John Szekley
John Szekley | U.S. Air Force Aircraft Mechanic/Crew Chief | Goose Bay Winters | “Just Do It” Advice
John Szekley is from Painesville, Ohio (about 30 miles east of Cleveland) and served 4 years in the U.S. Air Force. He believes he joined in 1958, straight out of high school—voluntarily, not via the draft.
Why he joined
John’s reason is simple and very “John”:
He wanted to join the Air Force while still in high school
No family influence, no friends pushing him—he just decided it was what he wanted
He also admits he didn’t know what to expect: “You just roll the dice.”
Job in the Air Force
AFSC/Job: Aircraft mechanic
He specifically mentions being a crew chief on a KC-97
At first they tried to place him in office work, but he pushed back:
he was already an auto/mechanic type
so they reassigned him to what he was good at
Duty stations and travel
John’s service stayed mostly in cold weather environments:
Portsmouth, New Hampshire (first station right after basic; he calls it “first and only,” aside from TDY)
Goose Bay, Labrador (Canada) on TDY, tied to his AFSC and “something going on” at the time
He states clearly: no combat.
Key memory: Goose Bay winter + keeping aircraft alive
His most vivid story is working as a KC-97 crew chief in Goose Bay during winter:
he remembers freezing temperatures
heaters with ducting were routed into the engines so they could even turn over in the extreme cold
he even had a heater blowing on him while he sat outside reading a book with a light, so warm he sometimes had to move it because it got too hot
His reaction: “Those were good days.”
Mentors and friendships
When asked about mentors: “No, sir.”
He did have good friends, including a funny coincidence:
while walking across the tarmac in Labrador, he ran into a guy he went to high school with—random Ohio-to-Labrador reunion
What the military gave him
The single biggest takeaway:
Discipline
He suggests he needed it going in (“Did you have a lack of it?” → essentially yes), but says he assimilated quickly.
He also notes he kept some habits after service (like many vets do), such as keeping things squared away “for a while.”
After the Air Force
He initially got out because he wanted to do something different
Returned to Ohio, then married a woman from Portsmouth, NH, and life kept him in the snowy states for years
Worked as a mechanic his whole life (trade learned back in high school)
Eventually moved to Florida “not too long” ago, mainly to get out of the cold
Family snapshot:
6 kids (3 boys, 3 girls)
14 grandkids
He first says “none” served, then clarifies:
one son served 23 years in the Coast Guard (now out)
Advice to younger generations: “Don’t think—do it.”
John’s advice is blunt and consistent:
If joining the military even crosses your mind after high school: do it
Don’t overthink it: “Just do it.”
He calls it a great life experience that teaches you more than you expect
He adds a practical caveat: stay in if you like it; if you don’t, don’t
He also says he believes women should serve too, not just men—because everyone benefits from that different way of life and the discipline it builds.