Interview, Kenneth Allocco, USAF

Kenneth Allocco (b. 1947) was born in Rochester, New York, and grew up on the west side of the city. He and his older brother attended school in Greece. When he was a senior in high school, Allocco’s close friend died in the Vietnam War. This prompted Allocco to enlist in the United States Air Force, where he became a mechanic. He served in the Air Force for eight years and then returned to Rochester, where he went to work for Kodak. In his retirement, Allocco got a part-time job driving a school bus and began actively participating in the local Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 20.

In his interview, Allocco explains how he had not paid much attention to the war in Vietnam before losing his high school friend. He discusses how this loss led him to enlist in the Air Force and recalls taking his oath of service on January 2, 1968. Allocco claims that while he was in the military, he learned “everything there was to know about working on B-52 and KC-135 planes.” He spent the majority of his service stationed in Thailand, but spent time in Guam and New York as well. He went scuba diving during his free time. Allocco discusses his decision to reenlist after his first term expired and explains why this was the right choice for him. He was honorably discharged from service in 1975.