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Info on ABCCC at Tan Son Nhut in 1965


Insp807
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Would like any info on a C- 130 ABCCC I was sent to Tan Son Nhut in 1965 as the crew chief. I know it was used as a command ship for the air war and Rolling Thunder. The crew stayed downtown at the Majestic Hotel in Saigon by the river. The aircraft was parked across the runway for the main base. I know the bomb dump was behind us which wasn't a good feeling. Call sign of the aircraft was "Headshed". I was relieved in December 65 by Ken Moser who is a site member and we were assigned to the 314 TCW at Sewart, Tenn. which was moving to CCK Taiwan at the time. Looking for serial number and whatever happened to the bird. Both Ken and I were discharged in 1966 and I know a lot happened to the 314th after that.

Thanks for any help and as a new member I love the website.

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46 year old memories being what they are, I'm afraid I can be of no help with your specific questions, however, I do remember a bit of my involvment in ABCCC. I do not recall any aircraft tail numbers but the 776th was involved with ABCCC in 1966, out of CCK. The module was loaded at CCK and the aircraft was stationed "in country" at Danang. I do not recall a crew chief with the aircraft, as early in 1966 the 776th was still OMS. The assigned crew chief may well have stayed at CCK. Airman Norman Plantz and I were sent TDY to Danang with the aircraft and worked 12 hour shifts 7 days a week for the month that the aircraft was assigned ABCCC. At the end of the month that plane rotated back to CCK, being replaced by another, fresh, aircraft. I remember it being quite easy duty as the aircraft was airborn almost all the time. It returned more than once with an engine shut down and prop feathered and had been that way for several hours. I also remember that stress cracks on the skin being a big problem.

One thing about this site: it facilitates the rememberance of days long long ago........

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I don't think so. We took the aircraft over from Wright-Patterson to Saigon. I believe it was either the first or one of the first in SEA. The call sign was Headshed and we sat pretty alone on the ramp. If there were others we did not park together. The Abccc call sign project lists it being there in 1964 with Operation One Buck. It might have been but we went over during Rolling Thunder April to December 1965. Ken told me the mission ended in Jan.66 when he returned to the states. It was equipped like the others with external air scoops for the capsule and antenna etc. I did fly some with it and my flight log which I do have shows several combat entries on missions flown. Most of the time I was fixing it when it came in late and went out early. I was assigned to 314 OMS as all the crew chiefs were and I believe the flight crew was from the 314th.

I appreciate your input as I am trying to jog some old memories, at the time I was 21 and everyone else was somewhat older than I.

Thanks again,

Jim

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Would like any info on a C- 130 ABCCC I was sent to Tan Son Nhut in 1965 as the crew chief. I know it was used as a command ship for the air war and Rolling Thunder. The crew stayed downtown at the Majestic Hotel in Saigon by the river. The aircraft was parked across the runway for the main base. I know the bomb dump was behind us which wasn't a good feeling. Call sign of the aircraft was "Headshed". I was relieved in December 65 by Ken Moser who is a site member and we were assigned to the 314 TCW at Sewart, Tenn. which was moving to CCK Taiwan at the time. Looking for serial number and whatever happened to the bird. Both Ken and I were discharged in 1966 and I know a lot happened to the 314th after that.

Thanks for any help and as a new member I love the website.

I can't help much. But I remember fixing completely dark (powerless) C-130s at 0 dark thirty waaaaay across the flightline next to an ammo dump. The parking spot was called "Hot Spot" and the dispatch driver dumped me off quick and didi back to main base. Fixing airplaines by the light of illumination flairs and GI flashlight was damn scary for my 20 year old self.

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EC-130E ABCCC machines were/are:

62-1791 (to HC-130P no conv/AMARG)

62-1809 (Republic 4 Eagle Claw destroyed at Desert 1)

62-1815 (Destroyed in Vietnam)

62-1818 (Republic 6 Eagle Claw/AMARG)

62-1820 (to C-130E late 80s?)

62-1825 (King of them All, now cut up for SIM)

62-1832 (to HC-130P no conv/AMARG)

62-1836 (to HC-130P no conv/AMARG)

62-1857 (Republic 5 Eagle Claw/to HC-130P no conv/AMARG)

62-1863 (to HC-130P/AMARG?)

Hope this is what you needed,

Gary

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1791 was severely damaged landing in Veitnam...lost the nose section from the flight deck floor down, back to F.S. 245.

1809 lost a wing (left) in Vietnam and was repaired.

1820 was converted back to a slick in the lates 70's...post Vietnam. It never made it to Keesler with the rest of the unit (7th ACCS) post-war. It's now in AMARG.

1825 was used in post Eagle Claw Iran Hostages rescue scenarios.

1863 is still flying at Moody as an HC-130P...the only EC-130E that was converted.

Ray Roddy's Book, Circles in the Sky has all the details on ABCCC operations in Vietnam...

Lots of history in those planes. Unfortunately, the ABCCC website is down/under construction...

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For more on the ABCCC mission google Robert L Mosley.He has a site and has wrtten an article on his year as A/C flying ABCCC from Udorn.

I knew him at Evreux ,flew several test hops as well as high speed taxi checks with him.An excellent pilot.

All good articles on his site describeing his career.

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A reply and a bit more info on the ABCCC C-130 @ TSN. The bird was taken to Naha for maintenance. We left Naha on Dec. 24 or 25 and

flew to Clark. On Dec. 31 I left Clark for Sewart, so I don't know what happened to the A/C after that. I agree with Jim Lane, this website is

very useful and a lot of fun!

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62-1857 has been seen at Wright Patt and also with the spooks at Lockheed Donaldson SC.

As of 5 Dec 2012 the AF lists it as Owning Unit Hurlburt, Possessing Unit Hurlburt. It has been listed like that for years.

Here is a pic of it taken in San Juan. It looks like an AFSOC paint job to me.

Bob

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Bob,

I think you have nailed it. A lot of the aspects of the mission such as to crew make up, aircraft/capsule, command etc. were not normal from my viewpoint and need to know as the crew chief. I was treated very well and stayed downtown with the aircraft and capsule crews. I did get bumped to Top Secret but i figured that was due to the equipment on board. Anyway thanks for your help in answering my question as to the identity of the aircraft and where it is today.

Jim Lane

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hey Guys, brings back old memories. A little extra info on some of the ABCCC birds. I was assigned to 62-1809 for a trip to Danang in July of 1967. We were attacked by about 40- 45 minutes of rockets on the morning of July 15, 1967. They hit a pair of F-4's parked in a revetment off our left wing. The F-4's exploded and caught the wing on my plane on fire. It burned up to #1 engine. When we got to the flight line around 3:00 AM the wing was laying on the ground. The plane was listing to the right and you could reach up and touch the right wing from the ground. Aircraft #62-1815 which was the backup plane was sitting in the middle of the ramp about 40 yards from us. There was an A model right next to it. One of them was hit and they were both destroyed.

Any way hope you enjoy a little history by someone who was there at the time. Take care and stay safe and thank you to all my Herk brothers.

Wil Sanchez

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  • 8 months later...

Matt McGinn on Facebook page 42nd& 7th ACCS USAF ExMembers Unite listed the following update on all the airplanes. Most have been turned into scrap metal. I know crew chiefs that cried when they was sent to the bone yard. I guess I am one of them. I was at Keesler. Best people on earth was there with me.

Here is the updated status of our planes. I have heard from Scott Doremus that 1863 is slated to retire and may already be in AMARG but that is not confirmed.

62-1791 C130E Gnd Tnr North Island NAS (Went to Kadena from DM, then retired)

62-1809 C130E W/O 04/80 (Destroyed in accident in Iran during Operation Eagle Claw)

62-1815 C130E W/O 07/67 (Destroyed on ground in Vietnam)

62-1818 C130E B/U HVF Tucson (Retired after 42nd deactivated)

62-1820 C130E AMARG (Demodded after Vietnam & retired as PR ANG)

62-1825 C130E B/U HVF Tucson (Retired after 42nd deactivated, flight deck removed and used as a trainer somewhere)

62-1832 C130E AMARG (Used by AFSOC 79 RQS as trainer at DM until retirement)

62-1836 C130E AMARC CF318 (Used by AFSOC 79 RQS as trainer at DM until retirement)

62-1857 C130E Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte, NC (Went to Hurlburt and flew with AFSOC, then retired. Still has HF probes and AC condensers)

62-1863 C130E HC130P Flying 71RQS HCP Mod Was ABCCC EC-130E (Completely demodded from ABCCC, USAF determined it was too expensive to do any more. Went to Moody and current condition is ??)

65-0962 C130H TC130H Currently assigned to 43 ECS. No electronics gear or external tanks.

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After some head scratching I'm digging up a few more memories. Mid 1966, we took two "Es" from CCK to Danang. Loaded one capsule at CCK and loaded the other at Danang. Norm Plantz was assigned to the other bird. I simply do not remember tail numbers. Both aircraft sported silver and the TAC (tail) emblem was still on one of them. As far as the crew chiefs were concerned we were billeted in a Marine 6 man tent. Lousy shower and facilities. Easy duty though....Only occasional morters, and the 30 days went by fairly quickly and uneventful.

Edited by tinwhistle
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  • 2 weeks later...

My first trip to the far east was to deliver one of those birds to CCK in 1966. We were a Dyess crew commanded by Major John Spencer. It already had the capsule installed. We stopped in Clarke on the way over. I know we left CCK and went to Yakota Japan and for the life of me I cannot remember how we went back. Perhaps the capsule was offloaded or we took another bird back for repair. We did two nights in Tokyo and I sure remember those two nights. CRS.

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All I remember about ABCCC was when we took one from CCK to Udorn - my crew stayed, and I was sent back to CCK (because LMs didn't fly on the ABCCC mission). I got assigned another crew (with an A$$ hole for an AC) and never got back to my regular crew (Capt. Bud Latterner, AC, TSgt Andy Franklin,FE and Capt Thiel, NAV - we usually had a newbie CP)... shuttles weren't as much fun for me after that!

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