three sons here, and when I asked about changes since they settled and what keeps them here, it is as clear as the picture frame view from his porch (which I could stare from for hours). They had both dreamed about living near the coast since 1968, and the opportunity to do so came at the right time. One can only imagine the changes they have seen since 1972, some good and some not so good. For example, Kay no longer has to go to Wilmington to buy groceries, however the unique small fishing/shrimping village has transformed into a tourist town. Robert and I have shared we are grateful to live in a place where others enjoy visiting, and Southport still does maintain its small town, close community character. Porch Time is a shared characteristic, where one can just stop, talk, and feel welcome and belong.
The Creech Family in Southport, NC
Their sons love Southport as well. They moved away after high school for college, military, and work, and they have all moved back and are raising their own families here as well.
Just as his Army memories are top of mind, his childhood farm memories are there also. It remains in his family as his dad has nine siblings and each got a share, with two of them remaining there. The circa 1800s house where his grandparents raised his parents, sadly, had to be torn down eight years ago.
The home where Robert’s parents were raised…always hard to say goodbye
And his childhood homes on the farm had porches, and Porch Time, too.
“Time spent on a porch is never wasted—it is invested in the soul.” – Anonymous
A Mission in Guam Continues Back Home
We all have the image of the final exit from Vietnam.
On April 30th, 1975, after helicopter shuttles of as many as they could, the final helicopter took off from the US Embassy in Saigon with embassy staff and anyone who could fit and faded into the horizon to the awaiting USS Denver off the coast. One of the last diplomats to leave, Wolfgang Lehmann, said this:
“We could see the lights of the North Vietnamese convoys approaching the city…The chopper was packed with the rest of the staff and remaining civilian guards…and it was utterly silent except for the rotors of the engine. I don’t think I said a word on the way out and I don’t think anybody else did. The prevailing emotion was tremendous sadness.” – Wolfgang J. Lehmann – Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy, Saigon
One of the last rides out of Saigon, April 1975
The Fall of Saigon was not the end of an operation to get our soldiers home, many remained and never made it out. Following the Paris Peace Accords of 1973, 591 U.S. POWs were returned during Operation Homecoming. Many of those missing were airmen who were shot down over North Vietnam or Laos. As of late 2026, approximately 1,565 Americans remain missing and unaccounted for, according to the National League of POW/MIA Families. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency continues recovery, excavation, and identification missions in Southeast Asia and over the decades, the remains of more than 1,000 individuals have been identified and returned to their families.
The thoughts of what suffering they and their families have gone through are unimaginable.
For anyone who has walked by Robert and Kay’s home, you will see a POW/MIA (Prisoner of War/Missing in Action) flag flying in their yard. Likely every glance towards it brings Robert’s heart and mind to another place. I wanted to know more about it and its personal connection, as it connects us all.
Their oldest son, Joseph, was in the Air Force for eight years as a Loadmaster, with a one-year assignment in Guam. One of his jobs while stationed there was the repatriation of remains coming out of Vietnam. When he returned, he brought his dad a POW/ MIA flag as that experience moved his soul and knew that there were many who did not get to see their own father again. Joseph asked his dad if he would fly it in 1994, and he has ever since, and helps serve as a reminder that the mission continues.
The POW MIA mission continues…and a reminder from Robert’s front yard
There are many colleagues of Robert’s that did not make it home alive, there were several lost medevac crews and two nurses while out on a mission. He has one close friend that made it home however died later from Agent Orange related cancer; he was a helicopter pilot whose mission it was to spray it. Robert learned over the years that when it comes to those he served with, they all put that time behind them, however both he and Kay stay in touch with a couple that we were in service with, after Vietnam, at Ft. Bragg who now live in Charlotte.
You are not forgotten, yet the pain of souls remains.
So many fates are left unknown
And so many rumors that abound
So many families ask the question
“When will, the answers be found?”
So many years have come and gone
Sometimes, hope is hard to keep
There’s some who feel there’s none
And in some, it’s buried deep.
The pain, is in not knowing
How, to put loved ones’ to rest
When there is no way to prove
They have passed, the final test.
But, no matter what the answers
We can’t let this cause alone
Until, each and every one of them
Is found, and brought back home.
Del ‘Abe’ Jones – White Bluff, TN
Opening Some Emotional Cans and Uniforms in the Closet
Robert felt the sting of serving at the time he did. The Vietnam War was politically and socially unpopular and America at the time was going through much civil unrest, with not only the war and draft itself, trust in government, political assassinations, the civil rights movement, racial inequality, urban decay, and other generational cultural shifts.
He is not one that seeks confrontation and since getting out of the Army, Robert had put his military time “in the closet”, and symbolically his uniforms were all there. When he went back to school he was exposed to protests against the war and he never knew if a person was a “draft dodger” or possibly one that left country to avoid the draft, so he just kept his feelings to himself. After all, walking in someone else’s shoes is best known by the ones in those shoes. When he and Kay moved to Southport and he started working at the Brunswick Plant some of his co-workers were ex-military, mostly navy. It was not until his son, Joseph, brought him the POW/MIA flag, asked him to fly it, and learning of his mission in Guam did he really open that can and “came out of the closet” about his military service.
From the farm to the battlefield, your service is not forgotten either Robert
When I learned the story behind that POW/MIA flag, it exemplified the connection across generations of trust, sacrifice, and feeling the weight of the uniform; and in regard to the POW/MIA, the unbreakable promise: “You Are Not Forgotten”. Joseph embraced that in Guam, and his dad wholeheartedly embraced it to remember those still trying to make their way back home.
He can’t help to see the ripple effects of his service and life, for example getting his draft notice on his 19th birthday in August 1966, and his last day of service being August 29, 1969. Where he served, the 44th Medical Brigade in Vietnam, thirty years later when their first grandchild was born, he learned that same brigade, the 44th, was a unit of Womack Army Medical Center, at Ft. Bragg, NC, where he was also stationed.
One of the pleasures of this conversation was not only going through the pictures, commendations, medals, and memories of Robert’s life and service to our country, it was seeing and touching his army uniforms. Thanks to Kay, many of the pictures of his childhood, Vietnam, Army correspondence, commendations, are all preserved; hence why there are great historical pictures in this article.
Robert and Kay in their Southport home
As for his uniforms, he brought them out to show me, still freshly pressed and starched, just as he wore them while in service, and proud to do so. It was an absolute honor to be part of this experience of him getting them out of the closet to share his life with all of us, and for us to in turn honor him and his service to our country.
The uniforms taken out of the closet…with the person and soldier they helped carry
Just this year, on July 3, 2026, Robert was presented a Letter of Appreciation in Southport from the Commanding Officer of the 44th Medical Brigade for my early contribution to the 44th; even compared him to Corporal “Radar” O’Reilly of M*A*S*H*.
Remembering Charlie and Baker, Leaving their Childhood on Every Acre
‘Charlie’ and ‘Baker’ are company identifiers used in military units. They also, in a sense, represent the experiences of these soldiers leaving a childhood with many not coming home.
The Vietnam War is not easy to discuss or process, and it seems veterans of this conflict felt forgotten, poorly received, and never truly welcomed home. Through Robert’s story, as I am sure with other Vietnam veterans, we can all grow from understanding what it felt like to be a young person on the ground, rather than debating rights and wrongs. I have learned through these Veterans Day stories that no matter the conflict or where served, their own identities became a deep collective one of survival, shared trauma, and dealing with harsh realities and outcomes.
Thought this would be a way for us all to help understand better. After all, when saying Goodnight Saigon, songwriter and singer Billy Joel captured it well:
“Time has a way of healing wounds or making them easier to look at to see if they’ve scabbed up. The guys came home from Vietnam and that’s it? It doesn’t end until these guys are absorbed into the mainstream and we deal with our feelings about it.”
Look forward to more Porch Time.
God Bless you Robert for taking your uniforms out of the closet and opening some cans of emotions that will resonate for many and in turn are heartwarming and inspiring; thank you for sharing your story for Veterans Day this year.
And Welcome Home.
Another reminder that we all bleed as one.
Until next time,
Ed