Veterans Voice: Tom Hiatt

Tom Hiatt is a 1964 graduate of Cameron High School. Tom’s dad, Walt Hiatt, operated the very popular Hiatt’s Grill in Cameron.

Tom entered the Air Force on September 22, 1966 and was deployed to Bien Hoa Air Force Base in Vietnam. Bien Hoa is located about 16 miles northeast of Saigon and was the major U.S. Base during the Vietnam war. The base housed members of the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines. The Bien Hoa base was a major target during the 1968 Tet Offensive, beginning with substantial rocket and mortar attacks, resulting in the perimeter of the base being breeched. Intense fighting took place with a number of casualties and the destruction or damage of a number of U.S. warplanes. During the battle, the base managed to get two fighter jets airborne and they carried out attacks on the enemy positions. It was one of the few times that Air Force personnel were able to witness the aircraft they serviced in action. That Tet offensive is Tom’s worst memory of the war.