xmailman Posted January 2, 2010 Share Posted January 2, 2010 Hi Guys, I don't want to reinvent the wheel here. I have all my military photos posted here. http://picasaweb.google.com/billxmailman/AllMilitary# 1966-1970. I was based at Dyess, 347th and Naha Okinawa, 21st. 3 years 10 months 10 days in the AF. Last 6 months were spent in a leg cast and rehab. I was looking to do them here but it would just take a long time. If I get stuck in a real stretch of bad weather I'll start. There are airdrop, Blindbat, Vietnam, Ubon, Naha, paratroopers, Europe photos. Also Naha motorcycle club photos. Let me know when you have viewed them. Thanks, Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Railrunner130 Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Very cool photos. While I haven't been to any of those places, it's amazing how things have changed, yet somehow remain the same in the Herk world. The trailer photo reminds me of Kuwait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrkaegi Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Great photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topboltsto400 Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 thanks for sharing, looks like you had some good times... one of the captions mentioned the pilot was a "mustang", AF let him go because he had no degree......just curious what that (mustang) means? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EClark Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 I might be wrong but I think it means that you come up through the enlisted ranks to officer through OCS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xmailman Posted January 3, 2010 Author Share Posted January 3, 2010 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustang_%28military_officer%29 That's it exactly. Capt. Pete flew in Korea and was the best pilot I flew with. He was a great instructor. In it's wisdom the AF said no degree no officer status. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Wilson Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Great pictures, some nice sequences there on the drops and LAPES:D Thank you As to Mustangs, the Air Farce would like to forget they even exist:mad: Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 They were some great pictures, brings back a lot of good memorys. I should know you , but can't remember that far back, I was at Naha in the 21 from July 67 to Jan 69, Worked first in the Phase docks and then went out on the flight line on 56 543 Cliff Ward Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topboltsto400 Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 mustang, got it fellas, thanks for the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC10FE Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 I'm sure "airnav" could add a few comments about mustangs, right Kurt? Don R. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncleglenn Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 Mustang....There used to be a "Popular Ranch" by that name near the Mustang Interchange just east of Reno..... Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airnav Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 I'm sure "airnav" could add a few comments about mustangs, right Kurt? Don R. Roger that! I have to admit that since I couldn't make staff sergeant, I became an officer!The one thing that always perturbed me was the fact that every branch of our military has a "Mustang Association" except the USAF. Think about it......... It will reveal some interesting insights. The air force never referred to us as Mustang's. We were/are known as "Prior Service." Kurt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Wilson Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 We were/are known as "Prior Service." Usually we called y'all retreads:cool: Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donwon Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 I was at Naha when the motocross track was being built. Well I was suppose to be stationed there but I was mostly gone. I was told that while building the motocross track there was a small Japineese hanger found with a fighter plane inside. I never saw either one. The day I got to Kadina and was on a military bus to Naha the news on the radio said that a hospital under one of the big guns had been found and there were some skelitons found on cots. Where the Motocross was built or close to it were some caves where the Ryukins kept the bones of their Ancestors. Once a year they would go into the caves and clean the bones. At least that is what I was told by the locals. I was in the 315th barricks and I could look down from the big gun that was never fired at the american forces and could see my barricks. I was told it was test fired one time to make sure it worked. Somewhere I have a very few pictures but don't have a clue as to where they are. I did enjoy looking at those pictures. One thing I don't remember is the step outside the jump door. I went on quite a few training drops to Ft. Campbell and never saw them, and I don't remember haveing to stow them anywhere on the plane. I was assigned to Naha from June 65 till Feb 66. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 Great Pictures! I especially liked the ones of Ubon. Many memories. I was the Crew Chief on 56-0533, a Blind Bat bird. I was in the 21st from May '67 until Oct. '68 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mt.crewchief Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 Hi Guys, I don't want to reinvent the wheel here. I have all my military photos posted here. http://picasaweb.google.com/billxmailman/AllMilitary# 1966-1970. I was based at Dyess, 347th and Naha Okinawa, 21st. 3 years 10 months 10 days in the AF. Last 6 months were spent in a leg cast and rehab. I was looking to do them here but it would just take a long time. If I get stuck in a real stretch of bad weather I'll start. There are airdrop, Blindbat, Vietnam, Ubon, Naha, paratroopers, Europe photos. Also Naha motorcycle club photos. Let me know when you have viewed them. Thanks, Bill Bill, I was just re-reading some old posts, and looked at your Picassa pics. It was like a refresher course!! Loved -em! I used to watch the motor cycle races at Naha from my barracks or maybe from the "gun-hill". Also, the Blind Bat survival vest and gear really got my interest! Do you still have any of the items from it? You know, some of the things that accidentally didn't get returned!!! I still have my Pen Gun flare gun, and an old Camillus folding survival knife that was in it! Well, thanks again for the memories, Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davis Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 Nice Photos Bill, Thanks for the Memories from BACK IN THE DAY!!!!!:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRSmith Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Great pics and they bring back a lot of memories--I was stationed at Naha from May 69 to May of 71--I was looking thru some old paperwork and found a copy of my last tdy to TSN in April of 71--like you gained a lot of weight and wonder where time went to Smitty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hlg6016 Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 That bunker (photo #101) was still off limits in the 80's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigAL Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 The pics are awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xmailman Posted July 24, 2010 Author Share Posted July 24, 2010 Hi Guys, I'm sure all of us had photos but they just disappear over time. Mine sat in the same photo cubes move after move after move. I had a bunch of the survival gear. My nephew took it for Jr. High show and tell and the only thing I got back was my crew photo. What is sad is the little assholes surely tossed the stuff before they got home. As for knowing people on the rock I spent all my none TDY time at the motorcycle clubhouse. My last 6 months I had, had a knee operation and couldn't fly. I was the permanent night duty NCO for the 21st. From dusk till dawn I manned the sqd. with no time off. 6 months of it. Slept on chair cushions behind the counter. 3 months of that I had a full length leg cast on. My Deros was to be in Jan sometime. With a month to go I was to be retrained as a clerk as I hadn't been cleared to fly again, yet. The sqd. needed loadmasters and I was tying up a slot. Ssgt. Curtis Lovelady found a loop hole and had me processed off the base a month early. So from early Dec. to the middle of Jan. I was in no mans land. On paper not in the 21st but in reality not back in the states. Hung out, went to Japan for new years but made sure I was on the plane home when the time came. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jconner2 Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 loved the pictures. One of my favorite in-country runs was to Dalat to do a vegetable pickup. They grew great tomatoes and cucumbers and I would feast all the way back to CRB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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