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37 TAS Langley AFB 1966-1975


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I was assigned to the 37th at the end of their time at Langley. I arrived there in Jan of 1975. This was my first flying assignment. I think I flew the last ceremonial flight before the wing was dissolved and became part of the 317 TAW from Pope. The squadron continued until we closed the squadron down in the fall of 1976. I was later assigned to the 37th again when they were at Rhein-Main. I was there from 82-85. I\'ve lost track of H.B. Marsh, Doyle Painter, Showalter and the other flight engineers of the 37th from the Langley days.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I was in the 36 TAS, just next door in \'67 and part of \'68. Went TDY to Tachi in Feb of \'68 then on to Na Trang until early summer. Came back to Langley, was still standing on the crew door steps when someone hollered, \"Hey, Bob, you have orders to Tachi waiting for you.\" But after I adjusted my DROS from the long TDY to Na Trang they canceled the assignment to Tachi (which had \"A\" models at the time) and later I went to the 346 TAS at CCK until I got out in \'71.

I forget the name of the \"anal orifice\" we had for Squadron Commander when I came back from the long TDY. He had been in the service since WWII, a Lt. Col. He moved all enlisted flight crew back on base (cut off sep. rats.) put me in a three man room, one guy worked the flight line days, the other nights, no way to get crew rest. I went and complained to him several times; he and I had words; the last time I was in his office he was screaming at me and told the first Sgt. he wanted my ass if I stepped out of line. To make a long story short, he was rifted from Lt. Col. to A1C and sent to Thailand to finish out his 30 years. I got wind of this and one day when we landed at U-Tapao I ran all the way to Squadron ops where he worked just to laugh at him and it was his day off. I did leave a msg with the people working there to tell him I stopped by to say \"Hi.\" Ha ha. Wish I could have seen his face.

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  • 1 month later...

Hello,

Just wanted you folks to know the 316th, the parent unit for the 37th while at Langley AFB is revived as the 316th Wing at Andrews AFB, MD. If you folks have any photos/stories from Langley that you\'d like to share, I\'d like to add them to my growing collection. In turn, I will also be going to the National Archives and Maxwell to see what else I could dig up and include in a web page or brochure I\'m working on.

John DeShetler

316th Wing History Office

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  • 6 months later...

I would be interested in a reunion of the 37th.

I was a loadmaster assigned from 73 to 76 when the wing broke up.

I was the Loadmaster on the bird that came off Blackstone and lost all elec power and made it back on the battery.

I am John Harris, then a TSgt now Msgt/ Ret.

I have been looking to reconnect with the people of the 37th for years.

I know that John Gossner is living in Va and Jodab McHale is in San Antonio.

Please let me know if the reunion comes about as I would like to be there.

contact me at [email protected]

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just a note on the 37th/Langley. In January of 1967 there was a whole slew of us that were assigned to the 37th upon our rotation from CCK. Most of us had only weeks, a few months at most, left in our enlistment. We had been told that we were in a "critical career field" and the AF needed us. Every single one of us ended up baby sitting OMS, and never did crew chief another C-130. Morale was

at -10. Alot of heavy drinking. One night a bunch of us ended up in jail, the city cops had the MPs come and get us. Nothing ever came of it. The comment that I heard was: what the hell are we going to do with them? They all have been over seas and most of them are combat crew chiefs! There was a lot of discontent, and I believe to this day that if the AF would have handled things differently a lot of us would have re-upped.....Chris

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Chris you are right on I was tdy the last week of Dec.-first week of Jan to the Congo came home was alerted when North Korea stole the USS Pueblo we took a F4 maint. crew to either Kunson or Kimpo it was inthe middle of the nite it was at lest 10 degrees and them airman were from Seymore A.F.B. S.C. We was over in SEA till April came home two week later we went Mildenhall for three months while we were gone they changed the maint. N.C.O.'s they done away with the assinged Crew Chiefs and made everybody line C.C that did not set well so about 30 of us maint. people got out

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  • 2 months later...

I was in the 316th FMS engine shop from mid '66 to early '70. Myself and about a half dozen others worked at and ran the T56 engine test cell stands out along the bay at the end of the runway.

I don't remember ever serving in the 37th but did TDY's with the 36th to Mildenhall in 67 and 69. Also with the 38th to Tachicowa, Yakota and Nha Trang for 3 months extended 6 months in 68.

I'm sure there were troops in the 37th that I knew from the engine and prop shops or just the squadron area. I had a cousin who finished out his tour in one of the squadrons as a Loadmaster after he returned from Viet Nam. his name was Terry Fretz and like me was from NJ.

Lonnie T. Cryan, Sgt USAF

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Bob,

I am sure I told you I got to Langley in Aug 1971, they put me in the 316FMS AR shop while they issued me TDY orders to the Malcolm Grow Medical Hosiptal for surgery at Andrews AFB, in Marland. I finally was sent to the hosiptal in Nov. 1971. I got released from active duty 15 May 1972 and at the same time from the hosiptal, and was issued orders sending me PCS home, until my retirment in Feb. 1974. Now thats close to being in the 37TAS, right?

Skip Sarnelli

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Skip That was close, too bad we never got to go on a rote together. Bob

Well this Skip did -- and did you ever get a Flight Cap at CCK that did not have a Generals ribbon and two 1LT bars stuck together instead of your Capt bars? I know you blamed it on Bob Shannon or was that Germany that B.S. got that blame?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey Bob,

Depending on the time and place I'd be interested in a reunion. I flew a lot with Teddy Simon and Don Asay. I'd love to hear from some of the folks I so gallantly served with.

Jeep White

Aircraft Weight & Balance Technician (Loadmaster)

37th TAS 1970-1974

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I came to the 38th in the spring of 69. ESC shop building 751 Langley AFB.

Left shorty there after for TDY with Det 2, 556 Recon Squardron, Camh Rahn

Bay. When we returned in Nov. 69. I was put in the 37th, served with the 37th,until a TDY to Germany came along and ended up with the 36th for a thirty

day rotation,got back to the 37th after that and then ended up in FMS. I

still live in Virginia, and visit Langley often. I saw a lot changes at the base over the years. Now the F22 Raptor is based there. A few of the guys I was stationed and worked with still reside in the area. David Osmundson, lives in

Knotts island N.C. he was 38,37th with me and Vernon"Fuzzy" Carr from the 36th lives in Suffolk, Va. Anyone want to try and put a reunion together let me know. If any was with the 556 in Nam they have a reunion every spring in

Vegas. I attented the year before last and have info on it. Take care all

Rex Riley

Edited by J.W. Rex Riley
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I worked with a guy named Rodman Rocke who came from Langley in mid 1969 to Naha and went back to Langley in the early 70s. Last time i herd from him he was going to McCord with the 130s from Langley. He was a Ssgt when he got to Naha and made Tsgt. at Naha. He was a flight line type. Any body know where he is. Thanks

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  • 1 month later...

Ok Mr. Daley...what is the latest word on a reunion of the 37th.

I can't think of anything I would more like to do than that.

If one is scheduled, Please let me know as I plan to be there no matter where it is held. The 37th assignment was probaly the best one I ever had and the people there were some of the very best. I am proud of my time in the Squadron and would really like to see and hear from anyone that was there with me.

Edited by tristar
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