Jump to content

tinwhistle

Members
  • Posts

    365
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

Everything posted by tinwhistle

  1. WOW! One really neet thing about seeing a picture like this is knowing where it was taken. When you boil it all down, we all made a lot of friends in the USAF and some of them are good for a life time. Along with a lot of others, I've said that my few years in the Air Force were the defining years of my life. The C-130 and fellow Herk guys are good for a an old man! Thanks Ken
  2. Hello fellow Herk lovers. It's been a long time since I last checked in. A few years in fact. Had some health problems to deal with and of course the day to day grind. I'm not real sure if this is the proper place for this "homecoming", but I'm sure it will get moved if need be. I scrolled around a bit before signing in and noticed a few names still left from the old days. I did not see MT Crewchief or gizzard, although over the past few years I have been in personal contact with both of them as well as lee Sills. I made the trip out to Montana several times and Ken and I have become good friends. Same thing with Paul, out East. He and his wife traveled to Wisconsin a couple years ago. Our two families have become close friends. Thanks to this forum !! I plan on spending time here, and getting caught up...
  3. Until a couple days ago I had never seen this video. I found it to be a super look at the C-130; The music is super also. I came away from it feeling pretty proud! However small my contribution was to C-130 operations I'm glad I was there!!
  4. Hey thanks guy's. Jaguar never entered my mind, shame on me!!!
  5. Indeed, it was a short time. I went back over the film clip again and the only automobile I could identify for sure was a '57 Buick. Any way I know now that it was in the 58 to 60 time frame. Here's another question: the last scene, what kind of sports car is that?? At first I thought is was a Triumph, but upon second thought I'm not sure.
  6. Wadda ya suppose the copyright date is on this video??
  7. May each and every one of you have a Blessed Christmas and a safe, happy, and prosperous New Year !!!
  8. Update: talked to MTcrewchief (Ken) last evening. He is home now after having the second knee replacement. Tired and very sore but in good spirit. I suspect he will be back here any time now.
  9. Sorry I'm late on my comment on your post. But I agree with Atouk: don't put your claim or anything else in a (civilian) lawyers hands. You are your best advocate. Work within the system and be patient.
  10. I'll send you a personal email tomorrow or maybe even call, but I want to comment on your post. I didn't do the blind bat thing, but it does seem to me that I spend more and more time reminiscing, with myself, about events that are close to 50 years old. On the rare occasion that I see my buddy Dave Ohmart and we reminisce together of events past I find it a bit difficult to keep my composure. Was that really me (us) that did that? Were we really there? Did I actually do that stupid stunt just to make block? I don't recall the names of any flight crew, but raggity old maintainers are never far away. Flight line chiefs: some good and some bad. The good ones made us good. This has to be old age. Sit alone at night, think of big ugly airplanes and places with exotic names like Khe Sanh, Vung Tau, Bien Hoa, Pleiku. I'll never forget wire in tires. Changing brakes after dark (with a flashlight) the flight crew standing around looking at their watches. My wife of 42 years still does not understand. I can hear a Herk 20 miles out; I'll stop, eyes to the sky. Ya, Chris, you were there, you did that. But is was a long, long time ago...
  11. I just now got around to reading about the "J" model that was declared a total loss (even though they flew it home) and something troubles me about that write up. There was mention of pilot confusion due to being struck by loose equipment. Back in the stone age when I was a wee airman working post dock at Pope there was a test pilot and his crew that preformed a test flight after the aircraft was pulled from the dock; I forget what dock inspection it was (hours of flight, etc.), but it was an extensive visit to the dock. Anyway, that AC wouldn't move the aircraft 'till every piece of moveable equipment was secure, including the navigators paper and pencil. Makes me wonder just what it was that was flying around loose in that flight deck....
  12. Greetings Brothers We're all very busy, but lets try to set aside a moment to be "Thankful" . Personally, my wife and I will travel to MI and spend the holiday with all three grand kids!! You all have a Blessed Thanksgiving... Chris
  13. I have, on a couple occasions, clicked on the "Chat" button to find that no one is there. Is it not used? We do seem to carry on conversations in our regular posts. Guess I just answered my question... tinwhistle aka Chris
  14. It's late, but hope you had a super birthday....!! Chris
  15. As long as the thread has been resurrected: has anyone (Casey?) heard from Becky. It's been awhile since the first post and I'm curious as to whether she found any help. Chris
  16. Thanks Mark, I appreciate it! If you click the arrow along side the picture, you'll get a look at a really old crew chief...
  17. A little late in getting back, however, our local Veterans Day observation went well. As previously mentioned one of the local civics teachers is the force behind the day's activities and he insists that the bag pipes be there as well as "Danny Boy", so that's that. I don't know how to do "links" but if you Google the "Portage Daily Register" newspaper for the 12th of Nov. there is a pretty decent article.
  18. It's been a long, long time, but I seem to remember something along those lines being inside the battery compartment. But I do suffer with a serious case of CRS....PS, that would be on a 1963 E model
  19. A few days ago Sam and I had a bit of a discussion regarding the time frame (Vietnam) that our 314th Herks were painted "camo". I can't find that post so I'll start another right here. I thought I had several pictures to attach but could, readily, find just a few and unfortunately only one of them I can put an exact date, that is pic #1 taken 18 Jan. 1966. We moved the 28th infantry inland (to Ben Hoa, I think), know later as the Nha Trang Shuttle. I was assistant crew chief assigned to 877, but I was also assigned to MOS. So I'm not sure if the bird shown is 877 or not. This is where a lot of us maint types got screwed. A lot of us were assigned aircraft, but the powers to be insisted that maint be accomplished within the MOS system, but whenever something came along we were suddenly crew chiefs again. It was quite late in 1966 that I was back on my plane and flying with it regularly. I have no clue as to where I took #2, but it's interesting in that the aircraft is a 1964 model and the TAC shield is still on the tail section. I think that #3 was taken at Nha Trang, but not sure. Far left is Dave Ohmart (whom, I see at least yearly) middle is Sgt. Middleton, super guy, and on right is Norm Plantz, my best friend, passed away several years ago. I think #4 was at Cam Rahn Bay. #5 was sent to me by Dave Ohmart after I rotated (Jan. 1967), he is on the far end of the litter. Herk still in silver. I know that these don't prove any firm time line for herks being painted, but my recollection of 314th birds in silver well into 1966 seems possible. .
  20. First of all Ken, good luck on the upcoming surgery. I'll call a day or so after and check in on ya. Next item: If you are so inclined to visit Great Falls let me know and I'll try to go with you. I wonder if they would let Matt tag along??? Anyway, I'll call and check on your recovery........
  21. Casey, this is really nit picking, but.........under the Humor heading there is an improper (misspelled) word. You have "of" and I believe it should be "or". That's part of old age and questionable health: we get to pick nits.
  22. Could be that Sgt. Middleton kept Norm and I away from camo birds!! Clear as day remember Norm and I commenting on the occasional camo paint Herk we saw: "ugly"!!!!!!! I'll have to move a couple pictures I have from the other computer over to this one (at a later time), all 130's in silver Oct 1966.
  23. Sam, It's getting too late in the day for me to dig out my old paper work, but I'm inclined to think that the 50th, 345th, and 776th PCS'd to PACAF in December of 1965 rather than '66 as mentioned in your original post. Again, without the orders in front of me it seemed that we were transferred to PACAF as we left Pope. We, of course being the 776th. There was no room in the inn for us at CCK in Dec. 65 and Jan. '66 so we TDY'd Tachi till (I think) April '66. As I recall, until we finally moved to CCK we still had the TAC emblem on the tail section even as we rotated in and out of South Vietnam, but as we rotated from SVN to CCK they removed the big TAC emblem from the tail upon arrival at CCK. For as long as I was assigned to CCK the aircraft were still in silver with all, or most, emblems, numbers, etc. being removed. I left CCK in Jan. '67 and still had not seen a 314th bird in camo. If I had it to do over I'd take notes.....
×
×
  • Create New...