tinwhistle

Bill, Indeed, I stand corrected. I went to Google, typed in C-123 and up came the Wickepedia site titled "Fairchild C-123 Provider". Fascinating reading. There were indeed some 123's retro fited with jet engines! I hate it when I learn new things, at my age!!!!! Chris

Glad your safe!!!......Chris

Larry, I hope that you have taken the steps necessary to receive the disability benefits you have coming. Both diabetes and Ishemic Heart Disease. Even useing VA math you should be in the 70% to 100% range. Oh, one more thing: I don't think the FM on that C-123 was checking the jet intake. Sorry, couldn't help myself!!! Chris

Ya, I remember the urinals being in the back on the Es.......Chris

Combat loss!?!? Come on now, Ken, you can do better than that!!!!! Speaking of tool boxes: when I was going through all the rigamaroe of discharge I took my tool box to the tool shed to turn it in knowing that I was short a few pieces, and wondering how much that was going to cost me. Come to find out, they had no paper work for my tool box. Wish I'd have known that ahead of time!! By the way; nice to see ya Giz. Ken and I were just wondering where all the "Old Guys" had gone. Chris

Thanks Casey!!! This was one of those silly little things I couldn't get out of my mind, and was driving me nuts.....Chris

Does anyone out there know the name of or the number of the foreward bulk head on the C-130E? If memory serves me correctly, it's the bulk head that houses all the electrical panels. I suppose you could call it the "front wall" of the cargo compartment. For some reason this is bothering me!!!!....Chris

If you are interested in very early operations of the C-130 in Vietnam and throughout SEA please go to my "My Gallery", then click on MY ALBUMN. I have posted 12 documents that trace my movements in the 1965 and 1966 time frame. Included are a number of documents (now declassified), that were taken from the "Official History of the 314th TCW" that illustrate the difficulty that we had in starting up combat operations in the new war zone. I thought I had up loaded them in proper time frame order, but they did not post in proper order. You will find my TDY orders to Okinawa, administrative orders moving me into the 776th in preperation for further TDY to SEA, then there are the TDY orders and my travel voucher to MacTan, P.I., as well as travel voucher to Okinawa. Plus travel voucher from Okinawa to Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam. I think you will enjoy reading from the history transcrips of the start of operations in South Vietnam. There was no Herky Hill no CALSU, we worked out of a tent. In the begining of CRB operations there were only 3 of us Maintenance types, Norm Plantz, Dave Ohmart, and myself. We worked out of and slept (when we could) in that temporary tent only a few yards from the flight line. There is a page that describes a rescue mission flown by Capt. Willard. Plantz and I were the maintenance types that preformed the actual repairs to the stranded aircraft. Enjoy......Chris

Well, actually, the numbers that are on the documents I took down are AF serial numbers. I was discharged in July of 1967 and we still had the AF serial numbers at that time. It was at some point after my discharge that the AF (all military??) went to the Social Security number for identification. I'm not here to cause any discomfort so I simply took down those documents. However, as I said, these orders are available. I am going to attach five photographs that will illustrate (to a certain extent) the living conditions we had early on. These pictures were taken at Nha Trang. The "Nha Trang Shuttle". I sure hope some one out there can tell me what kind of aircraft those little prop jobs are......Chris The first picture is at Mac Tan. Upon arrival, the A.F., in its infinate wisdom, decided that we should have some shelter. Then they issued us tents and said "welcome home"! We put 'em up ourselves. The next pictures are at Nha Trang. We had one tent, a pickup and nothing else. We begged a couple of buckets from the army and got cold water to shave and clean up with. After several days it got pretty ripe around our area. Chris

I obtained the micro film of the maintenance and some history of the 776th at CCK for the year 1966. The base commander was really bent because of the way PACAF took over his aircraft and crews, including maintenance. In one notation he says that the average "home" (CCK) time for his flight crews was 19 hours a month. He also stated that he had no control over what and where his aircraft and crews were doing. He was really upset over his aircraft arriving back at CCK with battle damage and he had no in formation, even the name of the operation in country, until after the fact. For the most part we maintenance types would spend as much as 60 to 90 days in country. A good part of my time was assigned to OMS and wherever the airplanes were, we were there as well. The best month I spent in Vietnam was the month I was assigned to ABCCC at DaNang. Lived in a wood floor tent that was at least off the ground. Aircraft seldom had maintenance problems. ......Chris

Well......I definately had problems getting the pages to upload. I've made them smaller, so I'll try again. I don't know if you will be able to read them, though. Some body out there help an old guy figure out how to up load an eight and a half by eleven document?? Chris.................I suppose you could be right, I never thought about it. I've taken them down, thanks. Although, since I've taken them down, it has occured to me that these documents are public record and can be obtained with a request via the Freedom of Information Act.

Ken, good question. Seems that a lot of the conversation here and other places starts with C-130s in SEA from 1967 or '68. I was in and out of South Vietnam for a good part of 1965 and 1966, rotating back to the States in Jan. 1967. I never heard of "Herky Hill" 'til a couple of years ago. Attached is a little history of the build up of C-130 forces in SEA begining in April 1965. The first set of orders is "Operation Two Buck", TDY from Pope to Okinawa. I remember flying from both Naha and Kadena. I believe we were billeted at Naha. The next document is my travel voucher for Pope to Mac Tan, Aug. through Oct. 1965. Next page is the paper transfer from OMS (Pope) to 776 TCS in preperation for transfer to Tachi. Also you will find the "blanket orders" sending the 776th to Tachi, and my travel voucher. Next is a set of TDY orders to CRB, 1 April 1966. I do not seem to have the orders moving the 776th from Tachi to CCK. The next documents I have show me TDY from CCK to Nha Trang. The strangest thing about all of this is that I was not the kind to save things. I have no idea of why I saved all thes documents. I did not know I had them until I stumbled upon them a few years ago. These documents have proved to be priceless!!! I don't mean to bore you guys I hope you find this interesting......Chris

So as to muddy the waters a little more: the Va has several additional sub-catagories which may come into play on any particular claim, such as: P&T (permenant and total disability), this may be applied to a less than 100% rating and get you a payment equal to 100%. Then there is I.U. (individual unemployability), which in the end may also increase your entitlement. What this all amounts to is, just as you have been reading; if you feel you have a claim, file it. Don't take no for an answer. However, I would caution: the VA will pick apart a suspicious claim in a heart beat. In the end, if you are honest and tenatious and have a ligitimate claim you should file and you should be compensated.....Good luck Chris

Welcome home Dale, glad you found us. I think that (like most of us) you will find a home here. A quick note to Ken; Keep digging, buddy. As you mentioned, you never know when you may need documentation of "boots on the ground". It appears to me that the VA is really tightening the screws on us old guys (old farts!?!), so as long as you're able - keep digging! Chris

Good deal, the paper trail is starting to come together. As long as those travel orders are out there we know that there is other documentation out there as well. Good job Cliff. Isn't this a super site!?! Best wishes Becky and keep us up to date....Chris

This is the kind of thing that makes my heart ache. I don't know Ben, but I wish I did. This kind of thing should never happen. My thoughts are prayers are with Ben and Becky.......Chris

Could very well be Tuy Hoa, spent quite a bit of time there. What I do remember about this picture is that the tin roofs were hotter than hell and at a certain time of the day the sun reflected off them and made a great target for rockets! Old fart???!!! Sometime along the end of May I'll make you pay for that!!!!!!! Chris

Interesting conversation. I dug up this picture (it's one of ony a very few that I have of me in Vietnam) but have no idea of the location. Does this look familiar to any of you guys?

OK guys, I hate to show my ignorance, but this is really bugging me. What is E FLT? I was at CCK in 1966 and I realize that was pretty early in the game, but I don't recall anything called E Flt. Help??

One thing I've learned over the years: if the guy talks too much about it he probably didn't do it.

I'm really torn on this one. Todays young warriors (aren't our warriors always young?) are a product of the society in which they were raised. You all know my opinion on that. What amazes me and truely makes me proud is that despite the afore mentioned fact; they still line up for duty. Todays warriors are stil operating under the wrong headed engagement policies that we struggled with in Vietnam. Yet they persevere. However, I think back to the "first" gulf War and remember (on a different web site) where the C-130 crew members were complaining about the "sorry" condition of the C-130s they were flying. I remimded them that that old girl earned every ding, dent, scratch and scrape and wore them with pride. I recently saw, on the rear bumper of an old beat up pickup, "Never again shall one generation of veteran forget another generation of veteran". Bottom line: I agree with SEFEGeorge, but on the other hand......

hey jconner2, where is the Tye truck stop? I retired from 29 years of over the road driving and only occasionally got out Abiline way, but don't recall that name. Abiline TX or KS.??

I had made up my mind to ignore this whole thread from yesterday forward, however, wukong, your last line of your most recent post made me laugh. It seems lately I do not laugh enough......Thanks wukong!!!!!!! P.S. the posts by wukong and jconner2 are exceptionally well written, thanks to both. chris

I reply to this most recent post with great trepidation. I hope that Casey is at hand and if you are and you deem it necessary, please remove it. I agree with little of what wukong just wrote. "We" did not "lose" the Vietnam War. Please read my post that started this thread. Our country has been brain washed into this kind of thinking. We abandoned South Vietnam as we just recently abandoned Iraq. The United states had then and has now vital common interests in both countries and our governmental leadership choose not to safe guard those national interests. Please, please, I do not want to start a "blogg war"........Chris

More accurate would be: Troop Carrier/Tactical Airlift Association convention. Check out www.troopcarrier.org Chris