Jump to content

Have any of you read this book?


Mt.crewchief
 Share

Recommended Posts

Have the book. Read it and it seems to stray a wee bit too far into fantasy land for me. But it was written about Blindbat at it's earliest and the mission changed quite a bit afterwards. I still have problems with the Nav getting jerked out of the plane cause he caught his "D" ring and deployed his chute. It would seem to me the he would have been slammed against the scope and then the rear jam of the troop door on his way out.

Said Nav is then picked up by rescue apparently unharmed.

My .02

Sarg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sarg,

Thanks for the reply. I think will probably pass on the book. I flew 40 missions in 1968 as a load master/flare kicker and I never saw any of the guys up front come to the back of the airplane unless it was to take a pee! I guess maybe somebody would come back to look at something cool we spotted through the scope ! I know none of those guys never wore their chutes. (chest packs). We in the back, hardly ever wore ours but knew where they were at all of the time.

Like you said, maybe the mission was done differently in the early years of Blind Bat!!

Thanks for you input--also thanks for saving me the money!!

Ken

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ken yes I have owned and read this book very nice read. Could have been longer and not too much about the maintenance guys involved with the TDY's to Ubon. I gave it to CMSGT Ray "Batman" fellow member of the 913th A/W at Willow Grove and 440th A/W Pope AFB when I retired there in 2009. I remember being friends of the para rigger who packed the chute -- the nav was actually hanging out the door like you guys liked to do on flare missions when it happened. Big stinl back at Naha but nothing happened to the rigger. Like Sarg has said it tends to stray a bit but then again a lot of people do not know how strange a mission it was!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the info both of you guys. I just couldn't stand it anymore so I bought the book!! (it's just money!!) I guess anything that might have some kind of Blind Bat story in it will be somewhat interesting. I know the real missions were!! I do recall messing around in the back from time to time! :D Sometimes I felt like I was falling out over the top of the scope when we made a sharp "break right" while avoiding AAA! I guess it was good that the Navigator wore his chest pack when he went back to take a look. Our nav. had a hand held star scope and usually laid on the flight deck floor and looked out of the bottom windows!

There are a lot of Blind Bat questions and comments I need to sort out but will not do it on this thread! Questions that I have always had and experiences to compare!

I will give my $.02 worth when I read the book!

Thanks,

Ken

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ken,

I, too, spent my hard earned money on this book and was a little disappointed. You should write a book from the maintenance perspective as many don't seem to believe what role we Crew Chief's/maintenance people played in these missions. Some still don't believe we actually went on any of the missions.

Sonny

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In 1969 we carried two navs. One was the table nav and the other one was the scope operator. They were briefed not to wear a chest pack when operating the scope. On the night the nav left the airplane he was in the process of bringing the scope back in the airplane. They had shut down #2 engine for low gearbox oil pressure and were going back to Ubon. After he left the airplane and got on the ground he got on the radio and wanted somebody to pick him up. The guys in the airplane told him to find a place to hide and somebody would come out after daylight to get him. His crew was able to stick around most of the night and kept talking to him

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ken,

I, too, spent my hard earned money on this book and was a little disappointed. You should write a book from the maintenance perspective as many don't seem to believe what role we Crew Chief's/maintenance people played in these missions. Some still don't believe we actually went on any of the missions.

Sonny

Sonny, I am sorry that I can't write about maint. at Ubon. I only went to Ubon as a flight crew member. Back at Naha, in 1968, (late summer,) there was a notice that they were looking for volunteers to go to Ubon as flare kickers/loadmasters on Blind Bat mission. Chris Carter and I volunteered and since we were 5 levels, Msgt. Haskell said we could go. We, like most maint. guys didn't know what that consisted of, but we ended up having flight physicals, Physiological Training, the altitude chamber included and some parachute training. We went to Ubon with our crew and started flying immediately. We never did any maint. at all, other than pre-flighting the dual rail system before each flight. I can honestly say, that we both had a good time there, as we were quite well taken care of. Including 2 R&R's ! To me, it gave me a whole new perspective on what was actually going on during the war other than what was happening in Viet Nam!

I'll admit, that it was kind of a let down going back to maintenance after 90 days of flying only duty!! But, I was very glad when our 40th and last mission was complete. I had the shit scared out of me quite a few times!!

Ray, we only flew with one Nav. on our missions and never had any guests other than the combat photographer that took our crew picture I have in my gallery.

Sonny, I am still jealous of your Navy stint while you were at CRB :D :D

Ken

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ken,

I flew as a kicker while I was a Crew Chief. Did all the same training (altitude chamber, jump training etc) you mentioned. Worked the plane and flew. Alternated days with my assistant. Was also scared many, many times. As for my Navy stint, that almost cost me a court martial but MSgt. Tanner came to my rescue.

Sonny

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sonny, I wasn't aware of some of the maint. guys doing both jobs. Kind of the best of two worlds huh?

I guess the best part of being a full time crew member was not having to do anything else but fly!!

I will have to admit, we were treated better than I was ever treated as a Crew Chief!! (not intended to start any comments if you know what I mean) ;)

Ken

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Well, I received the book and have finished reading it! I found it quite interesting although a little repetitious at times. I guess the missions I was on were also that way --especially with cloud cover!! (we would orbit for hours)! I see that after I was there they went to two navigators (one on the scope). I think that was a good move resulting in more accuracy etc. Also the use of bombers full time was a great improvement. We called Moonbeam (ABCCC) and they sent us available aircraft to do the bombing etc. I hate to say it, but the Air Force F-4's missed more than they hit!! Now, the Navy and the Marine pilots were much more accurate!! I really felt like I was there during the missions described in the book & definitely remember the "not so fun" parts . I do think having an officer (navigator) in the back would have had a negative effect on some of the"fun" things us regular guys did!!

The author does mention the ROE (rules of engagement) we had to comply with. They were definitely a political thing!!!

Overall, the book brought back some good and not so good memories and I think that his best audience would be former Blind Bat guys!

I guess I just gave more than my $.02 worth, but I am glad I bought the book!

Ken

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...