Mt.crewchief

While I am on a roll here are a couple more---I think!

http://herkybirds.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=87&stc=1&d=1234929982

http://herkybirds.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=88&stc=1&d=1234930065

While stationed at CCK my room-mates acft. 62-1854 was shot up real bad at Quan Loi RVN and was rebuilt and flown out later. It seemed like several months, but I am not sure. I found the pics in the gallery. More under (3818) His name was John Rosenfeld--From Denver

Ken Carlson

http://herkybirds.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=86&stc=1&d=1234929383

I was at CCK from Mar. 1969 to June 1970, and was in the 314th OMS. I can't remember ever seeing a patch for the 314th. I am sure there was one. If any of you have one from that period, could you post a pic of it so I can add it to my album.

Thanks,

Ken Carlson

donwan, i remember that story well. It is true that the philppinos did steal a fire truck and drove it right out the main gate. It was in the mid 60s. It was located at some near by town but all id marks and serial numbers had been removed and the us officials could not prove that it was an af vehicle.....posession is 9/10s of the law???

Muff

obtw i could not fly within 10000 feet of the pi and not get arroused.

NOW, THAT's FUNNY !!!!! Good one Muff

Yeh, and all the time you were working/sweating, the dispatcher in the radio truck was wanting to know when your bird would be O. R. so he could get it scheduled for a morning mission!!!

We had a great time didn't we,

Ken

I was told that this load was the computers for the army payroll in Korea. I am not quite sure of that, but we did deliver it to Osan. It took a lot of jockeying to get that thing loaded!

I think that was the trip to Cubi Pt. that the local (civilian) fuel-truck driver came out with JP-5 and I wouldn't use it until somebody came along and told me that it was okay to use!

Just scanned a slide of one of my buddies at CCK changing a brake on 62-1804. Probably in 1969. His name is John Chase. He was also awarded with a consecutive overseas tour shortly after I received mine! We both were at Naha in the 35th before coming to CCK.

Enjoy and remember,

Ken

Nope, Sonny, I am going to stick with my story! I would like to blame the local beverages, but I distinctly remember thinking I would go inside the terminal just to see if I could see who was flying such a bird!!!

I almost think there was a brightly painted Dodo Bird or a Kangaroo on the vertical stabilizer!

Then again!!!!!

Ken

Looking for an answer to a question I have had for many years--since 1970!!!

I was at Naha for a Wing-Tip Light TCTO on 62-1804 from CCK. While I was there waiting for a crew to fly it back to CCK, there was a C-130 parked in the transit area where I was parked, and it had two sets of prop blades on each engine! One set in front of another. I don't remember if they were three bladed or four. The plane was painted a bright brown camo. pattern and I think it was from Australia or somewhere like that! Maybe New Zealand.

There was some insignia on it but I can't remember what it was. If I remember right it was a bird or some kind of animal!

I think I had sobered up from a weeks stay partying with old friends, so I am sure I am not imagining it! Do any of you guys know what I saw, or better yet do you have a pic?

Thanks in advance for your replies,

Ken Carlson

The stories of you guy's TDY's are the reason I was planning on staying in the USAF, but after 18 months at Naha, and a consecutive overseas tour to CCK for 15 months, you can imagine why TDY's weren't that exciting! Cam Rahn Bay wasn't exactly my idea of seeing the world!!!! I did spend a little extra time in in Ubon and Bankok, but the rest of my TDY's were caused by break downs in Japan, Korea, etc., and I didn't get to leave the airplane!

I could have gone to Turkey with my C-133 at Dover, but I was scared to ride on it!!!!

Keep the good TDY stories coming,

Ken

No, I pulled CQ just around the corner from my room! There was also a CQ on duty with me from the 51st Civil Engineering Squadron that was on the other side of the barracks.

I am still in contact with my old roommate Gary Levesque, maybe he can shed some light on my questions!

Of course, I may be losing my mind and not even realize it!

Thanks for your input Sam,

Ken

Sam, I do remember the aircrew barracks down the hill toward the flightline, but I also remember having some kind of aircrew members (enlisted) living upstairs in our barracks! I do remember the wake-up list, and going upstairs and knocking at their doors . One of the guys I had to wake up I remember as being a Jamaican, and he had a wall full of pics of his conquests (local lovelies)! He was quite a ladies man---at least in his own mind! I do think he was a loadmaster, but could have been a flight engineer! This was in the early part of my Naha tour, and I got to know or recognize the flight crews when they flew our airplanes, and I don't remember seeing him again!! Any ideas???

Thanks for your input,

Ken

Ghostrider, After reading your post, I dug out my DD214 and checked to see if I got any medals. I DID get my VSM ! I also got among the other standard things, was a RVCM. I can't remember what that was. While I was at Naha, the 374th got a Presidential Unit Citation, and something else "Presidential" Neither of those two are on my 214, but they probably weren't important?

Also, during the Pueblo Incident", our planes at Naha participated in a 521 mission to Korea. Do any of you guys remember any of the details? I know the 35th took part in them, but I think all of the squadrons were involved. It seemed we were hauling equipment to Korea to stage a military build-up, and then hauling it back after dark, and then doing it all over again.I am sure I have managed to screw up some of the details, but that's what I remember! I remember being told there was a Korean Medal for that also! I think I got one, but it is not on my 214.

Thanks for your replys,

Ken Carlson

jrkraegi, You knew me ?---More details please!

Ken

I have always wondered about something, and never could get an answer! Of course, it has been years since I asked!

I had a good friend at Naha who was in the 21st. TAS and then became a crew-chief in E-Flight. His name is John Eggers. I always asked him just what he did when he went flying, and he would never tell me anything. Even after a whole lot of beer! A few years later he and I met up again at Dover AFB and we went to C-133 FTD classes together, and then instead of going back to the flight-line the rest of the day, we went fishing and of course drank a few beers! He was planning to get out of the AF after 8 years, and even then he wouldn't tell me anything about E-Flight He wouldn't even tell his wife while she was with him in Okinawa!

So---maybe it would be okay to ask that question now--after all, it has been a few years!!!

I'm sure at least one of you forum members were in E-Flight, maybe you could enlighten me!

Did any of you guys know John? I think he is still working or recently retired from an aircraft related job down south!

Thanks for your replys,

Ken Carlson

PS He was in E-Flight in 1968/69

Sam,

Thanks for the info, as always, you seem to be able to contribute accurately! I and Chris Carter are examples of maint. men becoming flare kickers TDY. We both jumped at the call for volunteers and the 35th let us go only because we had our 5-level training done. We had to go to Kadena for the Physiological Training and the altitude chamber. We also had to qualify on the range again this time with the revolvers also! We didn\'t know what crew we would be on until the day we left Naha. I was thinking we flew three training missions with another crew, but it might not have been that many! I do remember at least one of the training missions, and it scared the crap out of all of us--including the crew training us! If I remember correctly, we flew 40 missions altogether. At least, I received two Air Medals and was told you got one for every 20 combat missions!

I posted a picture of our crew on the Blind Bat section, and still have never found out much about what ever happened to all of the guys on the crew!

We did have guests at times. Once there was an important General that flew with us (I can\'t remember his name), and once a combat photographer. He also took our crew picture!

Thanks for reading this,

Ken

I don\'t ever remember being in a squadron picture, but I know I didn\'t get one if I was. I would sure like to see it if one ever shows up.

I was in the 3774th Training Squadron and started Basic Jan 04 1967. I KNOW the date is right, but I am not positive about the Flight Number.

The rest of the pictures look like a fine bunch of gentlemen!--especially the guys that ended up in the C-130 related career fields! :lol:

Ken

Do any of you guys remember the newer modern hotel on the right side of the highway going to town from Naha AB. If I remember right it was pretty close to the Army Base, The Naha Wheel which was on the port? If some of us guys were home on pay-day, we would go to that hotel cafe, and get a delicious Filet Mignon and drinks before heading into town to raise hell and chase the \"local lovelies\"

The steaks we got there were as good as any I have ever eaten since--even the Angus Beef here in Montana! I think a large Filet Mignon with drinks was about $9.00. A lot of money on our pay!!!

Somebody has to remember the name of that hotel.

Ken

donwon, I did a tour of swing shift on the tow-refuel/defuel team and also on the flightline \"specialist\" dispatch truck or van! Working swing-shift was always the best for the night-life! I don\'t ever remember ever having curfews or base passes, but would probably have ignored them anyway. We did get caught a few times in bars after hours by the CP\'s (civilian police).

Several of us did get caught in a bar downtown on Kokusai Street, which was off-limits. The AP\'s took us to the AP Shack in Naminoue and released us after calling 1st. Sgt Galloway. We got a free ride to Naminouie that evening!

It was a good thing most of us Maint. guys were TDY most of the time, or we would have gotten in a lot more trouble--or worse!:laugh: :laugh:

Ken

Hey, thanks guys, those posts are just what i was looking for. It was a pretty high powered bunch on that flight! I wonder why there were so many people aboard. Most of the time we flew, there were just the 7 of us. Sometimes we had guests though! I knew a Knebel at Naha, I went through tech school with him, but he was a two striper the last time I remember, and his name was Johnny. I did lose a good friend in 1970 on a gunship in Laos. His name was Ronnie Hensley. He was in the 35th with me and when I went to CCK, he went to Ubon. I didn\'t know what had happened to him until a year ago when I started looking up the losses on the Hercules Headquarters forum.

Thanks again,

Ken

Sonny,

Thanks for your reply. Do you have any more info other than the date etc? I'm looking for more details such as crew members etc. You know official write-ups etc. Do you happen to know the crew-chiefs of 0477 at the time? I was at Naha at the time, and I am starting to remember some of the details, but have always wondered what I have forgotten.

Thanks for any more info you might have,

Ken

I thought I would post a picture of the Main Gate. Somewhere we all saw or should have seen as we returned to the base from Naminoue in a \"skoshi-cab\" or one of the blue Ford Fairlanes base taxi\'s!

You know, I was going to mention the Turkey Farm, but thought I would keep this forum clean!!! When I first got to Naha, there was a rusted out Plymouth(probably a 1960) with \"Momma Do-rights\" Turkey Farm painted on the doors. I learned later that the Turkey Farm could be found out the back-gate. Not first hand of course!!:laugh: :laugh:

I do remember the New York Steak House and ate there a few times. I used to have a bunch of business cards the bars gave out. I will see if I can find any of them! Do you guys remember what Naminoue looked like in the daylight?

Ken

While looking at the list of missing pics of Bob Daley's gallerys, I can't remember the fate of 56-0477 c/n [cn]3085[/cn]. I am having a hard time believing that I don't remember it or what happened to it especially since I was involved in Blind Bats etc. during the time it was lost. Was it a Naha bird or was it from Tachikawa? I'm assuming Naha, and thats why I can't figure out why I don't remember it!

If any of you have the complete story on it, I would like to hear it.

Thanks,

Ken

Muff, I don\'t recall that place. Unless I knew it by one of our own made-up names! What evening entertainment establishment was it closest to?:laugh:

Ken