Mike Brasfield

I flew in/out of Tachikawa many times. Sometimes as a LM on a C-130E but mostly on C-124 out of McChord in Tacoma. I remember well the baloons and kites. We always had to make a steep diving approach as well a steep takeoff to avoid the obstructions. Seems there were always protest at Tachikawa but don't have a clue as to why. There never seem to be any problems a Yokoda.

You know, as I read the post I keep hearing from or about the CC's. I don't recall ever having one on board my aircraft. Perhaps the CC's were assisgned to the AC by tail number and I never met them. Most of the general aircraft general issues seem to be handled by my FE. I was TDY at every base the c-130E's flew from. Where were you CC's hiding when I was re-rigging the AC? I did a lot of re-rigging in route from an off load point to a different on load point that required an new configeration. I think my AC helped once as did the FE. There was a documentary called "Wings" on the discovery channel once. It was a special on the C-130 and about how it came into it's own during the battle of Khe San. I was shocked to see my AC in the film helping on load some troops through the troop doors. He must have seen the camera's as we approached the tar mac and was mugging it up for the camera's.

Had used the pallets to move pax on many occasions. However, I don't remember ever using straps. Just instructed to lock arms with the guy next to each other for landing and takeoff. Most of the pax were Vietnames prisioners or RVN's. I did have ocassion to move some Marines/Army from front area's under fire. All they wanted was in the aircraft. They could care less about restraint. "combat essential" We did rig somedays for in country passenger runs. Full complement of seats with seat belts. It was really tight with a full load in this confirguation. Also flew many medical evacs with full complement of Dr/nurse and litters. Actually flew missions with ever confirguation the aircraft was designed for.

Agree that most Navy chow halls were the best. Midway was good, so was the one in Cold Bay. Never quite understood why SOS was only served at midnight chow at CCK. Think maybe other bases did the same. But.....Navy Chow Halls the best.

I supported my claim by taking in my awards (DFC, Air Medals, Ect.) The awards had statements like "while flying to Dong Ha along the DMZ, Sgt. Brasfield distinguished himself by................." Also, if you have your flight records it might show. There is a colum heading "MSN SYM". I think this means mission symbol. Since MacTan was reopened to support Vietnam most of your flights should be to/fm P.I. or in country TDY. Some of my friends went to MacTan From McChord where I was stationed before CCK. While flying out of McChord in 1964-65 on C-124's we set up Mactan. It was a tent city during the early days. I enjoyed Lapu Lapu, how about you? Sorry don't know you. I know your delima, "secret vietnam personnel". No one knows you were there except Johnson and McNamera.

Took my basic load master training at Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls, TX. Just up the road from Lackland and alot different. It's more classroom training than basic and a different enviorment. Didn't get acutal flight training until I got to my first assignment at McChord AFB, WA. Looking back, it was the best time of my life. Wish I had made a career out of the AF instead of only 4 years. Good luck.

I went through the same thing. There was no record of my service in Vietnam. Thankfully I saved my entire file including my flight records and gave them copies of my DFC and Air Medal citations. That did the trick. However, I seem to recall there was some records file fire in Colorado that was the blame for me not having a file "on file". Good luck, I was there 67-68 out of CCK on C-130E and don't remember meeting Devin.

We tried a "buddy start" at Danang one evening.....no luck. We were empty and headed back to CRB so we took off with 3 turning and 1 at attention. This was late '67 or early '68.

I traveled throughout the Pacific and I found that most of the NAS had the best food. Midway WAS good but I think the best chow was in Cold Bay, Alaska. Midnight chow wasn't bad at CCK. Great SOS.

Hi Pat.....nice to share information with you. My AC was Capt Gerald Kitchen, Co-pilot was Capt. Gary Anderson and Nav was Capt Clifford Dykes. I enjoyed flying with Capt Kitchen. He was an IP as well as all the crew were instructions except our FE. I though Capt. Kitchen had some "balls". One night we were at Danang as it started to get dark. There were only 2 birds left on the ramp as every night the base was taking rockets so it was supposed to be cleared of aircraft before dark each night. We couldn't start #3. We even tried to get an "air start" from the next to last herkybird on the base. He backed up and spun #3 with his prop wash but the engine would not light off. Rather than leave the aircraft exposed we taxied by the tower with 1 and 4 turning and ended up taking of (aircraft was empty) with #3 standing at attention. As soon as I blocked the wheels at Cam Rahn Bay the OIG rolled up and took the AC in for questioning. It seems someone from the flight deck called in the incident to some one in OPS. Many years later I saw a film of the history of the C-130 on history channel (Wings). It detailed our adventures at Khe Sahn and darn if Capt. Kitchen wasn't in the film helping PAX's in through the rear troop door. I think he saw the film crew and hammed it up for the movie. Great times and great crew members back then.

Cfisher....I arrived at CCK in Feb of '67, a couple of months after you. Flew as a "3 striper" LM with the 345 TAS, 314 TAW. FW was Guy Williams. Ring a Bell?

anyone know how to capture an image off of a DVD? I didn't take photo's while in Vietnam but I did take some movies. I have a video of the plane mentioned above that the Marines moved off the runway. It wa stripped and the front gear has clearly been torn away.

Hey, I started in MATS (May Arrive Tomorrow Sometime) flying as a Loadmaster on the C-124's before it changed to MAC. No noticible change there. Not long after the base (McChord) transistioned to C-141's and I thought things couldn't get any better. Next, off to CCK, TAC and C-130E. I really didn't notice any real change because the mission changed. Looking back I can't really remember any real BIG change between MAC and TAC. I did like the fact that in TAC we were assigned to a crew that always flew together compared with MAC of never having the same crew.

Welcome home brother(s)

I made quite a few CDS drops over Khe Sanh during Feb/Mar 1968. Both practice at CCK and actual combat drops were well below 10,000 feet. I took some movies of the loads leaving the C-130E and the chutes fully open just prior to hitting the ground. I would say no more than 1,000 to 1,500 feet max. When approach Khe Sanh DZ we would always confirm color smoke and then drop our load. On one particular drop the DZ command post did not comfirm drop pattern or "on target" reply after our load was delivered. Standard procedure was to hold over target until confirmation. After some time we finally received a confirmation from the ground on the FM radio (walkie-talkie). Seems a "streamer" took out the radio communications jeep. We were asked to drop a "new jeep" with radio communications gear on our return trip. On a different drop we were delivering a fully load of 105mm rounds. While rigging the load the AC came to me (Loadmaster) and asked what to expect. That this was going to be his first "full load" combat drop. I advised him that he could expect a completely loaded aircraft with the CG sitting on the ramp at "green light" Well this was one drop I filmed. When the load was on the ramp all the camera was showing was the ground below. When the load cleared I went weightless and the camera caught nothing but clear blue sky. After landing the AC came to me and his face was like someone with the flu, no color. He said had he not been warned about the radical change in flight characteristics we would have stalled and probably crashed. Not comforting news for me because we were rigging for another sortie. Khe Sanh caused us to develop many types of new delivery (air and ground) in order to spend little or no time stationary on the ramp. Our "motor magnets" were too big of a target for the VC to miss. On most occasions, when we touched the runway, we were on rotation while our doors were coming closed. I would release the load manually and the piolt hit the throttle(s) and the load just slid off the door. The FE's had designed skids (like sled runners) on the bottom of the rear door. The door was lowered to the ground while we taxied and I would manually release the load. The pilot would then throttle up and the load would slide out the back while we kept moving. On one of the "non-stop" off loads we were delivering a full load of 175mm projectiles. One pallet broke loose and these 205lb shells went spinning all over the ramp. The Marines were jumping and hopping all over the ramp in order to avoid being hit by our load. Thankfully no one was injured, only our pride took a hit.

Welcome.....I was at CCK from Feb 67 to May 68. Loadmaster in the 345th. Returned to Sewart for discharge in June of 68.

Our group was hauling abound BH and his show one year when the lady headliner was Racquel Welch. She was such a bitch everyone wanted to carry Less Brown and the band instead of Bob and Raquel.

Is that similar to the old CDS system we used at CCK?

Nice to hear the 345th is going back in service. I really enjoyed my days and the men I served with during my tour at CCK in the late 60's.

Thanks for the great photo's. For some reason I only took movies of the time I was stationed at CCK (Feb 67 - May 68). I have some great photo's of the base and Taichung. Love the photo' of the "VD Express".

At the time you mentioned I was with the 345th TAS at CCK, Taiwan. I did my advanced C-130E training in Kadena. For the life of me I can't remember anthing about the town outside of base. I do remember a sq. of F-105's were stationed at Kaden at this time. (Thuds?)

Years ago I was rotating back from Asia and sought to return to my last duty station. The USAF felt I was better needed at a different base. I sought the help from my "Congressman" and he agreed to help and contacted the USAF on my behalf. It really caused a BIG DEAL. I was called in and asked why I insisted on getting Congress involved in a USAF personnel issue, yada, yada, yada. Long story short. The USAF HQ lied to the Congressman and I went to my earlier assigned base way. DO GO UP THE CHAIN OF COMMAND TOO FAR. IT WILL CAUSE MORE HARM THAN GOOD. When I was discharged I went to meet and explain to my Congressman what happened. He was not too surprised and apologiezed. He was running for re-election so I shigned on as a volenteer and helped him win another term.

I remember being so sleep deprived I could sleep on anything. Troop seat, litter, cargo. It didn't matter. Once we were coming back from Thailand and we had a pallet of cargo nets. It made a nice bed but I was "on duty" and some grunts staked out the "bed". When we landed and off loaded the pallet we noticed something moving. It turned out to be a 12' King Cobra. The "grunt" that was sleeping saw the snake and about fainted.

MATS........May Arrive Tomorrow Sometime. Remember???????

Our group set up Mactan in 1965. It was a deserted base left over from WWII at that time. We were flying C124's out of McChord. I enjoyed Lapu Lapu and the beaches there. Some of our guys ended up going to Mactan and flew the "B" while I went to CCK and flew the "E".