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Somebody's got’ta do it


Robert Podboy
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  • 3 weeks later...

This is part of the Air Force film shot at CCK named "The way we were" narrated by John Wayne. I knew many of the air crew members and I was actually shown getting off a crew bus on the original film. My then wife and I lived downtown Tiachung and they showed us getting off a crew bus at our apartment, that never really happened, I always had to catch a taxi to go to CCK for flights.

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That ain't me. Was my room mate but I did have a shirt like that. It shrunk two sizes since those days in Saigon but I still have it.  Feather knows him. Room mate at CCK and back at LRAFB...I had hair for a while early on at FedEx but figured out that I could trim up and clean up and actually have a career. I went into Management and set up the first Ramp at MSY in 1980. We up graded from a Falcon Jet and DC3 to a B-727. Several of our C-130 Pilots at LRAFB went to work for FedEx and I was able to work with them on the FedEx Ramps. I was a lucky one to take my USAF skills to my life on the other side. Later moved to Savannah and opened the FedEx ramp there. The smell of JP4 still gives me a buzz in a funny kind of way. I am thankful every day of the experience and skills I learned in the USAF and would not trade it for anything. This is me at blown up terminal in Phnom Penn. We were the first US aircraft to land there after the assault on the city. It became a regular stop for our crews hauling Cambodians to get trained at Nha Trang.     

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Nice photos Billy! Believe me I learned my lesson about following railroad tracks! So many memories about the roof at the Merlin and times downtown Saigon. Times were sure different than now. Glad you and most of my friends survived. By the way, I still have some "love beads" like those but haven't worn them for a long time.

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On 2/16/2017 at 10:00 AM, BRlang said:

That ain't me. Was my room mate but I did have a shirt like that. It shrunk two sizes since those days in Saigon but I still have it.  Feather knows him. Room mate at CCK and back at LRAFB...I had hair for a while early on at FedEx but figured out that I could trim up and clean up and actually have a career. I went into Management and set up the first Ramp at MSY in 1980. We up graded from a Falcon Jet and DC3 to a B-727. Several of our C-130 Pilots at LRAFB went to work for FedEx and I was able to work with them on the FedEx Ramps. I was a lucky one to take my USAF skills to my life on the other side. Later moved to Savannah and opened the FedEx ramp there. The smell of JP4 still gives me a buzz in a funny kind of way. I am thankful every day of the experience and skills I learned in the USAF and would not trade it for anything. This is me at blown up terminal in Phnom Penn. We were the first US aircraft to land there after the assault on the city. It became a regular stop for our crews hauling Cambodians to get trained at Nha Trang.     

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Thats a photo of an "old friend". Another nice photo Billy, I remember those trips to Phnom Penn, all the crew except me got temple rubbings, I was all about being a good loadmaster...LOL

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Song Bee, supply was over by that large tent. After check out in country my first Flight Engineer was Charlie Brault. I had no idea until later that I was flying with a C-130 hero. He really showed me the ropes. Almost too many ropes. He told me to run in the BX and get a cheap bottle of whiskey. I was still wearing my state side fatigues. We hit Song Bee and he said come with me. We paid a visit to the Supply SGT. I handed him the Jim Beam and he asked me what size. He filled a duffle bag with jungle fatigues and olive green T-shirts and jungle combat boots. There was a story that a CRB crew flew away with a jeep for a case of booze. Anybody remember a jeep sitting around Herky Hill in 69 or 70.   

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I loved the early morning Milk and Bread run. Think we loaded up in Ben Hoa. I would requisition a couple of cases of milk and put way back in the tail. It would cool down pretty good back there. When we hit forward fire bases I would toss the Aerial Port guys fresh milk... They loved it. I didn't spend much time at CRB. My last 12 missions in Country was leaflet drops up close to Laos out of CRB. I don't think my crew scheduler liked me very much. My Nav was a guy we called Woodstock. He would give me his flight jacket with his Lt bars and get me in the Officers Club at CRB. You guys had better Chow and Beer...Heck, we did all the work. All you had to do was drive the bus... 

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