Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
Vol. 7, No. 20
Patriot Joint Base Charleston: ‘Launch Point For The Nation's Resolve’
November 4, 2016
WWII veteran continues to serve Honoring others who have served
U.S. Air Force photos / Airman 1st Class Thomas T. Charlton
Francis Bolds, United States Navy Retired Senior Chief Petty Officer from James Island, South Carolina, is a World War II veteran who volunteers at the Veterans Affairs (VA) building in Charleston, South Carolina. Bolds has been a volunteer at the VA for over 20 years dedicating almost 9,000 hours there. (Inset: Bolds presents his Navy retirement certificate at the Veteran Affairs building Oct. 24, 2016.)
Story and photos by Airman 1st Class Thomas T. Charlton Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – Before the United States existed as a country, those who took up arms to defend the land were supported by the local community. In 1636, the pilgrims of Plymouth Colony passed a law to provide for disabled soldiers from the colony who had participated in the war against the Pequot Indians. Support provided to veterans continues today, 380 years later. Francis Bolds, United States Navy Retired Senior Chief Petty Officer from James Island, South Carolina, and a World War II (WWII) veteran, helps support other veterans by escorting them to their appointments throughout the Veterans Affairs (VA) building in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. “I enlisted in the military in Aug. 1943,” said Bolds. “I was 16 but lied about my age, saying I was 17, so I could enlist and serve my country. I stayed in until my retirement on May 1, 1973.” Bolds started his Navy career in the South Pacific at the
height of WWII. By being in that part of the world, at that time, Bolds witnessed the most decisive events of the war. “I was there when the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” said Bolds. “To see that kind of power first-hand leaves you speechless. I was also one of the last people to return from the war. By the time the last of us came home, we weren’t receiving the ‘Hero’s Welcome’ everyone else had been given. We were just another group of men coming home from deployment.” Bolds, also a veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars, served on multiple ships and bases. However, there is one ship that stood out above all the others. “I was serving on the United States Ship Genesse, a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker. We were in the Cuat Viet River in Vietnam when we were attacked,” said Bolds. “During the assault, we lost two good men. It was one of the scariest moments of my time serving the military.” Since retiring, Bolds has dedicated his time to volunteering with his church and with the VA hospital. Vicki Johnson, VA Voluntary Service program manager from Ackerman,
Mississippi, has personally witnessed Bolds’ efforts. “Chief Bolds has been volunteering here for over 20 years, accumulating almost 9,000 hours of service,” said Johnson. “He transfers our patients throughout the medical center and is a blessing to have around. With the rest of his spare time, Bolds assists his church by delivering communion to church members who are unable to physically attend.” While serving his country for almost 30 years and volunteering over 20 more, Bolds found his faith is a key factor in it all. “I pray for anyone and everyone every single day,” said Bolds. “I believe being faithful to my religion has made a true difference in my life and to me still being on this earth. I will go to other veterans and pray with them, if they welcome my company, because I believe every veteran should have something to believe in.” On Nov. 6, 2016, Charleston will be hosting a Veterans Day Parade downtown and Bolds will be the grand marshal. “It means a lot to me that I’m able to participate like this in the parade,” said Bolds. “In my time I have come to learn no matter what branch you serve, we all are military and we all become veterans. We are one.”
Thank you for your service
INSIDE
Service to one’s country and the sacrifices made in doing so are normally respected by the general public. However, it’s not always the case. Many Vietnam veterans experienced unwelcome returns home. “I entered the Air Force in 1968 after the riots in Harlem, NY spurred by the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. As a South Carolina native seeing the burning and destruction of a city, I decided to get ahead of the draft and join the Air Force,” said Mitchell Jenkins, Chief of Logistics at the 1st Combat Camera Squadron. Jenkins enlisted in 1968 as an Airman Basic. Later, he was transferred from a job in missile electronics to Combat Camera and Jenkins got his wish to travel around the world. “I served two tours of duty in Vietnam as an aerial and ground combat cameraman,” said Jenkins. “The Air Force during my time was adjusting to a new reality. Culturally, blacks were voicing demands for change. Minorities had to protest that Military Exchanges did not carry any black magazines, clothing or grooming products.” The Vietnam conflict had been ongoing for more than a decade when Jenkins joined the Air Force. As a broadcast journalist, his job was to record what he encountered during his time overseas. “We were there to document our war effort,” said Jenkins. “I traveled around Southeast Asia, Thailand and every place that had an interest in the war, covering other
Providing a safe learning environment
JB CHS CDC
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people doing their jobs toward the war effort. As an Airman, I worked alone quite a bit. You didn’t have people supervising you all the time so you had to be a selfstarter. You had to be motivated, understanding you were part of a team and everybody had a job to do.” Motivation was only one of the characteristics Jenkins recalled needing while trying to survive the war. “Your life depends on someone else and someone else’s life depends on you and that’s how you have to look at it regardless of who you are,” said Jenkins. “It didn’t matter who you were or where you came from.” Another characteristic Jenkins mentioned was duty. “Duty ... Duty is everything,” said Jenkins. “Can you be depended on? I learned from war, I can be depended on to do what is expected of me. Duty always trumps everything else. Do your job.” Jenkins did his job and, like many other Vietnam veterans, he returned home to a less than welcoming United States population. Support for the war had waned. “It was kind of confusing to us. We came home but, initially, we weren’t welcomed back,” said Jenkins. “You had war protesters and we were being called baby killers. After such an accusation, you just shut down; you didn’t talk about war. It took about 20 years for me to talk about what I saw or what I went through over there. I felt like no one cared about it. It was your job, you did it and you took care of each other. It was like us against the world because Vietnam veterans felt like they had been ousted by their countrymen.” See Thank You, Page 3
Assisting Haiti in the wake of a hurricane
HAMILTON
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Next Issue of the Patriot: November 18, 2016
By Airman 1st Class Kevin West Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs
Lighting the way for domestic abuse victims
AWARENESS
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WEEKEND WEATHER UPDATE for Joint Base Charleston, SC Morning Showers
Friday, November 4
(30% precip)
High 73º Low 51º
Sunny Saturday, November 5
(0% precip)
High 70º Low 45º
Don’t Forget To
Sunny Sunday, November 6
(0% precip)
High 73º Low 49º
Saturday Night!
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