From the Usual USAF Source...
Wow. That's a LOT o' hours on that historic airframe. You'll be seein' pictures of that aircraft once it takes its pride o' place in the Cannon airpark.Combat Talon from Son Tay Raid Retired: Members of Air Force Special Operations Command gathered at Cannon AFB, N.M., for the retirement of the MC-130E Combat Talon I aircraft that led the Son Tay Raid to free US prisoners of war from North Vietnam in August 1970. On June 22, tail number 64-0523 flew in to Cannon from Duke Field, Fla., where it had served in recent years with Air Force Reserve Command's 919th Special Operations Wing. The retirement ceremony at Cannon was that same day. The MC-130E will now undergo several months of demilitarization before it rests on permanent display at Cannon's airpark, according to a June 25 base release. This Combat Talon first flew in 1966 and amassed more than 23,500 flight hours, according to 919th SOW officials in a June 25 release. "We are extremely proud of our special operations forces heritage and what this aircraft means to AFSOC," said Col. Buck Elton, commander of Cannon's 27th SOW. (Cannon report by A1C Alexxis Pons Abascal) (Duke Field report by TSgt. Samuel King Jr.) (See also The Son Tay Raid from Air Force Magazine's archives.) (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Alexxis Pons Abascal)
I was going steady with my first girlfriend with hips and boobs in 1970. I was a sophmore in HS, and Sally stopped me in the hall one day and said "Would you like to eat lunch with me?" and I said "I want to marry you!"
ReplyDeleteWell OK, once my tongue fell out I never really said anything, but she led me by the arm to the cafeteria, where we started our one year dating spree, which her being a catholic girl ended-up with her almost raping me, but I held on to my virginity.
I dunno who has the best stories, Religious... you or Virgil. But yours are DEFINITELY entertaining. Always.
DeleteGlad you had a smile. I did get to meet Sally again in 1993. My oldest brother bought a house next door to her little sister, who was married with three kids. My brothers wife even said the girl was gorgeous. I felt she was mistaken, as the little sister was a fat little 9 year old when I was dating her big sister.
DeleteOh my God! She really was a doll! She was a jogger and built like a russian tank. No fat, and all looks. Sally it seems, liked the bon-bon's like I do. I think we had the same exact figure.
Heh. You can NEVER go home again, eh? ;-)
DeleteAugust 1970 I was quitting a job in Santa Clara to go back to school
ReplyDeleteI did quit the job, but never made it back to school
I went to work for a company with a bowling team
I was on my way back to Japan around that time.
DeleteThat is some amazing time in flight. 1970 - I started jr. high.
ReplyDelete1970 was a pretty good year for me, Lou. See above.
DeleteShoot, that ac is just middle-aged! Should still be flying--we've got LOTS of DC-3s with 40-80, 000 on the airframe, so what's the big deal? Hell, in Vietnam the CIA's civilian Air America had pilots that had 20, 000 hrs themselves on the same DC-3/C-47 airframe! The AF is selling the old bird short! This has everything to do with the green eye-shade numbers crunchers trying to dance to Obama's gutting of the force more than anything else.,.
ReplyDeleteWe have a FEW civilian DC-3s and no C-47s that old, Virg. But your eye-shade point is prolly valid.
DeleteAir America was one helluva outfit, wasn't it?
PS: In the book Air America, some young Pentagon staff type is recounted over in SEA doing a survey of Air America pilot's qualifications, and when questioning one pilot about how many hrs experience he had and receiving the reply "20,000hrs" exclaimed: "Wow, that's quite a flying career!" "Oh," came the reply, "I mis-understood," (motioning to the DC-3 parked on the ramp) I meant 20,000 hrs in that plane out there!" LOL
ReplyDelete