Page 6 - Desert Lightning News, Nellis-Creech AFB Edition, November 19, 2021

6 November 19, 2021 Desert lightNiNg News s. NevaDa Desert lightNiNg News s. NevaDa November 19, 2021 7
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Team 432 chaplain’s legacy lives on

by Senior Airman Christian Clausen FREEDoM ISN’T FREE;
Creech AFB, Nev.
Whether it’s working as a United States Air Force
chaplain, a U.S. Army Apache helicopter pilot, an en-
listed airborne infantryman, a husband or even a father, the story of a POW veteran
Matthew Mendenhall dedicated his career to loving and
caring for others. by Senior Airman Bailee A. Darbasie
Air Force photograph by Senior Airman Christian Clausen Maj. Matthew Mendenhall, 432nd Wing/432nd Air
Chaplain Matthew’s hat sits alongside his military coins and Expeditionary Wing chaplain, retired on October 1, Nellis AFB, Nev. the shrapnel, I had also been shot through the arm,”
patches accumulated from 22 years in the U.S. Army as an 2021 after 28 years of serving his country, yet his legacy said Ramos.
infantryman, honor guardsman, and Apache helicopter continues on with his son whom also serves in the U.S. A black hat, the word “VETERAN” in an eye- The next morning, Chinese forces swept the area,
pilot prior to becoming a U.S. Air Force Chaplain. He now Air Force. catching, bold yellow font and several colorful rib- collecting the wounded Soldiers and taking them as
leverages his combat experience to further help combat Before officially retiring, Matthew completed his bons stitched to the front — it’s a typical sight on prisoners of war.
Airmen at Creech Air Force Base, Nev. last duty as an officer in the Air Force re-enlisting his Air Force photograph by Senior Airman William Rio Rosado military installations. “They tied us arm to arm in a single file column,”
son, Staff Sgt. Ethan Mendenhall, 99th Healthcare Staff Sgt. Ethan Mendenhall, 99th Healthcare Operations The men and women who wear these hats wear said Ramos. “They had us march all the way from the
Operations Squadron aerospace medical technician. Squadron aerospace medical technician, holds a folded them with honor as they walk amongst the service Kansas line to their labor camps.”
Thus, extending the long blue line as we celebrate the flag during his father’s retirement ceremony at Creech members on base. Each hat is unique — not because Injured and exhausted, the Soldiers had one mo-
75th Anniversary of the U.S. Air Force. Air Force Base, Nevada, Oct. 1, 2021. Maj. Matthew, 432nd of the various ribbons, words or pins attached — but tivation during the taxing journey to the camps —
“My grandpa served on active duty, my dad served in Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing chaplain, flew with because of the veteran wearing the hat and the story staying alive.
the Marine Corps on active duty, I served and honestly, this flag in back of his Apache helicopter when he was a of their service. “Anyone who fell out was thrown into a ditch and
it’s just a big part of who our family is,” Matthew said. pilot in the U.S. Army. Like every veteran, retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class killed,” said Ramos. “Throughout the trip, the march-
Ahead of joining the Air Force, Matthew carried on Eugene Ramos has a story. ing would stop, we’d hear a gunshot soon after and
the family legacy by enlisting in the Army as an air- to an end but the family tradition of serving carries on He recalled it as “the coldest winter in 100 years.” then the marching would continue.”
borne infantryman and eventually became a warrant through Ethan; a son turned Airman. The commander-in-chief of the United Nations Despite the course of events Ramos had endured,
Courtesy photograph officer, earning his wings as an Apache pilot. Matthew “My family has always served in some aspect,” Ethan Command, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, had planned the worst was revealed when they finally arrived at
Matthew, Northrup Grumman chief pilot, prepares to take embodied the Air Force’s core values before he even said. “I think it’s really important that we carry on that for a rapid invasion of the Korean peninsula, with the prisoner of war camp.
off in his Russian Mi-17 helicopter in Afghanistan in 2011. knew them. tradition.” an end goal of having U.S. troops back home by Soldiers spent their days cold, hungry and in si-
During this point in his career, Matthew also served in the He showed his integrity first through his courage The urge to volunteer for service, the drive to sacri- Christmas. lence.
U.S. Army Reserves while taking seminary classes online and commitment during multiple deployments and put fice, and the motivation to exceed in all they do runs in “It was so cold that the ground was frozen,” said Every day, the prisoners lined up for chow where
which would lead to his current assignment as a U.S. Air his service before himself as he sacrificed many seasons the veins of each member of their family whether they Ramos. “We needed to make foxholes to keep from they were served what Ramos described as “soupy
Force chaplain at Creech Air Force Base, Nev. away from his family to serve his country. chose to serve or not. The Mendenhall’s are innovators freezing to death during the night, so I took my shovel rice.”
As a young soldier he exceeded expectations at every who have passed on family traditions and as a result, and began digging into the hard ground.” “They’d boil just a few cups of rice and add it to
level and proved his excellence in all he did as he tran- carried service heritage with them. Cold and exhausted from chipping away at icy a giant pot of water,” he recalled. “That’s all they’d
sitioned from an enlisted member, to warrant officer, Matthew believes leaving behind a legacy, means dirt for several hours, Ramos settled for the shallow provide for the hundreds of us imprisoned there.”
Air Force photograph by Airman 1st Class Bryan Guthrie
and commissioned to the ranks of an officer. living life every day with the future in mind. One of 10-inch hole he managed to dig, and that became his Eugene Ramos, former prisoner of war (POW) while The new life of those captured also included wear-
While Matthew’s military career progressed, a blue the forefathers of the Air Force, Gen. Henry H. “Hap” bed to stay warm in. ing lice-infested clothing and sleeping on floors with
light inside of young Ethan began to flicker. This light Arnold said “We must think in terms of tomorrow.” Ramos was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division as assigned to 3rd Infantry Division in the Korean War, attends no bedding. Their living quarters were overly crowded,
the POW/MIA ceremony in Freedom Park at Nellis Air Force
would soon turn into a flame that burns like the fire These are the reasons Airmen are able to innovate, ac- a machine gunner. Their mission was to establish and Base, Nev., Sept. 20, 2019. In 1951, Ramos was attacked and forcing Soldiers to sleep curled up on their sides just
inside of his father to serve. celerate, and continue to thrive after 75 years. maintain the lines used to evacuate service members captured by the Chinese and was finally freed in 1953. so there was enough space for everyone to lay down
Ethan traveled around the world as a dependent, fol- Caring for others has always been a big part of Mat- to the coast of the peninsula. From there, combat- at night.
lowing his dad’s career wherever it took them. His great thew’s life. He has lived every day with a purpose, on worn Soldiers and Marines would board ships and Through their shared suffering and uncertainty
grandfather, grandfather and his dad served and Ethan purpose. The retired chaplain served 28 years and hopes return home to the states. machine gun, rapidly unleashing nearly 250 rounds of the future, the prisoners had grown to know and
knew when he was old enough that he would serve too. the legacy he is part of is great enough to be carried on Ramos and his infantry division spent four long into the darkness, towards what he rightfully identi- understand each other — forging unbreakable bonds.
“I wanted to follow in my dad’s footsteps,” Ethan for generations. The USAF is the world’s greatest Air months marching across South Korea, from Busan fied as a threat. “But we couldn’t talk,” expressed Ramos. “If they
said. “He’s leaving behind a really awesome legacy and Force because of the Airmen who have gone before to Seoul, to a point known as the Kansas line. They “I emptied one box of ammo and I said ‘alright saw a guy talking too much or to too many people,
it’s my job to continue that.” – whether it be Ethan, his father, or any Airman who were ordered to hunker down and prepare to hold another box,’” said Ramos. “That went on for a while they’d think he was planning to escape and just kill
Matthew’s time serving this country may have come has served. the line, no matter the cost. because once I opened fire, everyone else opened up him.”
Courtesy photograph For more about Matthew’s
Matthew, Northrup Grumman chief pilot, stands in front background and story, visit “At that point, I had been there a day shy of six too. I went through almost 3,000 rounds that night.” Battling the hostility of their captors every day,
of his Russian Mil Mi-17 helicopter in Afghanistan in 2011. https://www.aerotechnews.com/ months,” stated Ramos. After Ramos and his team depleted their ammuni- Ramos and the rest of the camp were also forced to
During this point in his career, Matthew also served in the nellisafb/2018/09/07/from-helos- After six months of continuous service while de- tion supply, he began to throw hand grenades as the watch communist propaganda. Prisoners were placed
U.S. Army Reserves while taking seminary classes online to-chapels-the-journey-to-help- ployed, the Army was allowing selected Soldiers to enemy approached the line. Despite his unwavering outside in the cold and told to sit down on planks of
which would lead to his current assignment as a U.S. Air ing-others-2/ take rest and recovery leave for two weeks in Japan dedication to defending the line and his fellow Sol- hard wood and watch videos on converting to com-
Force Chaplain at Creech Air Force Base, Nev. before returning to combat in Korea. Ramos was one diers, he knew it was only a matter of minutes before munism for hours.
of the names selected. the Chinese troops zeroed in on his exact location and “They were trying to brainwash us. They hoped I
“All I needed to do was set up my machine gun overran the area.
LEFT: Chaplain Matthew, 432nd would turn on my country, but I never did.”
Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary and stand by until the morning,” said Ramos. “Then “I had the idea of handing them a grenade when Ramos spent over two years as a prisoner of war.
Wing chaplain, speaks with I would go on my R&R.” they finally got to me,” said Ramos. “So, I prepared the Finally liberated in August of 1953, he weighed only
Senior Airman Devin, 432nd Unfortunately, Ramos never made it to his rest grenade and told my assistant gunner to stay down.” 97 pounds and had limited mobility in his arm from
Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and recovery time. That night, the Chinese forces Four Chinese troops approached; Ramos pulled the the night he was wounded before capture.
avionics specialist, in the work advanced upon the line his division was holding. pin and counted to three in his head. He attributes his survival of those harsh years to
center Aug. 10, 2018, at Creech Air “We could hear commotion going on, but it was “One, two, three,” he recounted. his fellow POWs.
Force Base, Nev. Matthew spent far away,” said Ramos. “We didn’t expect anyone to He handed off the grenade and immediately jumped “You have to stick true to who you are and rely on
22 years in the U.S. Army as an come our way.” in the opposite direction, strategically landing in a the good people around you to get you through a time
infantryman, honor guardsman, Just as he had convinced himself it was nothing to foxhole. like that,” said Ramos.
Air Force photograph by Senior Airman William Rio Rosado and Apache helicopter pilot prior worry about, Ramos began to hear an unusual noise But the blast of the explosion sent countless shards Despite the freezing nights, brush with death and
A U.S. Air Force retiree pin rests on a decoration before a to becoming a U.S. Air Force just several feet ahead of him — the cutting of barbed of shrapnel into Ramos’ body, wounding him and years as a prisoner of war, Ramos was dedicated to
retirement ceremony at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., Oct. Chaplain. He now leverages his wire, the Kansas line’s first form of defense. making it impossible to escape. As he laid in the fox- continuing to serve the United States of America.
1, 2021. Maj. Matthew Mendenhall, 432nd Wing/432nd Air combat experience to further “I looked down past our barrier, and I saw a big mass hole the remainder of the night, he felt an excessive After being repatriated, Ramos stayed in the Army
Expeditionary Wing chaplain, retired from the uniformed help combat Airmen. in front of the barbed wire fencing,” recalled Ramos. amount of blood running down his arm. and retired after 22 years with an honorable discharge.
services after 28 years. Air Force photograph by Senior Airman Christian Clausen Without hesitation, Ramos opened fire with his “I didn’t know that along with being wounded by “Freedom isn’t free,” stated Ramos. “It’s earned.”