gizzard

I just looked through a list of awards and decs the AF now issues. There are at least four I would have been entitled to had they existed during my service time, just as "been there done that's" and the possibility of three or four more had I been in through, say 1994. That is not counting any, however so unlikley, major awards that could have been earned, like Air medals, etc. plus, now there is the plethora ( how's that for a big word from an old loady?" ) of badges for everything. While I guess there is nothing wrong with that,why do the majority of them, at least from a distance look like jump wings????? Also, I have heard that they give the Bronze Star out for just about anything anymore. I hope that is not the case, because that in my day, was still considered a significant award. At the 316th reunion couple weeks ago, there was a young, yeah I know that is relative, but still........MSG who must have had seven rows or more of fruit salad, and probably had only been in maybe ten years... My God, at that rate, somebody doin' twenty would look like a forty year general by the time they get out. I think wearin' BDU's for all occasions is a poor idea as well, and who's grand idea was the shiny collar insignia, etc????? I guess some of you guys will remember the attempt to make the blues a double-breasted suit, made ya look like a cross between a a Navy CPO and a bus driver........ASnd finally, and i think my buddy Bob Woods made this observation, the one design for the AF memorial in DC looked like a damn five-legged spider, because some desk jockey made the statement that the AF was about for than flying!? WTFO???? Where did the old AF go?????????? Sorry, guys, my medicine is not workin' today!!!!!!!!!! load clear Giz

yeah, that MOH thing was bantered about around here for a while. tell ya what a desolate area I'm in???? You're right, easy call. It is always easier to send someone else into harm's way than to go yourself. giz

And some pin-heads wanted to give Obama the MOH for givin' the green light to take out Bin Laden???? Giz

Shows to go ya that a lot of times the people in charge don't realize that if the mechanics and so on did not do their jobs and do them well and quickly, there would be no need for flight crews. I learned that early on, and always tried to do whatever I could to let know they were appreciated. So even after almost thirty 38 years since my last flight, I still wanna say thanks to all those guys who did the dirty, unsung work. I might not still be here if you hadn't done so well. load clear giz

BTW, did anyone notice on our seating sign that #3 is feathered? How's that for historical accuracy...........Some of us discussed this, and believe of all the shutdowns we had as a group, most were #3.......................... Giz

Here's a tattoo seat sign, with all but two attendees on it.................... Proof of "Boots on the ground" Giz

Jerry did a great job gettin' things lined up, especially that 40,000+ bunch of people who greeted us at the tattoo.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I seriously doubt if there has been a C-130 cheered so heartily on a fly-over in a long time. Big question, to me, is why did all the wives look so young and the guys so worn out???????? I am so glad i went, and my wife enjoyed it immensely as well. can't wait 'til the next one!!!!! Giz

if I understand my counselor right, as well as the experience of a couple non-in country troops i know, Diabetes is considered service connected, AO exposure or not. Am I confused on this?? doesn't take much...............But is is included on the list of things they are going evaluate me for that have no connection to AO. I may have misinterpreted it due to my reduced hearing acuity... Giz

sounds pretty much like what I have done over the past three weeks or so, I am also a 6, had the AO registry exam, they used some of my medical reports from a physical I just had, and as she went through the process,checkin' off everything, she found several items that would qualify me for some VA disability. I am, all told, in good condition for 62, and that is in defiance of my prior career as a firefighter. As for the PSA, my wife is an oncology nurse, and recent studies have shown two things, while the PSA is an INDICATOR, the old finger wave, properly done, has a MUCH higher detection rate, and much earlier. Number two, a lot of the forms of prostate cancers are so slow growing that the patient dies of something else, like old age.BUT I and she, both heartily agree with Muff when he encourages the test, but make sure you have a good rectal exam also. I have had, as i stated in another post on this board, a good experience with VA up to this point. far better than my dad had, for sure. I certainly am not out to get anything handed to me, but these folks are goin' out of their way to finally say "Thank you" in a meaningful way. The one thing I have experienced dealin' with these people is a strange feelin' in my chest, it is, i think, a bit of pride coming back. I think, also, if they are doing things like this for me, then our poor brothers and sisters who have suffered way more than i have, are, most likely, well cared for too. I am certain there are those who play the system and all, but most are decent people, just like the ones on this board. Especially you Nam guys, would you have expected such care, concern and help forty years or so ago??????????? Let's hope the new generation gets taken care of as well. Okay, too long over DZ, red light on, doors comin' closed. Giz

Yep, that is probably the reason. We seem to have a pretty high volume of "superdimensional" traffic through here anymore. But with some of the big mountains they have ascend or descend, it is amazing they don't clobber in somewhere. Just here from the Allegany county line to the Garret County line they have 50 miles or so of mountains. Guess it is better than draggin the top of the load off on an underpass. Those drivers have got some big ones. Giz.

must be the time of year for wingless aircraft.the Hudson River miracle bird came through my area two weeks ago on its way to Charlotte. Now why it came this far west, on I-70/68, and then presumably down I-79 way over in West Virginia I ain't got a clue, I don't think they could have picked a more mountainous route. anyway, i saw it, so I guess that's a plus!!!!!!!!!!! Load clear giz

Gary and all, here is the next page in my quest for this, and it is scary...........Two weeks ago today I send off a SF180 to get travel records for the time I was in VN. I then contacted the VA hospital in martinsburg, WV about the registry exam. they said ihad to come down to register, which I did. Spent about an hour gettin' the information recorded, and then the guy i am workin' with, decides now is a good time for me to enter the VA medical system as well. Coulda said come back, coulda not said anything at all, but very professionally and courteously we did that. had to schedule an exam, but they called FIRST. got set up, had a very good exam by a very professional Nurse practitioner, who then advised me that, based up what the exam and my history showed, i was also eligible for some service related compensation, and was directed on how to do that....... Went to the local state VA office, a great little guy, an Iraq vet, went out of his way helpin' me there..... THEN, on Monday this week, i got a letter from the records center, i figgered that it would say sorry. but No, there was five pages of travel vouchers.....HOWEVER, my memory must be bad or somethin' or I just plauin screwed that up, because there are several places missing, that i remember vividly, like haulin 245 Vietnamese out of Hue( I think ) or the trips we made to Clark during the big monsoon that got us a phillipine Presidential unit citation. Some of the writing and all just doesn't look quite right, but hell, who knows. The main thing is that i now have the 'boots on the ground" documentation, and my other claims are in process. So far, I have not had one issue, YET!!!!!!!!!! don't know about down the road, but it hasn't been the nightmare and snakes nest i have heard others experience. I am pleasantly surprised up to this point, we shall see. To the rest of you, go for it, see what happens, we have all earned this stuff, not laid on our lazy asses with our hands out, and should take advantage of all we are entitled to. I'll keep you all posted on what happens and hope to see some of you at Wright -Pat next week....... load clear Giz

Oh I agree with you, George......that's what i had in mind also. I never really thought about the loads ont her ADS arms, but then again we airdropped way heavy stuff across them, don't know how much load or for how long they were exposed to the loadings. It was the content of my training that said the purpose milk stool or other device was to keep the aircraft from tilting back from the load on the ramp.............. as for the bladders, how much fuel was in them? I cannot remember for the life of me, but it seems like around 30k pounds or so??? I got these as my first mission as a primary loadmaster on some bare-base gaggle......................I sure was glad I had the benefit of having some of the best instructors in TAC, so I had an idea of what to do........... They were outstanding........... Giz

what's a loadmaster's chair? intake plugs?????????????

You are probably right, RR. I can't remember the name we had for them. Only used a few times, seems to me they were stowed in the door above where the vehicle ramps went. As I recall, they were rather heavy for their size, that's probably why they didn't get used that much. Giz

You are probably right, RR. I can't remember the name we had for them. Only used a few times, seems to me they were stowed in the door above where the vehicle ramps went. As I recall, they were rather heavy for their size, that's probably why they diodn't get used that much. Giz

From talking with the old-time Loadmasters, they've had them and carried them for quite a while.

When and where did it become common practice to carry one of these things on board??????????? I checked with a couple other guys who flew the same time I did, and best we can recall it was either use one from freight, improvise, or worst case, in certain areas, do whatcha had to do................... i remember havin' the horizontal wheel chock fall off the vertical once and land on the top of my foot. punishment I guess for violating procedures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BTW, weren't the aft supports on the C-141 operated by fuel instead of hydraulic fluid?????? I seem to remember soemthin' about that, but then again, where the hell are my truck keys????????? Giz

Me, too, Chuck, me too. I remember seein' in another thread a while back about carryin' a milk stool on board. I NEVER, to the best of my memory, ever flew with one on board, but we always had four chocks, at least.........Never put a bird on its tail load clear giz

My 214 gives days in Indochina and Korea.(wonderin' if the present ones do? ) anyway, i was diagnosed with Type II I guess three years or more ago now, luckily diet controlled (well MOST of the time). Did a preliminary VA bennie check a while back, said I had too much net worth to qualify for medical. Now, I would not want to take anything from somebody that deserves it, and I also know people who have their own businesses and every damn thing else who use the VA for their prescriptions and everything. Certainly my four years service is eclipsed by some of you guys makin' a life career out of the military, and i hear stories about you all gettin' hosed. But when i see a president, congress and state legislators givin' stuff away to FREAKING ILLEGALS, I get pissed when they tell me I don't qualify..........Reckon I am goin' to have to get hooked in with an advocate and get somethin' started. If i am correct, there used to be a time frame for AO exposure, but now that it is not the case? When you consider all the trash that we put into our airplanes that had dust, dirt, who knows what on it, doin' engine runnin on load and off loads with the dust flyin, and all that, i just don't think ANY aircrew should ignore this. Hopefully there will be no health issues for you, but ya gotta check to be sure anyway. Oh yeah, one more thing, how about the mesothelioma stuff? Now i know a lot of this is just to generate income for lawyers, but wasn't a great deal of asbestos used on the C-130's, especially the earlier ones?????????????? Giz

After a bout of rootin' around I found a copy of the TDY orders we had when the 36th was sent to CCK and so on......Think this would be a beginning to track down information??????? Of course it does not give any specific destination,just "from this station to * * *" It does have a special order number and so on.

okay, guys, readin' this has opened my eyes. I think I had better be gettin' stuff lined up as well. I have nothing that I know of yet, but as a retired firefighter in the People's Republick of Maryland, I am presumed to develop heart and lung issues. That I have no problem proving, but I don't have a damn thing that verifies that I actually walked on Vietnamese soil, or that I flew out of NKP, which I believe was recently verified as an Agent Orange site as well. So any suggestions as to where I should start looking??????? Too damn dumb 41 years ago to keep all my vouchers, etc. Please, please, you young guys out there don't mess up like uis old farts have. KEEP EVERYTHING!!!!!!! Thanks brothers Giz

Guess this is the proper place for this. If not, I am sure Bob will put it will put it int he right place....anyway, I was wondering how the interest int he 316th reunion next month is going. How many of you out there plan to attend??? Giz

I'm a Chinook, too......................... must be a characteristic of Herk people........... Giz

I was at Langley from 70 to 74, and must have made a couple dozen trips down there, droppin' troops and trash,that sort of thing. once we took about six or so birds down for some gaggle, seems like one of the wing commanders was the lead, got there, found out they knew nothin' about us comin, ate at the flight line snack bar, jumped into our big green and tan noise makers and went home. Used to try to get the deriggin' all done before we got into the pattern at langley. Mostly made it, too. remember 'Heart of Fayetteville" motel, Bonnie Prince Charles, all that. Fun times, for sure....................glad we have memories to keep this stuff alive..