Photo By Mark Olsen | U.S. Army Sgt. Jim Bain, left, talks with Senior Airman Jeremiah Camacho, a propulsion...... read more read more
Promotion and award ceremonies are moments in a Reserve Citizen Airman’s career where they are publicly recognized by their leadership for their accomplishments and their potential to take on increased responsibility.
Case in point: The 514th Air Mobility Wing’s 714th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron held an award, promotion, and noncommissioned and senior noncommissioned officer induction ceremony at the base theater at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 8, 2018.
And for the three medal recipients, the two promotees, the seven certificate of appreciation recipients, the 14 noncommissioned and two senior noncommissioned officer inductees, this was their moment to be acknowledged by their subordinates, their peers, and the officers who command them.
It also came with some advice: “I listened to the creeds being read today; live by those creeds.”
This didn’t come from their commander, Lt. Col. Joseph M. Zackaricz; it came from 92-year-old, World War II veteran U.S. Army Sgt. Jim Bain.
Bain served in the infantry during the Battle of the Bulge. The last German offensive of the war caught the allies completely by surprise, with American forces bearing the brunt of the attack and incurring their highest casualties during the war. He was awarded two Bronze Stars and the Purple Heart for his service.
Bain walks with the assistance of a cane and when he is not spending time with his wife, three children, seven grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren, he volunteers at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System in Lyons, New Jersey.
“I see people like you and I get pumped up,” said Bain. “I thank you for your service.”
For the next hour, the 714th maintainers, many for the first time, listened to a member of the greatest generation talk about what it was like to serve. Bain talked about his experiences, from trying to enlist, to being thrust unprepared into the frontline, to being wounded, and returning home.
Bain’s story starts in early 1943, when he tried to enlist in the Navy. The Department of War had just changed the draft age from 21 to 18.
“I went to Newark, New Jersey, to join the Navy and they turned me down because I have two crooked teeth,” said Bain. “I cannot understand, in 1943, right in the middle of the war, why two crooked teeth would keep me out of the Navy.” So Bain returned home and continued his high school education.
During World War II, at the height of the draft in 1945, 12 percent of Americans were uniform and the average age was 22 years old. Today, according to Pew Research, only .4 percent of the American population currently serves in the military and roughly two-thirds of those serving are under 30 years old.
In April 1943, all males between 17 and 18 at Bain’s high school had to come to a meeting. Those that showed up, had to take a test, those who passed were placed in the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP). The ASTP was an accelerated two-year college program designed to provide the Army with technicians and specialists trained in engineering, science, medicine, dentistry, and linguistics. In joining the program, the former high school students also became members of the Army Reserve.
Bain passed the test and went off to college. His days were spent in uniform attending classes.
In November 1943, The Department of War manpower specialists determined that they needed more people for the upcoming invasion of Europe than attending college. So Bain, along with many other young men were sent to Army bases across the country to get trained for war.
“Our college days were over and we were off to the infantry,” said Bain.
Bain was assigned to the 87th Infantry Division and trained as a light machine gunner. After completing basic training he was shipped over to England and then eventually to Metz, France.
Bain’s unit arrived in Metz on Dec. 17, 1944. The Battle of the Bulge was a day old and the Germans were pushing American and Allied forces back. Prior to his arrival in Metz, Bain had never seen any combat.
On the 18th, his unit was assigned to attack a German city across the border, but before they could do so they came under an American artillery barrage.
Bain’s unit was nearly annihilated and they retreated.
“We were really ashamed of ourselves for running, we were scared to death for what we just went through; we had no idea what to do, but we pulled ourselves together.”
That night, Bain was promoted from private to acting corporal. In the course of two days, he would get promoted four times, private first class, corporal, sergeant, and staff sergeant. Bain never made staff sergeant – the paperwork was lost when the company clerk got wounded.
For the next 72 days, Bain remained on the front lines until he was severely wounded in his left arm and sent back to England. After war ended, he returned home, went to work and raised a family.
All this led up to his final piece of advice to the 714th maintainers about the next step in their careers.
“No matter what level you are, no matter what grade you are, give it the best you can; but find a little extra time to learn the next step above where you are now.”
For Bain, the experience of addressing fellow service members was special on many levels, but the most significant was being among equals again.
“This is the first time in 73 years I have been called sergeant and I feel like a sergeant again today.”
| Date Taken: | 04.12.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 04.12.2018 16:52 |
| Story ID: | 272878 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Web Views: | 80 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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