{"id":532,"date":"2024-02-09T10:21:20","date_gmt":"2024-02-09T15:21:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.citadel.edu\/english\/?page_id=532"},"modified":"2024-02-19T11:12:49","modified_gmt":"2024-02-19T16:12:49","slug":"rick-stoughton","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.citadel.edu\/english\/rick-stoughton\/","title":{"rendered":"Rick Stoughton"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-interview-of-rick-stoughton-by-katie-molpus\">Interview of Rick Stoughton by Katie Molpus<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">April 4, 2017<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/mediasite.citadel.edu\/Mediasite\/Play\/8d80597eaf844d8db330a9360f3a02ba1d\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"auto\" width=\"650\" height=\"488\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-featured-article\">Featured Article<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-preserving-peace\">Preserving Peace<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/engineering.citadel.edu\/root\/images\/Krause_Center\/Veteran_Interviews\/Spring-2017\/images\/richard-stoughton.jpg\" alt=\"Mr. Richard Stoughton and plane\" style=\"width:500px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p>When asked about his decorated service in Vietnam,&nbsp;<strong>Mr. Richard Stoughton<\/strong>, a retired Air Force Captain, responds humbly. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t heroic by any means,\u201d he answers in a matter of fact tone. The particular incident that Mr. Rick is referring to is when he, along with three other pilots, stepped in to assist troops on the ground under attack. Although he would never admit it, this action helped save the lives of many grateful troops and earned him a Distinguished Flying Cross, one of several medals Mr. Rick earned. In that moment and throughout his five years of military service, he served bravely and maintained this positive, humble attitude, despite the difficulties of combat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>No stranger to travel, Mr. Rick grew up in a military family, often moving from place to place. Between kindergarten and his senior year of high school, he attended twelve different schools. He always enjoyed his time in different environments, especially Germany where he spent his senior year. After his high school graduation, he intended to make the military a career, like his father. Shortly after, Mr. Rick found himself at The Citadel, the first place he lived for more than three years. Freshman year at The Citadel was the hardest, but the experiences had a profound effect on the relationships he made. \u201cThey say each class is different, but the same [connection] is there,\u201d Mr. Rick says, \u201cIt forms a mold and friendships, a union like no other college has.\u201d This bond connects Citadel students past and present. Anytime he sees a Citadel graduate, Mr. Rick introduces himself and takes the time to chat and reminisce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To say that June 1, 1968 was a busy day for Mr. Rick would be an understatement. Not only did he graduate from The Citadel that day, but it was also the day that he was commissioned and married his wife, Mary. At 8 a.m., he had his commissioning ceremony. After a short break, he had graduation, and later that evening he was married. About three weeks later, the newlyweds drove cross country to California, where Mr. Rick began navigation school. The two did not stay long in California; they were stationed at the Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico for the remainder of his time in the service. After three years at Holloman\u2014with just ten months left in his commitment to the Air Force\u2014Mr. Rick received the news that he would be heading to Vietnam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p>Mr. Rick had volunteered to go to Vietnam repeatedly before his wing was mobilized. Despite wanting to serve his country in combat, the gravity of the situation was not lost on him. \u201cI never thought I\u2019d come back; that\u2019s the frame of mind I had,\u201d Mr. Rick explains. \u201cIt\u2019s crazy, but that\u2019s what I thought.\u201d He was stationed in Takhli, Thailand at a deactivated base. He describes the conditions at the base as \u201ca little rough for us Air Force guys.\u201d Although the conditions at the base were trying, Mr. Rick\u2019s first mission proved to be an even greater test of endurance. The mission was rained out twice before they were finally able to fly. \u201cI don\u2019t think I slept for three days,\u201d he said. But then adrenaline kicked in, along with training. During the first mission, his squadron was shot at by a surface-to-air missile, but they were able to fly higher and watch the missile fade beneath the aircraft.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/engineering.citadel.edu\/root\/images\/Krause_Center\/Veteran_Interviews\/Spring-2017\/images\/richard-stoughton-aircraft.jpg\" alt=\"Air Force plane\" style=\"width:500px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>From then on, Mr. Rick describes his time with three words: \u201cEat, Sleep, Fly.\u201d They would fly two missions a day, each mission lasting about two and a half hours. They would find their target, land, refuel, eat, and then repeat the same process once again before returning to their base in Takhli. The days were long, but he remembers them as exciting. In his 95 days in Vietnam, Mr. Rick got around seven days off. On these days, the men would set up a snack bar and catch up on sleep between volleyball games and reading. Although he never got to spend much time in the area, he recalls the spicy food and the markets around the area where he was able to quickly find a new pair of boots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even more \u201cexciting\u201d were the Route Six missions that took them over Hanoi, one of the most heavily defended areas at the time. \u201cThere was no element of surprise,\u201d Mr. Rick says, \u201cThey knew you were coming.\u201d It was during these missions that Mr. Rick had to cross the Red River, allowing him to join the River Rats. The River Rats, started during the Vietnam War, is an organization for fighter pilots, and the group, now known as the Red River Valley Association, has local and national meetings and offers scholarships to the children and spouses of members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/engineering.citadel.edu\/root\/images\/Krause_Center\/Veteran_Interviews\/Spring-2017\/images\/richard-stoughton-distinguished-flying-cross.jpg\" alt=\"River Rats logo\" style=\"width:500px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p>One of the \u201cexciting\u201d missions that Mr. Rick remembers led to his Distinguished Flying Cross. \u201cIt was overcast, and we couldn\u2019t see the target,\u201d he remembers. After dropping their altitude to around 8000 feet, ground control contacts them. \u201cThey said we\u2019ve got some troops in a bad situation. They marked the target for us.\u201d When they flew closer to assist the ground troops, he could see the friendly troops running across a grassy field. \u201cAll of the sudden, it was like somebody stepped on an ant bed,\u201d he said. \u201cThey had hundreds of enemies chasing after them.\u201d The pilots were able to drop an ordinance and help the troops escape. \u201cThey were happy guys that night,\u201d Mr. Rick says humbly. He then describes the experience of receiving the award, telling me, \u201cYou don\u2019t think you did anything special, but I know those guys on the ground: It was special to them.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Mr. Rick returned home to his wife after three months in Vietnam. \u201cWhen I was coming back, I didn\u2019t tell her I was coming back,\u201d he says. Attempting to surprise Mary, he called their home in Holloman, but no one answered the phone. At that moment, \u201cI said, \u2018She\u2019s gone,\u2019\u201d Mr. Rick remembers, \u201cSo I called home, back in Charleston. Who answers the phone? My wife.\u201d The two decided to meet halfway in El Paso, Texas. Shortly after his return, he and his wife moved back to Charleston, where they have lived ever since. \u201cI was quite proud of her,\u201d Mr. Rick says of his wife\u2019s strength while he was away. He attributes this strength to his success after his service. He describes Mary as \u201cthe pusher.\u201d He says, \u201cShe pushed me all the way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mr. Rick began working at the First Federal Savings and Loan in Charleston, and he came back to The Citadel in 1980 to pursue his MBA. After finishing his MBA, Mr. Rick and Mary had two sons, and he continued his work at the bank until his retirement. As he reflects on his time in the military, he does not at all regret his time spent in the Air Force or in Vietnam, which he describes as \u201can experience that you had to endure.\u201d Mr. Rick explains that the Air Force \u201cprepares you for situations that you just don\u2019t think about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mr. Rick still meets with the local River Rats organization. \u201cWe get together, have a couple of drinks, and shoot the breeze,\u201d he says, \u201cjust like fly guys do all over the place.\u201d When asked about what from his time in combat has had the greatest effect on his life, he responds by focusing on the positive results of his sacrifice and the sacrifices of others. \u201cPeace is a wonderful thing,\u201d he says, \u201cPeace is remarkable.\u201d His time in the service showed him firsthand what must be done to preserve that peace, and thankfully he can enjoy some of that peace he helped maintain with his family and friends in Charleston, where his military career began.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Interview of Rick Stoughton by Katie Molpus April 4, 2017 Featured Article Preserving Peace When asked about his decorated service in Vietnam,&nbsp;Mr. Richard Stoughton, a retired Air Force Captain, responds humbly. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t heroic by any means,\u201d he answers in a matter of fact tone. The particular incident that Mr. Rick is referring to is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":531,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-532","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.8 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Rick Stoughton - Department of English, Fine Arts &amp; Communications<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Click to view an interview of Rick Stoughton, a retired Air Force Captain, and his decorated service in Vietnam by Katie Molpus.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.citadel.edu\/english\/rick-stoughton\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rick Stoughton\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Click to view an interview of Rick Stoughton, a retired Air Force Captain, and his decorated service in Vietnam by Katie Molpus.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.citadel.edu\/english\/rick-stoughton\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Department of English, Fine Arts &amp; Communications\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-02-19T16:12:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.citadel.edu\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/83\/football2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1100\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"654\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.citadel.edu\\\/english\\\/rick-stoughton\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.citadel.edu\\\/english\\\/rick-stoughton\\\/\",\"name\":\"Rick Stoughton - 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