Hostetter Claude - Cold War Veteran

Cold War Veteran, Claude Hostetter, was interviewed on August 4, 2021 in Clinton, Oklahoma. SSgt Hostetter served in the U.S. Air Force starting in 1948 with the 78th Bomber Group. SSgt Hostetter was a mechanic for the B-29 bomber, an integral part of the strategic nuclear deterrent force for the United States. ‪@MakingHistoryProject‬
Summary:
Claude Hostetter, born on August 14, 1930, in Clinton, Oklahoma, grew up in a small farming community where his father was a school teacher and National Guard member, mobilized during Claude's early years.
After graduating from Clinton High School, where he played various sports under his father's coaching, Claude pursued further education with aspirations of becoming a coach, eventually graduating from college.
Post-college, Claude returned to farming, working on family lands and buying equipment to farm extensively, despite the hard work and challenges of using mules instead of tractors initially.
Claude enlisted in the U.S. Air Force around the time of the Korean War, serving as a mechanic on B-29 bombers, eventually achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant. His duties included maintaining and repairing the aircraft engines, contributing to the Cold War deterrent force by ensuring the readiness of atomic bomb-carrying planes.
After retiring from the Air Force, Claude returned to farming in El Reno, Oklahoma, working for his uncle and raising a family of four children. Reflecting on his life, Claude emphasizes the importance of education for future generations, highlighting it as a key to success and fulfillment.