Pen Portraits: what happened next
Pen portraits of post-graduation life, as submitted to the 69th Association newsletter over the period 1994 - 2011
Kyaw Shein - 'Josh'
From the newspaper article 'From Other Skies', by Major Miguel Encinias - Former Base Commander at AF School, Dugway, Utah (TACPS)
"On the Road to Mandalay" and the "Burma Road" are roads to excite the imagination. One thinks of the "sun coming up like thunder out of China across the way". One thinks of the famous supply route fraught with danger which was hacked out of the steaming jungle during World War II.
There is a man from Burma here at Nellis who is on another road, the road to combat crew qualification in jet fighters.
Captain Shein (pronounced Shane) is no stranger to combat. He has flown a good number of missions in counter-insurgency operations in his homeland. His weapon was the famous British Sea Fury - perhaps the ultimate in conventional fighters.
Captain Shein is a veteran of 12 years' service in the Burmese Air Force. Four of those years were spent in training with the RAF in England. He was an armament specialist before going to flying school. When he entered the service he was a high school graduate and had attended one year at the Rangoon Adult University.
Captain Shein and his compatriot, 1st Lt B Thain Moung, who also is a student in the 4521st CCTS, have a tough job ahead of them when they get back to Burma, for their country is subject to the threat which plagues the rest of Southeast Asia - Communist Insurgents. We hope that what they have learned here will make their job a bit easier.
The following was taken from a letter from Kyaw Shein to Goz Gosling
Like you my career was varied. I had to work as a technician up to 1957 and then changed over to become a fighter pilot. Very hard time up to 1962. Do you know our country was infested with insurgents, Communist, Karen Rebels, Drug Lord Ernysa's rebels and all. The Karen Rebels and Drug Lord Ernysa's followers were beaten; the others came into law enforcement to work with the government for national development.
In the middle of my flying career I was selected to fly the F-86 fighter and was trained in the United States. It was 1963-64. After fighting assignments I was switched over to Command. My greatest achievement was the successful operation of aerial oil exploration on the Southern sea. It ended up with lots of thrills and swats after three months' time. When I got a little older I worked in Base Admin and I jumped into party politics. I was appointed as the Chairman of the District Judiciary. I worked three years as a judge and the country came into turmoil. It was 1988. The party was dissolved and I jumped back into the Air Force. Unfortunately my service was no longer required in theAir Force. From that year I started my retirement.
You have been lucky enough to be able to continue in your profession. As for me I am the Jack of all Trades and master of none! However, I am now drawing double pcnsions (Military and Political).
As soon as I became retired I thought of communicating to you by writing a letter to Commandant of No 1 School of Technical Training. But it was not so long time when a friend of mine (old 69th and retired, Lt Col Khin Myint) came to inform me of the 62th Association and so I have your address.
The following will assist you in seeing what happened to me:-
I have an only daughter and my wife cannot live apart from her so I live with them as well. I have two grandaughters, 7 and 2 years old. They younger one never fails to lose sight of me. Here in Mandalay my daughter and her husband (both graduated) own a shop selling clothing, they usually leave before 0700am for their business. Elder grandaughter leaves for school at 8.00am. My wife is so busy with cooking and cleaning. I am busy with younger grandaughter. They all come back home at 5pm. It is so lively everyday without holiday. For the time being my Rangoon (Yangon) apartment is rented out.
- RAF Halton and the Brats
- The Aircraft Apprentices Scheme
- Clubs, Societies and Sports at Halton
- RAF Halton's goats
- Tributes to Halton and the Brats
- The 69th and the Apprentices Network, 1951
- The Presentation of the Queen's Colour, 1952
- Summer Camp, RAF Formby, 1953
- The 69th and the Queen's Coronation, 1953
- The 69th's Graduation Review, 1954
- The Senior Entry - a graduate's letter, 1954
- A full list of 69th Graduates
- Halton days: stories from the 69th
- The 69th's Burmese Brats
- The 69th's commemorative window
- 69th Entry Reunions