MARINE STAFF Sgt. Richard Claing humbly steps to the front of the crowd as Master of Ceremonies to honor all the fallen heroes for the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ (VFW) Memorial Day service. Claing, a veteran of the Vietnam War, knows the sacrifice and honor of serving our country, and is grateful to be alive.
“To me, when it comes to Vietnam, the real heroes are the ones with their names on the wall in Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, they didn’t make it back. I was lucky to make it back in one piece,” Claing said.
Claing was a radar control technician for F-4 Phantom aircraft: long-range, supersonic fighter jets used for enemy interception and as fighter-bombers in Vietnam. Technicians were vital to keep the planes effective under tough conditions. Claing traveled constantly wherever issues arose.
“I was in Vietnam 13 different times over the course of about six to seven months. I was in northwest Australia. Then, I was in Hong Kong. I’d get brought in to do what I had to do and then get pulled back out to somewhere else,” Claing said.
Soldiers who made it back after the war were welcomed home with hostility. Antiwar sentiments and perceptions of failure led mobs to lash out at war-beaten soldiers.
“No one wanted us,” Claing said. “We received memos to change into civilian clothes to avoid angry crowds. I’ve been yelled at and spit on just because I was getting off a plane they knew had Vietnam people on it. It was so hard coming home to that. A lot of changes have been made because of what we went through, so I guess there was some good out of it. But I didn’t even tell many people that I had been in Vietnam for probably 15 to 20 years.”
Once home, he threw himself into work and avoided the news. This was hard since his family was always rooted in the military. All of Claing’s seven uncles had served. His dad, Gerrard Claing, was a career army officer celebrated after World War II and Korea, but Richard couldn’t even talk about his service. He kept his nose to the grindstone and just kept going.
Richard earned an electrical engineering degree and an Master of Business Administration. He built jet engines for Pratt & Whitney for 30 years, taught college, and worked in emergency services. He moved to Hillsboro, near his daughter, and he has been married to his wife, Karen, for 54 years.
He’s active in the VFW, a Masonic Lodge, and is secretary of the National Sojourners — Masonic veterans who promote patriotism and organize events like the Memorial Day service. They had a nationwide event in May, communicating over amateur radio to ensure connection to bases across the U.S.
“It’s more important during emergencies than you think. When all else fails, amateur radio gets you through,” Richard said.
He used these radios with wildfire emergency management in Texas and California. Richard Claing has fought fires, traveled the world, built jet engines, repaired military aircraft, and continues supporting fellow veterans. He is one of the many we thank for his life of service. GN
