Pat Hatch

Chris, great photos. I had to look up the tail number in my old logbook as I thought I recognized it and, yes, I flew this airplane a couple of times during my tour in 67-68 out of CCK. You were probably gone by then. Thanks! Pat

Thanks for the responses... I found what I was looking for on the VA site as you suggested. Thought it would be much more difficult than it turned out. Lots of good information there.

I got to Sewart April '67, went through 4442nd pilot school, sent to CCK for 13 months (50th) and back to Sewart in '68 with the 61st, then school squadron again, until they moved us to LRAFB in March '70. Met my wife in Nashville too. Great place, we get back there often to visit my wife's family.

Thought I would update this thread. I went through the DAV and applied to the VA for a service connected hearing loss from my time in Vietnam, etc. A few days ago I got the notice from the VA to report to the West Palm Beach VA hospital for a hearing evaluation. At about the same time I got a call from the VA hospital requesting the information to get enrolled. They also asked if I wanted to schedule an Agent Orange screening. I really didn't know the answer to that, so I kind of put if off. I must say, though, that I was duly impressed with the response that I got from the VA. I went to my hearing/tinnitus evaluation a few days ago and again was tremendously impressed by both the facility and the service I received there. I was told that it would be approximately another 3 months before I would hear the results of my case. My DAV case officer keeps referring to the possibility of receiving a service connected disability, but I'm not real sure what that means and was hesitant to ask. My intent from the beginning was just to try to get the hearing aids and I'm not sure what other benefits are out there that I might be entitled to. It would be great if someone could explain exactly what a service connected disability means in terms of benefits, etc. Much of the initial information that prompted me to apply for this benefit, I received from this list and for that I am very grateful. Hope this forum will get others to apply for benefits they might not be aware of, it did for me.

Just curious, what does a 60% disability get you? I recently applied for a hearing loss consideration with the VA and have been hearing terms like 0% disability, 10% disability, etc. What does this mean? I would just like them to pay for hearing aids, not sure what disability if any I'll get. I recently had my hearing evaluation done at the VA Hospital in West Palm Beach, FL, and was pretty impressed by the facility and the testing that I got there. They told me it would probably be a few more months before I hear from them. After I got signed up at the VA, they called me and asked if I would like to have my Agent Orange screening scheduled. I told them I'd get back to them. Not sure what I should do about that either. But I was impressed that they got back to me.

Muff I am well on my way, I've already been assigned a Service Officer at DAV and they are in the process of submitting my paperwork. They appear to be very helpful, good organization in my opinion. I had been contributing to them for years anyway after hearing good things about them. Like Sam, I'm convinced that part of my hearing loss is due to my 3,500 hours of C-130 time. Not to mention the arty fire we were all subject to at various times and places incountry. I spent my 13 months over there and had a pretty bad crash landing with a big bang at the end, so that didn't help. That and the Caribou ride back to TSN did me in for about 2 weeks! A had a loud ringing noise that would only go away with copious amounts of alcohol! I found out about my hearing loss in my 40's when I took the obligatory hearing tests required by my employment, and it's only getting worse--the little numbers down at the bottom of the TV are almost up to the max now when I adjust the volume. Yup, I get a lot of complaints around the house! I went to the VA site and filled out 3 forms. All pretty simple, sent them to my case officer at DAV and they said they would guide me from here, all at no charge of course. Let's see what happens...Thanks!

Ralph, Larry, Charlie, Thanks for the great information, guys; I'm applying through the DAV folks and I'm in the process of doing my paperwork. They even had an old VA claim # for me even though I out-processed 39 years ago. I was only in the Air Force for 5 1/2 years, so wasn't sure I would be eligible, but we shall see. I guess it depends on the outcome of the hearing tests, and my specific circumstances, so... Sounds like I might have a good chance of getting some help. That would be great. I'd probably have to be almost deaf before I would spend the $6K on my own!

Just wondering if anyone with C-130 time and a hearing loss ever been successful in making a claim to the VA. As I approach 67, I have to admit my hearing isn't what it used to be. I had always heard the high frequency noise such as produced by the C-130 could lead to hearing loss. Today my barber, an infantry dude, was telling me how the VA paid $6,000 for two hearing aids for him. He said the VA hearing test revealed that his hearing loss was consistent with loud noise produced by mortar fire, arty fire, etc., that he experienced in his Vietnam service. Was wondering if any of you C-130 guys have had any experience that you can pass on, good or bad, with the VA and hearing issues. Thanks!

Just for grins, I looked up this tail number in my log book and I see that I flew it 3 times while at CCK. 1. 13 Oct 1967: Tuy Hoa-Dak To II-Tuy Hoa-Dak To II-Tuy Hoa-Dak To II-Qui Nhon-Tuy Hoa (7 legs) 2. 12 Dec 1967: CCK-Ping Tung DZ (Drops)-CCK 3. 26 May 1968: Tuy Hoa-Phouc Vinh-Dak To II-Qui Nhon-Phouc Vinh-Dak To II-Phouc Vinh-Dak To II-Tuy Hoa (8 legs) Three days in the life of 64-500. Some of you will recall these destinations.

Hi Mike, One of the copilots in the 345th was Captain Erle Bjorke; I wonder if you knew him. He was killed at Khe San in 1967, you probably recall the incident. He was a good friend and classmate at pilot training. Great guy, he left behind a wife and baby girl. Everyone was killed except the AC. The aircraft impacted near the end of the runway on a GCA approach to a drop. That baby girl now has 3 girls of her own; she had been in touch with some of us a while back seeking information about her dad.

Bob, I sure will...I used to think Felton was crazy back in the Sewart days--and I still do! But he's practically family, so you gotta love him. I've got a million Felton stories; I'm sure you do too! Pat

Thanks, Don. I can't say that I remember Jack Hilton, but then my memory ain't what it used to be! I was paired up with a great FE at the time, but for the life of me, I can't remember his name. He and I would team up to teach systems to our student pilots, and he was really a knowledgeable guy. For years I've been trying to remember his name, and I wish I knew what became of him. Heavy set guy with a pencil thin mustache, thinning blond hair. I don't know if there's any way to go back in the records and see the names of the instructor FEs at the time. Funny, too, because I kept a log book and I have every C-130 flight that I ever made with a/c tail numbers and all. I note that I wrote down the names of all of my student pilots that I graduated, but for some reason, I didn't include his name. Maybe someone here on the list might remember him. That would be quite a find for me!

Yeah, hi Bob. That's me. I was just speaking of you last night with Bob Woods who mentioned that you were on this site. I mentioned to Bob that you and I have a friend in common. I was telling Bob Woods about my wife being from Tenn and how her best friend also married an Air Force guy and thus we have all been good friends for all these years. Anyway, if you haven't guessed who it is by now, he was in Caribou school about the same time I was in C-130 school at Sewart. We were dating roommates (and schoolmates) and we both ended up marrying them. So I just got off the phone with Father Felton who told me to tell Father Bob Daley hi! Felton Havins is also retired from Southwest, of course, and he and Mary Catherine live here in Vero Beach. They are up in Nashville at the moment trying to dry out their kid's house that got totally flooded out. He just told me that their house is a total loss and they had no flood insurance. So dad must come to the rescue! Anyway, he's got them in a rental for the time being. It happened so fast that the only thing they were able to rescue were the animals, family photographs, and important papers. They are just going to walk away from the house, I guess; homeowner's insurance will not cover anything. Felton said the last he knew you were living in the Dallas, TX area. Said he'd like to hear from you. Please explain the "Father" title that you have for each other!

Thanks, guys, I appreciate the hospitality. Like many of you who were at Sewart, I married a Nashville girl, and as you might imagine her family was really affected by the floods. One of her schoolmates was unfortunately one of the drowning victims over the weekend. She and her husband were on the way to church when their car was caught up in a flash flood. Their bodies were found on Monday. I'm a little bit disappointed by the lack of media coverage the flooding has received so far. You can draw your own conclusions, but as someone else said, there was no looting or crime spree, so no story. I am gratified by how the folks have pulled together and pretty much taken care of themselves.

Hey Guys, I ran across your forum today and decided to join. Thanks for having me! I flew C-130E's in the '60s. Spent a year at CCK in the 50th (1967-1968) and then went back to the 61st at Sewart and moved to Little Rock in 1970. I was an instructor in the school squadron (4442nd) when I got out of the Air Force in 1971. Retired in 2005 after a career in corporate aviation. But I never got over my love affair with the Herk--first love and all that, I guess. What blows my mind is that it is still going strong after all these years with no end in sight. Just wanted to introduce myself and say hey. :)