Frederick Yorke III

Frederick Yorke III was born in April 1942, in Rahway, New Jersey. He graduated from high school in 1960. Yorke decided to join the military in 1962 rather than head to college; he chose the Air Force because it was a “newer, younger force”. He flew to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas for basic training on his first-ever airplane flight. Yorke was aware of what he was getting into, and that basic training would be tough: “It was so regimented you couldn’t do anything except as a group.” He only left the base twice, via bus and with groups: once to visit the Alamo, and another time to see a rodeo.

After Basic Training, Yorke was sent to Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi for six months of technical training; he emerged as a typist with a Top Secret Cryptographic clearance. He recalled that, in Mississippi, he experienced “quite a culture shock” seeing segregated fountains, restrooms and transportation, as well as Air Force veteran James Meredith’s successful struggle to become the first Black student at the University of Mississippi. Due to the tense environment, African American and White airmen were not allowed to walk off base together! Yorke stayed connected with world events and was aware of the beginnings of the Vietnam War, because he saw President John F. Kennedy on TV addressing the subject.

Yorke received thirty-days leave before going to England for a three-year assignment. While he was home on leave, the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred. Yorke declared the Missile Crisis as “probably as close to a nuclear war as I can remember.” His parents and younger siblings were still home while he was on leave, and they were relieved he was going to England.

Yorke said, “if you’re going to be on a military assignment, England’s not a bad place to be.” London had recovered from the World War II bombing, and the overall economy was doing well, partly due to the British Rock and Roll entertainment “Invasion” of America. His unit engaged in intelligence gathering, processing, and distribution, with the National Security Agency as his primary customer. After twenty-one months in England, he had another thirty-day home leave, then went to San Antonio for two weeks of further training before being sent to Taiwan. Yorke flew to San Francisco, took a bus to Travis Air Force Base, then flew to Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines, and eventually Taiwan in a flight that took almost two days.

In Taiwan, Yorke served on a base where the Army, Navy, and Air Force worked together copying and formatting documents. They worked in four shifts, each shift with a different-colored uniform cap, which created competition as to which was the better shift. Yorke joked that his team “was always the best, of course.” The midnight to eight AM shift was the hardest. The Taiwan operation was linked to broader events in Asia. The Air Force decided that, rather than train new people for service there, more experienced people should go to Taiwan, Okinawa, Thailand, and the Philippines in support roles.

Despite the hostility between Taiwan and China, Yorke’s tour “turned out to be a very pleasant fifteen months. The people were lovely, and the country was nice to see.” The travel opportunities of England were not there, but there was enough to do that made the experience enjoyable. Because of the Vietnam war, there was a limited opportunity for leave. Yorke booked three-day trips to Hong Kong and Pescador Island, but they were cancelled.

Support functions were managed by different branches on Taiwan. The Air Force managed the post office and motor pool, while the Navy provided the infirmary and chow hall. The shift work was different than England because it was a 3-day system. During his service, Yorke was closest with four other men because they shared a room. When he went from England to Taiwan, they all went. One was in a different shift, but Yorke was in the same shift as the other. Yorke said fondly, “when you make friends in service, they stay friends.”

Many of the restaurants and hotels in Taipei were oriented towards Japanese tourists, since they influenced most of the business. When Yorke was in England, the old military phonetic alphabet was used, while in Taiwan, however, a newer one was introduced, which Yorke initially found confusing. He got quite a bit of satisfaction out of being able to gather information and get it to the people that needed it, however. In Taiwan, Yorke recalled that “morale was always good,” and mail and packages from home helped. He had never been in combat, but opined that you “would have to be more disciplined, follow orders, and have more demand and control” in such situations.

When Yorke arrived in Taiwan, his rank was E-4, Airman First Class, but there were not have enough noncommissioned officers for a shift, so he received a “spot promotion,” to Sergeant E-5, which was not permanent, but gave him a stripe and extra pay. If he reenlisted, he would have formerly received the promotion, yet declined the opportunity.

Yorke was discharged from the Air Force after four years of active duty in January 1966, then reassigned as a typist in the inactive reserves. He had a good homecoming, as well as he used his GI benefits for college courses, graduating from Rutgers University’s Newark campus. Within the four years prior to his interview, Yorke reconnected with his service friends through LinkedIn. He worked for 40 years at Fiduciary Trust Company, Smith Barney, and Citi Group. 

Frederick Yorke III passed away on February 14, 2020, surrounded by his wife and son. He is most remembered for his friendship, kindness and thoughtfulness.