Psy ops C-130 in SEA pictures request

[Guillaume]

Hello to everyone on this board,

I'm a french aviation enthusiast and I'm currently writing an article on USAF psy ops during the Vietnam War. My sources (various CHECO reports and the book "Praetorian STARShip" by Jerry Thigpen) indicate me that C-130 were used to drop leaflets over Laos and North Vietnam, especially "Blind Bat" aircrafts, but also "Combat Spear" and 15th/90th SOS Hercules.

I'm looking for pictures of these Hercules; I've saw some good "Blind Bat" ones on this board, but the catch is that I need pictures fit to print, that is at least 8 inches wide in 300 dpi.

I'm also looking for interior pictures showing leaflets boxes/pallets arrangement inside the C-130. According to my sources, "Blind Bat" crew used modified flares to drop leaflets; I'd really like to have some pictures of this system.

So, I'd be really thankful to anyone who could help. He would be of course fully credited for his pictures in my article.

If somebody want to share stories about Hercules and psy ops during Vietnam war, I'd also be greatly interested. Then again, names will be fully credited (unless otherwise specified!)

A big thank you for your time and attention,

Regards,

Guillaume Dhalluin

[Skip Davenport]

the 8th SOS also dropped psy ops leaflets in Grenada and during Desert Shield/Storm - I have some around here someplace

[SamMcGowan]

Hello to everyone on this board,

I'm a french aviation enthusiast and I'm currently writing an article on USAF psy ops during the Vietnam War. My sources (various CHECO reports and the book "Praetorian STARShip" by Jerry Thigpen) indicate me that C-130 were used to drop leaflets over Laos and North Vietnam, especially "Blind Bat" aircrafts, but also "Combat Spear" and 15th/90th SOS Hercules.

I'm looking for pictures of these Hercules; I've saw some good "Blind Bat" ones on this board, but the catch is that I need pictures fit to print, that is at least 8 inches wide in 300 dpi.

I'm also looking for interior pictures showing leaflets boxes/pallets arrangement inside the C-130. According to my sources, "Blind Bat" crew used modified flares to drop leaflets; I'd really like to have some pictures of this system.

So, I'd be really thankful to anyone who could help. He would be of course fully credited for his pictures in my article.

If somebody want to share stories about Hercules and psy ops during Vietnam war, I'd also be greatly interested. Then again, names will be fully credited (unless otherwise specified!)

A big thank you for your time and attention,

Regards,

Guillaume Dhalluin

The leaflet mission was flown by crews from the 35th Troop Carrier Squadron, redesignated as Tactical Airlift in 1967. There was no connection whatsoever to the C-130 flare mission, commonly known as Blind Bat, at least not during the 1966-67 time period. No modifications were made to the airplanes at all. The leaflets were packed in cardboard boxes and were manhandled into the airplane by the loadmasters. The only thing "special" was that some standard cargo pallets were modified with out-of-date "skatewheel" rollers from an airdrop system that was no longer in use to roll the boxes on. There were two different missions, one over North Vietnam called FACT SHEET and one off of North Korea called JILLI. Both were highly classified at the time and I don't know that anyone other than the crews who flew them had an inkling what they were. North Korea missions were flown out of Naha while the North Vietnam missions loaded at Naha and then flew to Da Nang for the mission. After the flare mission moved to Ubon, the FACT SHEETS started staging out of there. FACT SHEET started in April 1965. The project officer was Major "Yogi" Baer, a 35th pilot. Other project officers were navigators Captains Bill Cooke and Dave Horne, both of whom are now deceased. I believe Bill was project officer for JILLI and Dave for FACT SHEET along with Yogi. Bill died years ago of a heart attack and Dave died in a SCUBA accident in the Cayman Islands in the early 2000s.

When the first C-130E-Is moved to Taiwan (Combat Spear) in late 1966 they picked up some Fact Sheet missions in order to gain proficiency operating in hostile airspace, meaning over North Vietnam. The Naha C-130s started flying missions over Laos and evidently South Vietnam that had previously been flown by other types, SC-47s and U-10s. That mission was called FRANTIC GOAT and evidently started in 1968 and possibly later.

There are a couple of pictures that I know of showing the loadmasters wearing oxygen masks and preparing to kick the boxes out of the airplane. (They're probably staged.) Those are the only photos that I know of. If you can find a copy of my book The C-130 Hercules, Tactical Airlift Missions 1956-1975 one of those pictures is in it.

We flew with a normal C-130 crew of two pilots and a flight mechanic but carried two navigators and a crew of five loadmasters. One loadmaster would act as safety while the other four moved the boxes to the back of the airplane and kicked them off on a signal from the pilot. It was back-breaking work, and even though we were at 27,000 feet, our face would get sweaty and the O2 mask would slide around. It would start to smell and make you want to vomit. We also had a medic and an altitude chamber operator with us to monitor the loadmasters for signs of oxygen deprivation. I seriously doubt that there were ever any "special flares" to drop leaflets - there was no reason for it. That sounds to me like military bullshit, which is common among veterans who did nothing themselves and make a career as wannabees. I would not place a lot of faith in Jerry Thigpen's account for accuracy either. The leaflets were packed in cardboard boxes with a static line attached to cause the box to burst open when it went off of the ramp. If my memory is correct, each box weighed 70 pounds.

Drops in Southeast Asia were usually made right over the DMZ with the airplane in an orbit and the drops made with winds that would carry the leaflets into North Vietnam. Drops off of Korea were out over the Sea of Japan outside of the Korean intercept zone, and usually with North Korean MiGs operating just inside the airspace and hoping the navigator would make a mistake and they could have an excuse to shoot us down.

[Mt.crewchief]

If I remember right, we called the Leaflet Mission "Frantic Goat" missions. I assume that was a call sign. I never went on one but knew guys that did, and they described it the same as Sam does. Also, to my knowledge the planes that flew the Frantic Goat missions were just regular 35th A Models rigged up with the oxygen lines for the loadmasters. I was in the 35th from Sept.67 to Mar. 69 and also did a tour as a Blind Bat crew member and to my knowledge no Blind Bat birds were ever used to drop leaflets. Of course, that doesn't mean that it didn't happen, but I never heard of it! I used to have some of the leaflets while over there, but somehow lost them. I do remember what they looked like etc. and would like to see another sometime. Does anybody have any they could post a pic of??

I just had to add my memories of a very interesting subject,

Ken

[SamMcGowan]

If I remember right, we called the Leaflet Mission "Frantic Goat" missions. I assume that was a call sign. I never went on one but knew guys that did, and they described it the same as Sam does. Also, to my knowledge the planes that flew the Frantic Goat missions were just regular 35th A Models rigged up with the oxygen lines for the loadmasters. I was in the 35th from Sept.67 to Mar. 69 and also did a tour as a Blind Bat crew member and to my knowledge no Blind Bat birds were ever used to drop leaflets. Of course, that doesn't mean that it didn't happen, but I never heard of it! I used to have some of the leaflets while over there, but somehow lost them. I do remember what they looked like etc. and would like to see another sometime. Does anybody have any they could post a pic of??

I just had to add my memories of a very interesting subject,

Ken

JILLI, FACT SHEET and FRANTIC GOAT were all project names. I think there might have been another one. The oxygen lines were actually attached to an oxygen bottle that was positioned in the center of the airplane among the boxes. The A-models didn't have O2 lines in the rear like the Bs and Es did. There is a web site about US Army psy-ops that goes into great detail and has pictures of various leaflets. It's maintained by Herb Friedman, a retired US Army E-8 or E-9 who was in psy-ops. I've been in Email contact with him for some time and he's one of my Facebook friends. At one time there was a display in front of 374th Wing Headquarters about the mission. That was in 1967 while I was still at Naha so it must have been declassified by then, at least that we were doing it. FRANTIC GOAT came along after I left Naha in August 1967. When I was there we flew regular FACT SHEET and JILLI missions. The JILLI missions in particular were short notice and were based on easterly winds over the Sea of Japan. The squadron would get the word for a mission and then call the barracks to find whatever loadmasters were stupid enough to let them know they were there. I only flew a few because I spent so much time in-country and usually only got the mandatory 72 hours at Naha after a shuttle. I may have an official report of that one of the altitude chamber guys sent me a few years ago but I'm not sure if it has survived a couple of hard drive replacements and a stolen laptop and Zip disks.

[Vincent_Latona]

the 8th SOS also dropped psy ops leaflets in Grenada and during Desert Shield/Storm - I have some around here someplace

Skip - your name is very familiar??? I think you knew or flew with my Dad. I have the psych op leaflets, too. He gave them to me when he got home. He always brought me something. I have a lot of memorabilia and memories. - Vince Jr.

[55-517CC]

I was an assistant CC on 56-517 Blind Bat aircraft in '69 - '70. At times the Blind Bat aircraft were assigned the Frantic Goat mission on tdy from Naha. I was on two such deployments to Ubon inaddition to the Blind Bat deployments.