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Vietnam rescue job


tinwhistle
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Many, many, years ago (1966) in a land far, far away (Republic of South Vietnam) there was a C-130 squadron named the 776th. One day in that year of 1966 one of those fine C-130s blew both left main gear tires on a lovely old PSP runway belonging to some fine U.S. Marines located in a little valley long since forgotten. That day there was a lot of discussion as to what to do with that poor 'lil ol' Herky bird stranded in the middle of that runway. Some thought it wise to bulldoze it off to the side and be done with it. Eventually, cooler heads prevailed and another C-130 complete with two aircraft repair types was flown in (a very hairy landing indeed!) and repairs were accomplished, the next day the C-130 and the two very tired aircraft repair types were returned to thier very own TDY base named Nha Trang. Several decades later one of those brave aircraft repair types discovered that the AC of the "rescue" aircraft was awarded a very lovely medal for his brave actions. Now, boys and girls, that you know the story, is it even remotely possible that the 1966 repair records for the 776th would be in hiding in some remote dark archive, and would it be possible to access those records. After all it was the two aircraft repair types who were on duty all night performing the repairs that enabled the original aircraft to return home.

Thanks for any help or information...Chris

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Chris,

I could've written that story myself with very few minor changes -- the squadron was 773rd, we arrived in a C-123 and our TDY base was Tan Son Nhut. It was raining (think mud) and the only illumination was a reversed taxi light and a couple of flashlights. Oh, and the GTC blasting in our ears! The AC got a medal and the two "aircraft repair types" got a ride back to TSN.

Don R.

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Shows to go ya that a lot of times the people in charge don't realize that if the mechanics and so on did not do their jobs and do them well and quickly, there would be no need for flight crews. I learned that early on, and always tried to do whatever I could to let know they were appreciated. So even after almost thirty 38 years since my last flight, I still wanna say thanks to all those guys who did the dirty, unsung work. I might not still be here if you hadn't done so well.

load clear

giz

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Thanks for the kind words giz,, I have a letter in my gallery that means as much to me as any medals could!!

I too can relate to you guys (Tinwhistle & DC10FE)! I once watched a crew receive medals for a flight I was on at Katum(Jan. 1st. 1968)!! I am pretty sure the acft. 56-475, would have had to be left that day if it wasn't for Laffety and me!! By the way, this is nothing against the flight crew, they had to land that sucker!!! And also, most of us maint. guys didn't realize we had an Awards and Decorations officer or what ever they were called. I do know I wouldn't have put myself in for an award!!!

Thanks again giz,

Ken

PS, anybody remember Dan Lafferty??? 35th TAS Naha Okinawa

tinwhistle, I tried to find out about my day at Katum through the official archives at the suggestion of Sam McGowan and Bob Daley and I had good service and honest tries and follow ups, but that day in the 374th TAW just must not have happened according to the records at Maxwell!! Also, I am satisfied that person I dealt with did find what he could.

Edited by Mt.crewchief
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Shows to go ya that a lot of times the people in charge don't realize that if the mechanics and so on did not do their jobs and do them well and quickly, there would be no need for flight crews. I learned that early on, and always tried to do whatever I could to let know they were appreciated. load clear

giz

After 9 years as an "aircraft repair type," I crosstrained to a C-130 FE. I never forgot who showed up hours before I did to preflight, fix and refuel my airplane so I could do my job. As Giz said, without the mechanics, refuelers, pallet pushers and all the other people, there would be no need for flight crews. I took that same attitude with me when I moved from the military side to the commercial side.

Don R.

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Chris,

I could've written that story myself with very few minor changes -- the squadron was 773rd, we arrived in a C-123 and our TDY base was Tan Son Nhut. It was raining (think mud) and the only illumination was a reversed taxi light and a couple of flashlights. Oh, and the GTC blasting in our ears! The AC got a medal and the two "aircraft repair types" got a ride back to TSN.

Don R.

I never could figure out why a milatary person ,commisioned or enlisted, would be awarded a medal for doing his or her job.

A letter of comandation should suffice.

For heroic action under fire or in the face of danger - then a medal might be due.

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I never could figure out why a milatary person ,commisioned or enlisted, would be awarded a medal for doing his or her job.

A letter of comandation should suffice.

For heroic action under fire or in the face of danger - then a medal might be due.

And some pin-heads wanted to give Obama the MOH for givin' the green light to take out Bin Laden????

Giz

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And some pin-heads wanted to give Obama the MOH for givin' the green light to take out Bin Laden????

Giz

Haden't heard of someone wanting to award HIM the MOH but to hear some people talk you'd think he was the first one up the stairs.

I don't think HE had much of a choise but to go after him. We'd been looking for him for 10 years and located him to within about

a 100 foot radius.I could be all wrong but seemed like an easy call to me.

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I never could figure out why a milatary person ,commisioned or enlisted, would be awarded a medal for doing his or her job.

A letter of comandation should suffice.

For heroic action under fire or in the face of danger - then a medal might be due.

I agree. Not to mention how lame it is to get a ribbon for going to boot camp in the Air Force.

Remember how when I joined the Navy in '88, for one to get a Navy Achievement Medal, it had to signed by a Flag Officer. So needless to say you actually had to really achieve something to be awarded it. Very rarely did you see and E-5 or below with one. Now the commanding officer can pass 'em out, and does so like they are candy, some of the Achievements I have actually seen the medal awarded for:

Ran the geedunk(coffee mess) for 6 months on deployment.

Did one year in QA, did nothing but required job.

Did paperwork for all awards summited, all the t's cross and i's dotted for a 6 month deployment.

Did a 3 year tour doing nothing spectacular but showed up for work.

The kicker, was in one command, and we were prepping to leave on a 6 month deployment. We were about 2 months from hitting the road, and they put it out at a meeting that the "end of deployment" awards nominations were do in 3 weeks.

Or two people were each going to get an end of deployment award, one of them got into trouble(broke a few stipid liberty rules, that 108 other did(all 108 went to Captain's Mast(NJP) The one that didn't get in trouble got the award(was even pretty much word for word what the first guy did) so second ended up with two end of tour awards.

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I just looked through a list of awards and decs the AF now issues. There are at least four I would have been entitled to had they existed during my service time, just as "been there done that's" and the possibility of three or four more had I been in through, say 1994.

That is not counting any, however so unlikley, major awards that could have been earned, like Air medals, etc. plus, now there is the plethora ( how's that for a big word from an old loady?" ) of badges for everything. While I guess there is nothing wrong with that,why do the majority of them, at least from a distance look like jump wings????? Also, I have heard that they give the Bronze Star out for just about anything anymore. I hope that is not the case, because that in my day, was still considered a significant award.

At the 316th reunion couple weeks ago, there was a young, yeah I know that is relative, but still........MSG who must have had seven rows or more of fruit salad, and probably had only been in maybe ten years... My God, at that rate, somebody doin' twenty would look like a forty year general by the time they get out. I think wearin' BDU's for all occasions is a poor idea as well, and who's grand idea was the shiny collar insignia, etc????? I guess some of you guys will remember the attempt to make the blues a double-breasted suit, made ya look like a cross between a a Navy CPO and a bus driver........ASnd finally, and i think my buddy Bob Woods made this observation, the one design for the AF memorial in DC looked like a damn five-legged spider, because some desk jockey made the statement that the AF was about for than flying!? WTFO???? Where did the old AF go?????????? Sorry, guys, my medicine is not workin' today!!!!!!!!!!

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Giz

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Well Giz, you just about said it all. A couple of nights ago, I was channel surfing and wound up on the Pentagon Channel. On it was a female USAF 3-striper reading the news with a chest full of ribbons -- at least 4 rows. Makes my 3 rows of 3 ribbons plus another row of 2 look pretty pathetic after 23 years of service!

As I've mentioned before, I have heard that the "pilots" in air-conditioned trailers in Nevada flying the UAV's in Afghanistan are racking up Air Medals and combat pay. Someone pleeeze tell me this ain't true.

Don R.

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I have heard the same about the UAV gamers. What combat hazards are they lookin' at, drivin' to work??? I think I saw somewhere that their wings are different than the regular ass-in-the seat pilot wings, but I also saw somewhere that they have the same ones as a regular pilot because they all go to the same primary flight program. Now here is a suggestion, if all ya gotta do is play with a video, why the hell do they have to be commisioned? get some of these lard ass kids who have mega-thumbs from playin' x-box and all and let them do it....One other thing,and i guess it is pretty petty, on my part in a way, but how come Air Cav grunts, from Nam, can qualify for air medals and some air force crew members, myself included, didn't????? Please, please, i am not takin' anything away from them, they did a bitchin' job, but does that make sense????? Now if they can find a way to load airplanes, do engine starts,and do air drops from a comfy cubicle, sign me up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

load clear

Giz

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Now here is a suggestion, if all ya gotta do is play with a video, why the hell do they have to be commisioned? get some of these lard ass kids who have mega-thumbs from playin' x-box and all and let them do it....

They are E's in the Navy... Actually, not sure if all are E's or if there is a mixture of O's and E's. Just know the program is open to the E's.

One other thing,and i guess it is pretty petty, on my part in a way, but how come Air Cav grunts, from Nam, can qualify for air medals and some air force crew members, myself included, didn't????? Please, please, i am not takin' anything away from them, they did a bitchin' job, but does that make sense????? Now if they can find a way to load airplanes, do engine starts,and do air drops from a comfy cubicle, sign me up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

load clear

Giz

During Desert Storm, we only had two of our four crews make it to the gulf.(war ended too soon, for the others to make it) Our dumb ass skipper thought it would be nice to adjust the flight hours somehow, so all the crews over there would get an Air Medal. Somehow he jacked it up and no one got one. Not to mention he got busted, and the boot. The two of the crews that made it ended up with a Naval Achievement Medal with Combat V. < Then there was some hoorah about the Combat V and the NAM, can't remember exactly what it was. Anyway, we were told to remove the V and go on our marry way. Though, they never changed out the actual. award paperwork to reflect the V being taken away, so needless to say after about 6 months, the V's started reappearing on the ribbons.

Also for us, at least our squadron, the crew was written for an award, be it a lousy letter of appreciation, commendation, or medals, everyone that was on the aircraft at the time, got the award. Be it an "O", "E" Aircrew or Maintenance. The guys on the crew(maintenance) that were on deck, would also get an award. If the Aircrew ended up with an Air Medal, the guys on deck wouldn't get the Air Medal, but they would either get a Navy Commendation, or Navy Achievement Medal, depending on the task.

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Guys, here is the deal. In order to be given a decoration, SOMEONE had to fill out a recommendation and submit it which was a maintenance responsibility for actions by maintenance personnel. Some maintenance men were awarded Bronze Stars and Air Force Commendation Medals for making repairs at forward fields. As for "squadron records," we didn't operate as squadrons in Southeast Asia. Each C-130 wing supported a rotational operation that was under 315th Air Division until August 1966, then under 834th Air Division which kept the records. I was on airplanes that blew two main tires on two different occasions. In both instances the flight mechanic loosened the bolts and two tires and a jack were flown in. It was not a big deal. One one occasion a couple of maintenance troops came in with them but a lot of times the flight mechanic changed the tires. In fact, I've got a picture of Freddie Banks loosening the nuts on the tires on a B-model at a Marine base south of Da Nang. Also, speaking of Marine bases, in 1966 there were only about three - Chu Lia, Dong Ha and Quang Tri. By the way, the number of C-130s lost to enemy action on the ground can be counted on both hands and one toe - none were lost at Marine bases and none were lost in 1966. In fact, all but four were lost at rear area bases, particularly Da Nang. Chris, in 1966 when you were in the 776th all three CCK squadrons were rotating to Nha Trang.

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here is my final take on all this..........each of you yourself know what ya did. Almost everyone, somewhere along the line, did something very extraordinary, above the required, etc, etc, and did not ever get a "trophy' for it. the real decoration is the one in your heart that knows who you are and what ya did. Yeah it would be nice, perhaps, to have a ribbon or whatever that others can see that says "hey, this guy did this.' But, even if you don't, that still does not diminish whatever you did, it never will. What is so disturbing to me, in the modern military, is that it seems they are cheapening the importance and relevance of military decorations. More candy for the kiddies perhaps. I spent 26 years as a firefighter and I did things that most of you could never understand why a person would do it, just doin' what the taxpayers paid me to do, as part of a team, and only once or twice ever received any "attention". it was always considered doin' our job. BUT, I still remember those 'special" calls, and the successes and the heart-breakin' failures. No plaque, medal, trophy, certificate, or commendation could match how I feel inside. I am damn lucky, I got to do, in my lifetime, two jobs that required very special skills, in very special conditions, working with very special men. I will die with that a part of me, and my greatest "medal" of all is to be able say I was a part of two 'Bands of Brothers." enough from me..............

Aboard closed and checked

Giz

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here is my final take on all this..........each of you yourself know what ya did. Almost everyone, somewhere along the line, did something very extraordinary, above the required, etc, etc, and did not ever get a "trophy' for it. the real decoration is the one in your heart that knows who you are and what ya did. Yeah it would be nice, perhaps, to have a ribbon or whatever that others can see that says "hey, this guy did this.' But, even if you don't, that still does not diminish whatever you did, it never will. What is so disturbing to me, in the modern military, is that it seems they are cheapening the importance and relevance of military decorations. More candy for the kiddies perhaps. I spent 26 years as a firefighter and I did things that most of you could never understand why a person would do it, just doin' what the taxpayers paid me to do, as part of a team, and only once or twice ever received any "attention". it was always considered doin' our job. BUT, I still remember those 'special" calls, and the successes and the heart-breakin' failures. No plaque, medal, trophy, certificate, or commendation could match how I feel inside. I am damn lucky, I got to do, in my lifetime, two jobs that required very special skills, in very special conditions, working with very special men. I will die with that a part of me, and my greatest "medal" of all is to be able say I was a part of two 'Bands of Brothers." enough from me..............

Aboard closed and checked

Giz

Well Said !!!

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