Mt.crewchief

On 11/16/2015, 6:12:51, tinwhistle said:

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...

Hey, I know that old fart

Speaking of Roman nose A Mod. gunships. I know that I have seen many pictures  of  the early Roman nosed gunships, but I almost will swear there was one parked in a revetment at Ubon when I was flying Blind Bat in the fall of 1968. It had a name on it, but of course I don't remember it. I have a hard bound book of gunships and it is in it, but maybe that's where I got the idea I saw it in person.

I'm too lazy to look for that book right now, but it probably has the dates in it. Could I be imagining it, or was there one there at that time without a radome?? 

Thanks,

Ken

Robert,

  Thanks for this post. I have spent years trying to explain what I did at Ubon Thailand in 1968 as a crew member of Bat 6. We flew 40 missions in all of the areas pictured, and had most of the things that can happen, happen to us. Of course, we were never hit!

  I do have some not too good pics of my Blind Bat experiences in my gallery.

Thanks again for your post. I am in the process of sending it to my friends that ask the most!

Ken

3 hours ago, APG85 said:

Nice story and pictures about this plane...

http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=57009

If I remember right, that airplane was in my squadron (35 th TAS) at Naha when I was there from 67-69. I worked on 56-0475.

Neat story,

Ken

18 hours ago, rc johnson said:

Just so happens that 0536 is the last four on my current Visa card. Newbies to CCK were bussed from Taipei to CCK when I got there in February 69 and when I left in May 70. We thought at the time it would have made sense to have been flown instead.

rc, not everybody went from Taipei to CCK via bus! When I arrived from Naha for my new duty at CCK, I was all alone and had to fend for myself. I took the train. I had no idea what anybody was saying so I started asking all of the passengers " he say Taichung?" Finally a nice guy said "Taichung Taichung!" I got off and was able to find a way to CCK from there!

This all took place in Mar. 69  

We might have known each other,

Ken

Good, that makes me feel better.

Getting any snow?

1st. snowfall of the season here!! 

Ken

On 11/16/2015, 3:43:03, bobdaley said:

AMARG update today.

2 ex Patrick H's made it to AMARG 64-14855 and 69-5824

MT ANG sent 74-1690 already sent 73-1597

Pitt AFRC sent 78-0807,0808, 0810 already sent 0809

Savannah ANG sent 80-0320 and 325

Reno already sent 79-0474

82-0058 which was at Elmendorf awhile ago, showed up last month

Bob

Bob,  What happens when a base such as Great Falls loses two birds to AMARG? Do they get replacements, or just operate short two planes? Are these planes replaced with newer H's or replaced with a J Mod.

Ken

Casey, I hope you are enjoying your birthday.     Ken

By the way, where is the birthday list on the forum?  Am I going blind??

Casey, forget my request I just pulled my head out of my a"".!!  Feels good to not be blind!!

Spectre 623,

I hope you are enjoying your birthday---after all, you're going to have it anyway.

Ken

Thanks Dutch, and thank you for your service.

Dutch's post says it all!!

All of you have a good day wherever you are,

Ken

It's been almost a week since my left knee was removed and replaced and signed off.

I would like to say that I and my knee are doing fine.  But, I have started physical therapy, and I can see that it will take awhile before I can brag about my super recovery and all. Sonny, it's almost like the therapist is a former 21st TAS chief that lurks on this forum!!

Or possibly the therapist was  the old guy that had to work on a silver bird!!   You know, the guy from Wisconsin.

Anyway, I am doing good and am working hard to get the other knee ready for R&R in a few months.

Thanks guys for your nice comments,

Ken

Thanks for your concerns guys. Actually I am excited to get the knees replaced. They aren't worth a damn the way they are now.

Bob, I am embarrassed to admit that I haven't been up to Great Falls yet! Seems that summer got in the way of things I really wanted to do. I have seen a couple flying over town, but never have my camera ready, and I do hear them go over quite often. A sound I will never forget! 

Chris, I would be happy to have you and Matt make a trip to Great Falls with me. While up there we could check out Glacier Park.

Sonny, thanks for your concern also. Maybe you need to go on a road trip also.

Ken

Good eye   "old timer"

Yeh, Chris, I suggested they replace my knees in the order of importance!!!!!! 

Ken

Well guys, I have a date for my first knee replacement----10/29/15

Unless of course Veterans Choice doesn't screw something up!!!

I will eventually compose a post on how Veterans Choice works.

Ken

Metalbasher,

  Thanks, that's what I way trying to say.

Ken

Thanks Sonny and Chris

Some of us guys need to get more regular.  Not with Prunes mind you, but on the forum.

Speaking of knee replacements, when I actually go under the knife/saw, I will have a long story about my trials and tribulations getting them done using the new Veterans Choice program.  

 I now have met the surgeon that is going to perform the operations, but have not gotten an appointment for when!! 

Maybe I will have some good news soon.

Thanks Chris and Sonny for your interest in my welfare.

Ken

 Chris, First of all, I want to thank you again for stopping by to see me. I wish it could have been longer.

Unless Chris is color-blind he wasn't looking at the 737's that come through Columbus (7 a week I think). They are all wrapped in a bright green plastic or whatever. It actually looks more like primer of sorts. As a side note, one of them slid into the Clark's Fork River in western Montana a year or so ago. They got it out and sent it on it's way.

  After Chris told me about his sighting, I got to thinking, that the trucks could have turned north just before getting to Butte and were headed for Great Falls.  Just a guess!

By the way, Chris has had a pretty rough year, but he now looks and acts like he's up to par again.

Tinshistle's status is OR

Ken

Funky, I already have a patch, but there is a guy on this forum that is looking for one!  He was the Maint. officer for the 35th during my time there. (67-69) . I can almost remember his name, and when I find it, I will let you know.  His forum name has F4 in it.

 I will check my messages and see if his is still in them.

I have been thinking about the 35th hats, and the ones I remember and had, didn't have the patch on them. Most of them had their name or nick-name on the back.

Good luck on your quest,

Ken

Funky, I just did some digging, and the guys that was looking for the 35th patch was F4ENut  His first name is Barry last name (I think), is Sanders.

Robert,   I could never forget the 374th FMS  !!  All of the shops saved my butt many times!  Remember, we were working on A Models! 

Also, you guys seemed to leave some nice useable tools behind on occasion.  You know, the kind that "crew chiefs" weren't allowed!!

Sonny, I would never think you would defect to the 35th!!!   You would have had to deal with Msgt. Andrew Haskell!!

Funky Zero, I have some pics in my gallery that I took while flying Blind Bat missions. Maybe some of them would jog your Dad's memory.

Good luck on the hats,

Ken

Sonny, I think the lighter green color is the one most common. 

I knew I could count one you to have a 35th hat in your pics.

You always wanted to be one of us!!!!!!!!!!

Ken

I remember the 35th hats well, and had one at one time. I do remember one time when we were told not to wear them, but not many guys paid attention to that!!  The hat would have Naha Okinawa on it! It wasn't called Japan that long ago!  I think 1972 was the date of the change!

I will go through my pics of that era as there should be at least one of the guys wearing a 35th hat.  Also, you may find some good pictures of one of the hats in the "users gallery" on this forum!

Good luck,

Ken

If my memory isn't failing me, bunches of 7's was used as a Bob Hope bird when I was at CCK . It probably was in 69!

A lot of the guys -including me, were sure they were going to use my plane (62-1804) because of it's nearly flawless flying record, but 777 had just gotten back from IRAN with a new paint job and spiffed up interior so they took it instead. Of course, as all of us C-130 guys know, our birds could decide to puke whenever they wanted and that's what happened! By then 1804 and I were on an input to CRB and were out of the running as a replacement.  The crew chief on one of the planes transporting the Bob Hope troop around told me that Connie Francis slept with her head on his shoulder all the way back to CCK one night and he was scared to move!!!

Now that I have told my 777 story, maybe it was 555 or something similar. If I need correcting, feel free!  I do remember now that is was for sure in 1969, CCK, and the Connie Francis part is probably true. I may even remember the crew chief's name. I just had a brain flash. I kind of think it was a guy from Michigan named Kvalheim. 

Surely one of you guys can help me out!!

Ken

Vince, nice pic! thanks for the memories,

Ken

I think it would be pretty hard to file for a hearing loss unless it is documented while in the service. I have a documented loss at Naha, and also filed for tinnitus  two

years ago. They acknowledged both but would only give me a 10% disability. 

I see I already said this above, but I think it bears repeating.  But, I was told by the gal that checked my hearing for my claim (hired by the VA), that there is no way they can dispute a tinnitus claim as there is no test that shows it! I think your job description while in the Air Force would qualify you!!

I do think an appeal will get you the 10% on the Tinnitus---retroactive to the day you filed the claim!!!  I think the $130.00 a month I get for listening to a variable pitch constant ringing  in my ears day and night is rather low for my work for four years on the Herk.  Don't get me wrong, I would do it all over again!!!!!! (of course with ear protection this time)

You know I can't count how many times I have answered the phone when nobody is calling!!!!!

Ken

Jay,

Thanks for the new info. I recently downloaded the Praetorian Starship to my Kindle, but haven't started it yet. I will definitely check into the black bird sight.

I did see a few of the "Blackbirds" from time to time while in SEA, but other than the hooks on the front I didn't know what their mission was.

Ken