Retired Airman Shares Stories on Air Force One

The monthly Veterans Breakfast Club meeting on July 26 wasn’t in the normal format where several stories of local club members are presented and there’s room for impromptu presentations.

Instead, John L. Haigh, a retired Air Force master sergeant and chief steward aboard Air Force One, was brought in to share his stories to an audience of over 100 veterans and guests. He was received with much laughter, awe and applause.

Haigh began his presentation with a salute to his fellow veterans and was proud to share some of the highlights of his career. From flying with the Apollo 17 astronauts for a month to becoming chief steward aboard Air Force One, Haigh shared many stories and photos of his experiences traveling the world serving presidents and other famous people.

While the path he took didn’t always work out the way he’d planned, Haigh achieved his dreams when he was selected as a permanent member of the Air Force One flight crew in 1979. He served during the last 16 months of the Carter administration, eith years with President Reagan, where he was appointed chief steward and 3 1/2 years as chief steward for the elder President Bush.

“The secret to my success was to plan my work, and work my plan,” said Haigh.

He worked on the campaign trails with presidents Nixon and Carter and flew on Air Force Two with vice presidents Mondale and Agnew.

Haigh was selected for Reagan’s first trip as president-elect and then traveled with Nancy Reagan during her “Just Say No” campaign against drugs. He accompanied the first family for a trip to London with the royal family and offered a special “show and tell” of the aircraft to princes William and Harry at ages 9 and 6.   

Haigh often encountered comical happenings on his trips that he joyously shared and include President George H.W. Bush getting stuck in the bathroom twice, Reagan’s ridicule for his favorite meal of meatloaf and macaroni and cheese and a few other miscommunications.  

In addition to steward, Haigh became more than a familiar face to the presidents and their families and and got to know them as real people.

“Each of the presidents were just ordinary folks and it was a pleasure and privilege to serve them,” he said.

Prior to Haigh’s presentation, organizer Todd DePastino presented the incredible story of McKeesport’s Piggyback Hero, Glenn Rojohn, who was flying a B-17 under attack when another plane in the formation became locked under his and they couldn’t get apart. The plane below was on fire and he ordered a bail out of the crews of both planes, and landed the plane successfully in a field. Rojohn and his co-pilot were captured and interrogated when the Germans wanted to make sure that the two connected planes weren’t a new “eight-engine weapon".

Army Veterans Henry Hoffstot and Jack Harney of Maryland shared their story of when they were in the 44th infantry division and assisted with the capture of Wernher von Braun, the creator of the deadly V2 World War II rocket.

“He surrendered." Harney said. "Fortunately for us and our space program. Von Braun is one of the reasons we were able to get to the moon."

The next meeting of the Veterans Breakfast Club will be Aug. 30 at 8:30 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza on Ft. Couch Road.