Bob von Bargen was born July 4, 1935.  His parents emigrated to the United States from Germany between the two world wars, and after a short stay in Germany in 1934 – when they witnessed the brutalities of Nazism – they decided to return to the U.S., settling in New York City.  Their first stop was Brooklyn, but they later moved to Queens’ Astoria neighborhood, and that is where Bob grew up, attending school and becoming involved in student government.  In 1952 he decided to join the Coast Guard Reserve while he was in high school; in college he opted instead for the air force and joined the ROTC.  Duty in the regular force followed, and Bob planned to be a pilot, but the training did not go as he had hoped.  Undaunted, he went to nav school, where he finished first in his class.  His first assignment was as a crew member on KC-97 refuelers, operating out of Pease AFB.  A later assignment took him to Strategic Air Command (SAC), after which he left the active force for the reserve force, flying the big refueling and transport aircraft of the day, including KC-97s and C-124s.  That phase of Bob’s career included the long, multistep flights over the Pacific en route to Vietnam, when he accumulated 5000+ flying hours.  Bob’s flying career took him to many other locations around the world, from the Pacific to Europe to Goose Bay, Newfoundland, and his stories reflect the breadth of those experiences.  Bob remains committed to veterans’ causes today, whether it be telling air force history through a mobile museum and living history project or dedicating his time and energy to mental health and an array of other important causes.  Bob spent 35 years in the military, rising to the rank of colonel.  He was interviewed at his home in New Jersey by Scott Masters in July 2025.