Wings of the North Air Museum and Twin Cities PBS - TPT's Minnesota Remembers Vietnam team co-present Skies Over Vietnam, an afternoon of storytelling on aviation during the Vietnam War.

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Decorated Minnesota veterans Bob Jasperson, Ray Wilson, Kay Bauer, and Dennis Darnell will share briefly about each of their diverse experiences serving in an unpopular war and about an enduring passion for aviation that unites them. Read more about the presenters below.

Catherine (Kay) Wilhelmy Bauer, Navy

Kay Bauer grew up with thirteen brothers and sisters in St. Paul, where she earned her four-year B.S. degree from St. Catherine University. The Navy Nurse Corps paid for her final year at the University, and Kay received her commission upon graduating in 1959. After spending a number of years in the Navy Nurse Corps, Kay accepted an assignment to Vietnam and arrived there in January 1966. She was part of a Forward Surgical Team assigned to a Vietnamese provincial hospital in Rach Gia, in southernmost South Vietnam. She worked closely with her colleagues, both American and Vietnamese, in a hospital that had no running water or electricity and earned the Vietnam Humanitarian Medal of Honor for her service. She remained in the Navy after she returned from Vietnam in early 1967, dedicating thirty-five years of her life to the military. Kay was instrumental in helping to erect the Vietnam Women’s Memorial in DC and form the Vietnam Veteran nurses’ PTSD support group in the Twin Cities.

Dennis Darnell, Marines

Before his long career in developing products for companies including General Mills and Cargill, Dennis Darnell experienced a vastly different type of work and service during two tours of duty in the Vietnam War. After receiving his wings at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola in 1968, Dennis began his first tour as a Huey UH-IE gunship pilot in Hue Phu Bai, Vietnam, where he was shot down three times over the course of flying support missions. After recovering at the Great Lakes Naval Hospital, he learned how to fly the less vulnerable OV-10 Bronco before returning to the war zone. Based in Da Nang, he went on to complete more than 500 successful combat missions, earning recommendation for the Distinguished Flying Cross and receiving 37 air medals plus the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. During his service from June 1966 to May 1972, he attained the rank of Captain in the Marines.

Bob Jasperson, Air Force

One of the Air Force's youngest world-wide and air drop-qualified C-141A Starlifter navigators in 1970, Bob Jasperson was one of the first selected for training as a Weapons Systems Officer in the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom jet fighter. He arrived at Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea in December 1971 as part of the 35th Tactical Fighter Squadron, based first at DaNang, South Vietnam and then at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base. Bob flew 103 combat missions into South Vietnam and North Vietnam that included Route Package 6, the area around Hanoi and Haiphong recognized as one of the most highly defended areas in the history of aerial warfare. He is among a very small group of American aviators who downed enemy aircraft in air-to-air combat during the Vietnam War, and was honored with the Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Silver Star.

Ray Wilson, Army

Growing up in rural New Jersey in the 1950s, Ray dreamed of being a pilot. But, being African American, he didn’t have role models or a clear path to that goal. While pursuing a degree in teaching, he decided to take the leap and enroll in private flying lessons. There an instructor introduced him to a recruiter and the rest was history. Ray joined the Army in 1968 to pursue his dream, completing flight school and warrant officer training in 1970. After spending 366 days in Vietnam as part of the 118th and 117th Assault Helicopter Company, he re-enlisted and had an Army career that spanned 22 years in Europe, Central America and the U.S. and included positions as flight school instructor, a Medivac Pilot, and a Chief Warrant Officer. A job with Northwest Airlines brought him to Minnesota in 1990, and Ray remains in touch with fellow veterans through the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association.

About Wings of the North

Wings of the North Air Museum, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based at Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie, serves learners of all ages by restoring and showcasing flying aircraft to bring history to life, honoring Minnesota’s aviation pathfinders and veterans through exhibits and events, and inspiring youth to meet 21st century challenges by using science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Learn more here.