Interview, Fernando Palmeroni, Jr., USAF

Fernando (Fred) Palmeroni (b. 1947) was born in Rochester, NY. He enlisted in the United States Air Force after graduating from Gates Chili High School in 1967. He completed his basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, and attended technical school at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado. Palmeroni was assigned to Castle Air Force Base in Atwater, California, where he worked as an aircraft maintenance specialist. He was then sent to Vietnam and served there from 1969 to 1970. Palmeroni was in the Air Force for eight years and the Air National Guard for six. He was honorably discharged in 1982. After leaving the service, Palmeroni attended the University of Maryland and eventually moved back to Rochester with his family. He worked at Kodak for 32 years and retired in 2007.

In this interview, Palmeroni criticizes Air Force leadership in Vietnam, explaining his belief that he and his fellow servicemen were not properly equipped to defend themselves. He recalls tensions between Air Force and Army personnel over equipment and discusses various aspects of his daily life in the service. Palmeroni shares a story about being in a plane crash and how he almost fired on American soldiers that he mistook for the enemy. He notes that he did not face much negativity from the public upon returning home from Vietnam and that he never spoke to his wife or children about the war. Palmeroni acknowledges that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He says he disagrees with the Vietnam War, but reports that he would serve again in a heartbeat.