John Kline
Kline
John
PA
Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Somalia, 1992-1995
Marine Corps
31st Marine Aviation Operation; HMX-1 (Marine Helicopter Squadron); HMH-362 (Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron); MAG-16 (Marine Aircraft Group)
Colonel; Colonel
Quantico, Virginia; Fort Wolters, Texas; Fort Rucker, Alabama; Da Nang, Vietnam; Hawaii; Washington, DC; Okinawa, Japan; Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Carlyle and Shippensburg University, Pennsylvania; Pentagon, Virginia; also: Mogadishu, Somalia; Quantico, Virginia
No
Veteran
"Serving in the White House was a tremendous experience, but in terms of what I went
in the Marine Corps for, serving in Somalia was just the best." (Video Interview, 32:56)
John Kline's 25 years in the Marine Corps took him to Vietnam, where late in that war he
swept mines from a helicopter; the White House, where he served in the Marine
Helicopter Squadron 1 under Presidents Ford and Carter and as the Marine Corps Aide to
Carter and Reagan; and to Somalia, where in the early days of the 1992 U.S. intervention,
he served as aviation commander, in charge of 2000 men. Kline was elected to represent
Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District in 2002; as of 2009, he was still serving.
John Kline [2007]
Helicopters: The Multi-Mission Aircraft
A portrait of John Kline in uniform as the Marine Corps aide to the White House, Washington, DC
1982
A signed portrait of President Jimmy Carter speaking at a podium, White House, Washington, DC
1977
A portrait of President Carter and his family, the two military personnel, and John Kline (right) in the Oval Office, White House, Washington, DC
1980
A portrait of John Kline (second from left), three military officers and President Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office, White House, Washington, DC
1982
A portrait of John Kline (second from left), three military officers and President Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office, White House, Washington, DC
1982
A portrait of President Reagan in his horse riding clothes and leaning against a fence at his ranch, Rancho del Cielo, California
1982
Biographical information
Biographical information
Completing training at Quantico and deciding to go to flight school; going to Army Flight
School in Texas and Alabama; orders to go to Vietnam in 1971; he swapped assignments
with an enlisted Marine who had already done one tour and was not eager to go back;
May 1971, landing in Okinawa; stopped there for a time; patrolling the waters off
Vietnam; sweeping mines in Haiphong harbor; in Philippines when U.S. POWs were
released.
School in Texas and Alabama; orders to go to Vietnam in 1971; he swapped assignments
with an enlisted Marine who had already done one tour and was not eager to go back;
May 1971, landing in Okinawa; stopped there for a time; patrolling the waters off
Vietnam; sweeping mines in Haiphong harbor; in Philippines when U.S. POWs were
released.
Details on how the minesweeping operations worked; flying was very dangerous because
of the heavy equipment involved; lost three helicopters but no serious injuries.
Having opportunity to go to Marine Helicopter Squadron 1, which flies for the President
of the U.S.; Ford was President, then Carter became President and he was offered job of
Marine Corps Aide; when Reagan took office, was asked to stay on; left in 1982.
After being promoted to Colonel, given command of Marine Aircraft Group 16; tail end
of Persian Gulf War, cleaning up equipment used in the war; deteriorating conditions in
Somalia; President Bush ordering Marines to go to Mogadishu to facilitate humanitarian
aide; commanding over 2000 Marines and sailors in a hostile country; took no casualties;
most satisfying experience of his career.
Typical day in Somalia; peaceful mornings; militias chewing a stimulant drug, khat, and
shooting off their weapons; story of arms bazaar in Mogadishu and Marines confronting
owner of newly bought weapon; refugee camp having its water pump stolen by militia
men; trying to comprehend those kind of actions and culture.
What happened after U.S. troops left the country to U.N. troops; U.N. officers not
disciplined or cooperative; situation even worse now; thousands of Somali refugees have
fled to Minnesota.
Going into Somalia well prepared; militias backed off from confronting U.S. military
directly; having to build latrines there rather than use porta-potties; learning to improvise
and make do with less.
Duties at White House as Marine Aide; doing advance work for trips; carrying nuclear
football not that difficult; personal memories of Presidents he worked with; little contact
with Ford, fishing trip in Pennsylvania with the Carters and the physician, all staying in a
little cabin; horseback riding with Reagan in California; listening to his stories; telling
him jokes which might he might use later; just being with the President during historical
events was fascinating; coordinating with his counterpart who was with Reagan when he
was shot.
"His decision to run for Congress based in part on his military experience, which he felt
was needed in Congress; lost two elections before he won one; serving on Armed
Services Committee; difference between military and Congress; in military hyperbole is
not permitted; in the military, everyone is on time for meetings."
Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
https://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.43067/
DLC-AFC
2021-12-02
loc.natlib.afc2001001.43067