Photo by Neal Embry.
Jacob Pflasterer spent more than 20 years in the military in various administrative roles, including time in Korea during the Korean War.
For more than 20 years, Vestavia Hills resident Jacob Pflasterer served his country as a member of the U.S. Air Force, working in a variety of administrative and support roles.
In 1949, Pflasterer, originally from Illinois, joined the Air Force and began a life of service in several different cities, eventually reaching the rank of airman, first-class. A year after enlisting, he was sent to Clark Air Force base in the Philippines, where he worked for a maintenance outfit. From there, he traveled to Atlanta to work with the National Guard and help take care of pilots returning tocivilian life.
Pflasterer left the service but quickly re-enlisted, just in time to serve in the Korean War in 1954. Pflasterer was stationed in Pusan (now known as Busan), and once again took care of other soldiers who served in active combat. Pflasterer checked soldiers in and out of medical care before transferring to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, where he worked on base publications and at the post office.
During his career, Pflasterer traveled to Paris, helped build a field at another base and traveled all over the world.
“[I learned] to live with everybody,” he said. “My history is all over the world. I sang Christmas carols with a kid named Elvis in Germany [and] I did [public relations] for two shows for Bob Hope.”
Over his time in the service, Pflasterer learned to influence others, no matter where he was.
“I lead and teach wherever I go,” Pflasterer said.
In Sacramento, Pflasterer helped write a manual in the mid-1960s that instructed spy plane pilots where they ought to fly and how to change their flight patterns to avoid being detected by unfriendly viewers.
“It was scary in the fact you could never say a careless word,” Pflasterer said. “It’s not the same as being shot at, but it’s [stressful].”
During that time, Pflasterer recalled then-California Gov. Ronald Reagan visiting the field where Pflasterer and his coworkers would often gather tomatoes and other produce for the Baptist Young People’s Union.
Pflasterer’s parents came to the U.S. from Darmstadt, Germany and moved to Darmstadt, Illinois, later relocating to Tilden, where their son was born. The 87-year-old settled in Vestavia Hills after he had a choice between continuing his career in North Dakota or moving to Birmingham. He stayed in the area after graduating from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and raised a family here. He spent 20 years working on the 1-800 line for the Social Security Administration before retiring for good in the 1990s.
Two of his brothers also served in the military, and so did his nephew George, who was killed in action in Vietnam, Pflasterer said.
During his time in Vestavia, Pflasterer has become known for singing and entertaining, which he began doing during his time in the service. When he was in Korea, he and other service members would do a “weather report,” in the vein of Robin Williams’ performance in “Good Morning Vietnam.”
A 4 a.m. weather report would inform the airmen that there was a “wind out of the North, and you can smell the kimchee [English cabbage],” which told airmen there were Koreans nearby, Pflasterer said.
“Keep your hat on,” Pflasterer said.
Twenty years ago, Pflasterer had knee replacement surgery and came to the New Merkel House for chair exercise. Since then, he has sung at various services and served$2 meals.
“Just fun work,” he said.
Pflasterer sings with three different groups in the area, and has built friendships through his time singing and coming to the New Merkel House. He entertained visitors at the 2018 Christmas celebration with funny stories and songs.
“I’ve had a great time here,” Pflasterer said.
