Page 94 - The History of Veterans at Highland Springs

JOHN L. SCHATTEL
HIGHLAND SPRINGS RESIDENT, AIR FORCE
Lt Col John L Schattel was born in November, 1935, in Galveston, TX, to Mary and Tony Schattel. He attended Blessed Sacrament grade School, and St. Thomas High School, and attended Texas A & M where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Safety Engineering and was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the USAF.
Lt. Col Schattel’s first assignment after pilot training was as a Boeing B-47 aircraft pilot. During this time, he became a Cold War Warrior. As a warrior, he stood nuclear alert during the Cuban missile crisis. He was involved a second time as a warrior assigned to Headquarters United States Air Forces Europe as a Wartime Planner. His responsibilities in this assignment were to plan wartime facilities needed to support U. S. forces at U. S. allied bases during wartime. He also negotiated nuclear weapon agreements with U. S. allies. In the 1970s there was a shift toward détente, inaugurating an era of strategic nuclear arms limitations. In this era, he was involved in negotiating the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT), and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
His career included serving in the Republic of Vietnam as Chief Safety Advisor to the Vietnamese Air Force. He also flew 125 combat missions in the A-1 aircraft.
An assignment that Lt. Col. Schattel enjoyed was the time he served as a pilot instructor in Air Training Command (ATC). Additionally, at ATC, Randolph AFB, TX, he served as T-37 Aircraft Safety Manager for all 10 Air Training Command bases.
During his military career, Lt. Col. Schattel received fourteen awards that included the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, and Air Medal with five oakleaf clusters.
Instructed Student pilots in CessnaT- 37 Trainer Aircraft
Boeing B-47 aircraft. Served as pilot during Cold War in this aircraft type.
Ground Support Mission, Vietnam Using A- 1 Skyraider aircraft for close ground support
General Bolt, ATC Inspector General, awards John medals earned in Vietnam
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