Muff Millen

Was at CCK on alert duty for the day, was the last day of the month. At around 3PM we get called out for an urgent mission. A plane was inbound and had mission essential cargo and had to get to Talkili Thailand. We were all set to go and instead of our regular nav a "wing weenee" Major took his place. Seems like he wanted to get his tax time in for the two months as we would be in and out of country on two months. Well off we went, all was fine til we got to Talkili, due to the base just being reoppened we were limited to only being able to get ten thousand lbs of fuel. We all wanted to RON as it was near mid night and a looooong day. But the "wing weenee" insisted that we get back as he had important projects that he HAD to get to. Well I told the AC we were scosch on fuel...and the wing Major said we could get clearance to fly higher to conserve fuel. I protested but who the hell was I only a lowly TSgt. He works at "Wing Hqds". OK off we went as we approached the east coast of SVN we requested higher to conserve fuel.....instead the controller came back and told us to decend and maintain 18000! Seems there was inbound higher priority traffic at higher levels! Well as most of you know we had to have a minimum of 10000 lbs of fuel left when we got to Taiwan......we would have been very close to that so after the aux and externals were empty and the mains started down, about an hour out of CCK I ran the fuel gages down to only a couple hundred in each tank and pulled the CBs. That major started to sweat, so much that my boots got wet. Of course I let the AC and Copilot know what I was doing..... I'll bet that Major never had "Go Homeitius" ever again. To this day I don't think the Major ever knew what I had done and that we were always OK on fuel but very tired when we landed at dawn on the first day of a new month. I'm still laughing over that trick. Muff

I had the honor good fortune to be one of the crews that supported the Bob Hope show Dec 1970. We went a few days early to Donmoung Bankok and then two of the three crews flew the cast and support equip (two planes). At the VN bases it was hard to believe that so many troops showed up for the show. There were always thousands of troops at each stop. The Bob Hope, the csat and all were always upbeat and so enthused to what they were doing...supporting the troops. Every night was a big party at the Bankok hotel where they were staying. The crews were required to be close to the stage or back stage at all times in case they had to get out of there real fase. We all had a lot of face time with Bob Hope and the cast members. Most all my pictures are on 8 mm film. Muff

Sure beats the "Dirty Dozen" Muff

As I have stated for years I think they should station a C-130 squadron near DC and anytime one of those elected folks wants a ride call the USAF... Hell they are doing their best to shrink our great military to a small in-effective force.... When I joined back in 1958 our military was big and strond and backed up at home with the Guard and Reserves....NO One used to mess with us..they feared us...now every little s__t wants to poke at us and see what we will do. And the Reserves and Guard are being screwed with back to back rotations. Sure happy that I'm old retired but I'm worried for my grand kids. Muff

Tiny, congrats on your daughters graduation...hell never sell out maintenance....without maintenance the Air Force would be just another junk yard. Muff fotmer 3rd wiper, asst crew chief crew chief, IFE, and maintenance Super.

Thanks, those are great...we must never forget. Muff

Interesting question Dave, I don't know if that aroma ever leaves the planes, but I do know that it is etched in my nose senses and do not believe that it will ever leave. God bless all those that we had to bring back to TSN for their final flights home. Been about 40 years now and the memories are still there, never forget them all. Muff

Thanks Nat, developed way after my time.....our sam deterant was the loadmaster in the opened troop door with the verry flare pistol...things have come a long way. Do you know if any of the C-130s have been equiped? Muff

Nope its 1536.....click on pic to make picture larger and can clearly see number on nose. Also what is the large cone shabe on the left aft side of fuslarge? Muff

Nope its 1356.....click on pic to make picture larger and can clearly see number on nose. Also what is the large cone shabe on the left aft side of fuslarge? Muff

Sam, could you post the "Tennessee Loadmaster" article that you wrote many years ago about our friend Charlie Schaub. There are a lot of new folks here who could be inspired by that great hero's story. Thanks Muff

Other tail # that came the WV was 62s 1788 over 80 hits, shoved off the run way with a dozer.. As of November 2008 1788 was still hacking it at Little Rock. The crew had a four engine roll-back but due to their skill and experiance were able to recover and land safely. Another dtory about that great plane was it getting mortored at Dalat the last day of the VN war...suffering more that 400 shrapnel wounds....Our crew fixed a blown tire and flew it back to NKP on three engines. (see below) That airplane {s.n. 62-1788} has some great history. It is the plane that helped the crew I was on to be awarded the Silver Star. On the last day of the Vietnam War we went to Dalat - Cam Lai to pick up the VN cadets to take them around country to explain to the locals that the war was over. During engine-running loading of the cadets the base came under heavy mortar fire. This plane was hit on the trailing edge of the left flap and shrapnel was sprayed all over the left side and up on the vertical stab. Left rear main tire blown. After a couple hours in the bunker and a call on the emergency radio another C-130 brought us a new tire and a jack. We had to jump start the GTC {Gas Turbine Compressor} with a FAC {O-1A} birddog battery and we took off, and just after take off had to shut down #2 for a big fuel leak from flap well, lost hyd fluid, cranked gear down and made an emergency landing at NKP {Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai AFB, Thailand} .......airplane had over 400 holes from the shrapnel ..was a very memberable day .....Glad to see that the old girl is still flying. And a big congrats' to this crew for recovering from the 4 engine rollback.

Guy, God bless you and your helpers...I hope your program will extend to all fifty states in the near future. A much needed service. Muff

Damn! I did not think to look at the props...could have been Js. Muff

Just got back from a 2 wk cruise in the Med. On one of the ships tours we visited Pisa. On the way back the bus passed an Italian AF base....as we passed I jumped to my feet and saluted smartly as there on the ramp were 12 gray painted Herks. Only one had pylon tanks, all the others looked like the old B models. Anyone have any info on these? Muff

No Bob, the one at Makung was a plane in the drink no survivors. Determined to be caused by a blown tire. I spent 5 days on a Navy sea going tug and dove on the wreck several times. The head of investigation was a full colonel sent up tdy from Clark he had only been at Clark a short time. After reading several old reports that a blown tire could cause a lot of damage he decided that was the cause. I did not agree but no one listened...after the investigation I went to the colleital board and stated my thoughts, a thrown prop but still no one listened. I will go to my grave beliving that it was a prop through the right side. The gear up landing was at Tainan CB pulled as they were making repeated touch and goes......I think this happened prior to Col Isoue, but he was HMIC when the Guam FIASCO happened. Muff

Bill, thanks for the up date for the names on the photo. Your photos brought back some great memories. Welcome home..... By your bio you have been really busy since retiring. Muff Millen 345TAS IFE

I have posted a photo to the albums page and was unable to post it here. The photo is of a crew just prior to taking off to drop at An Loc. Could anyone provide the crew member names? I have CRS. Thanks Muff [ATTACH]219[/ATTACH]

Did they do away with the pockets on the helmit bags? Muff

4-0 same score the National Guard got against Kent State 4-0 Muff

Oh by the way we have some mail that has to get to Ben Tuey are you up to it, we are adding it to your schedule! Muff

Kurt, you are so right! I worked C-130 Maintenance for about ten years...from refule/tow team to heavy maintenance for combat damaged Herks at TSN then on to Quality Control for a couple of years...I had a real ass kisser boss at Pope QC shop and after he went out and signed off a couple of my Red X's, as he did not wnat to make the sqdn look bad.... I quit maintenance and went off to Sewart AFB to be a FE...Hell I knew this plane inside and out, this would be a breeze! Hah, did I ever get a humbling eye opener...found out quick that I didn't know twit abut the plane..... Ther is no doubt in my mind that all FEs should have maintenance experiance and then go th FE school....then after about 1000 hours apply for SOC. No way should inexperiance pe placed in any of those "SPECIAL" positions. My entire flight experiance was in trash hauling and drops. Never in SOC. Muff

Tell me I'm wrong...I know its been a long time since I did any safety wiring but looks to me like the nuts are wered backward. I know I'm nit picking but being an old QC guy and trying to keep my mind stright. Also is the picture upsidedown? I do not remember the bolts being installed bottom up. Muff

Bob DeHass sent me this might be of interest to some on this board. Muff NC-based Air Force wing is seeking technicians, other specialties By Associated Press 3:03 AM EDT, March 21, 2009 POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (AP) - A North Carolina-based Air Force unit is seeking people willing to join the service to fill dozens of jobs. The 440th Airlift Wing at Pope Air Force Base says it needs 44 full-time technicians and dozens of part-time workers. Interested applicants must join the Air Force Reserve. The wing has vacancies for workers in aircrew life support, flight operations, computers and information technology, personnel and human resources and aerospace medicine, as well as logistics and 48 types of maintenance. The wing also needs C-130 pilots, flight engineers and loadmasters. Those interested in traditional reserve jobs should call the wing recruiting office at 910-483-0083. Those interested in full-time Air reserve technician slots should call 757-788-9617.

PT, sorry to hear this news....was a great guy who learned the Loadmaster job the hard way but he was very good at what he did. May he rest in peace.... Muff