A'lR

. FORCE
REPORT
WORLDWIDE AIR FORCE NEWS IN BRIEF
. Several thousand newly pro-
JIIored senior and chief master ser-
geants will be wearing their new
stripes on April 1st, alld THE AIII-
. MAN sends cOIIgratulations to all.
from Ex
XXXIII have showlI, for the
.' .... lii:$t time, that the tail of the earth's
.. beyond the
.olhil of the moon to at least 316,000
mile&trOnl earth, aC!'ording to Dr.
,. F. Ness of the NASA God-
dard<Spaee Flight Center in Green-
belt, Md.
A thlrit. Air Force OUtstanding
Unit Award has heen awarded the
. 615t Military Airlift Wing at Hickam
AFB, Hawaii. The award covers the
perlodfrom July 1964 to June 1966.
Out of the Vietnam war effort
comes a daily flow of numbers-
servicelnen in action,' sorties flown,
tons of bombs dropped, and so forth.
One of the mdst significant, however,
was the recent report from the Aero-
space Rescue and Recovery Service
which showed 612 persons rescued
from Iife-or-death situations includ-
ing 400 men who were rescued un-
der combat conditions.
One student pilot from the
Philippine .Air Force has made a
name for hitnself at Randolph AFB,
Tex. Capt. Mariano M. San Antonio
comes from the small town of San
Antonio in Quezon, P. 1. He claims
being assigned to the San Antonio
area (in Texas) was just a coinci-
dence.
26
A Silver Swwtnner from Viet-
nam and his HH-43B Huskie hell- .
copter crew from Suffolk Count)'
AFB, N. Y., have been credited with
saving an 1 &-month-old child from
an icy death.
Young William' Roach wandered
into the woods near hiS Riverside,
N. Y., home. JIolicealerted the "".,. ....
and the Huskie crew began
search mission,
.minutes. before dark they
found ihe lad, SSg!. Curtis Yancy,
recently decorated in Vietnam, went
down the hoist eahle and picked up
the youngster.
Winters in New York are cold.
Had they noUound the boy before
morning, it may have been too late .
Capt. Frederick Dykes, Capt. Ger-
ald Petty and SSg!. Roy Taulbee
were the other members Of t\le res-
cue crew.
More .than two IniUiOl)passen'
gers were carried by the. Military Air-
lift Command (MAC) during 1966.
Final figures were nearer 2,26(1,000, .
setting an all-time record. Abnost
half of the airlift was carried out in
Southeast Asia.
MAC's airlifters also carried a rec-
ord 508,000 tons of cargo during
the year. This represented a 65 per-
cent increase over last year.
Members of the FBI are help
ing to make skilled professionals of
the Air Force Academy Security Po-
lice force. Under a newly instituted
program, the special agents visit the
Academy to lecture tlie Security Po-
licemen on law enforcement.
HOBBY CORNER
E:Al' rOUR
It10
by Lt. LAWRENCE GOLDMAN
Brookley AFB, Ala.
A
MAGAZINE advertisement for a mail-order course
in taxidermy probably started it all. I brought the
ad to the attention of my parents, and received a taxi-
dermy course as a present for my 12th birthday. Since
then, my enthusiasm for the subject, you might say, has
been mounting steadily.
The lessons were easy to follow, but acquiring speci-
mens to work on was a problem. I can remember
stalking pigeons through the streets of New York and
asking pet shop owners for any deceased merchandise.
The former was frowned on by the police and the latter
highly incensed the pet shop proprietors. I finally se-
cured a pigeon which moved a little slower than the
truck that hit it, and I was on my way to completing
my first lesson.
While working on my first specimen, I experienced a
variety of feelings and thoughts which ranged from
nausea, pity for the victim, and visions of Dr. Franken-
stein, to a career as a surgeon. After putting the finishing
touches on the bird, I showed it to my parents, eagerly
awaiting their compliments and admiration. My mother
returned to the kitchen without a word and my father's
only comment was "What happened to it, get hit by a
two-ton truck?"
Although this shattered my dreams of becoming a
surgeon it didn't dampen my interest in taxidermy. I
continued my quest for specimens much to the chagrin of
the neighbors. When they found out about my new hob-
by, a neighborhood usually teeming with dogs and cats
suddenly became barren, and the barking and meowing
turned to muted howls of pets now kept behind doors.
My interest in wildlife and love of the outdoors was,
strangely enough, because of my having been born
and raised in Brooklyn. My parents had a little bunga-
Iowan Long Island where I spent my summer vacation,
and the wonderful weeks in the country, away from the
heat and noise of the city, heightened my appreciation
of nature. I read everything I could get my hands on
concerning the birds, fish and animals of the area.
The Brooklyn Children's Museum was located a few
blocks from my home, and it was there that I obtained a
large white rat in order to fulfill the taxidermy school's
requirement of mounting a mammal. When I completed
the job I brought it to school for a "show-and-tell" peri-
od. The teachers all said it was extremely lifelike and
very well done, but 1 don't think any of them got close
enough for a good look. One teacher commented on the
odd aroma, and I had to confess that I sprayed it with
cologne in an effort to cover up my amateurish attempts
28
at curing the skin.
Hooked On Taxidermy
The next lessons dealt with the mounting of fish.
With summer vacation several months off, I couldn't
wait to catch one, and I didn't. Instead, I visited several
local fish markets where I finally talked one proprietor
into letting me have a large fish head.
During the course of instruction, several other speci-
mens including a turtle, a snake and a lobster joined my
collection. The Brooklyn Children's Museum wological
department gave me a great deal of advice and encour-
agement, and even got me on a children's TV program
where I showed specimens and spoke about my hobby.
My interest in taxidermy waned when I entered high
school, and after graduation I joined the Army. Two of
my three years in the Army were spent at a microwave
station near Tilloy-et-Bellay, France, and during my
tour there, I had the opportunity to utilize my knowl-
edge of taxidermy once again.
We were returning to the station one evening when a
large bird flew into the windshield and fell on the hood
of the truck. As pheasants were quite abundant in the
area, I thought we could stock our larder. We stopped,
and I grabbed the dead bird. The pheasant turned out to
Lieutenant Goldman puts the finishing, artistic touches to a lemon
fish, which adorned his dinner table before joining his collection.
The Airman
be a large barn owl. It was mounted and hung in the
hallway. When I returned to the States in 1959, the owl
remained in its place of honor at the Tilloy Radio Sta-
tion. It may still be there.
I left the army in 1959, and entered Brooklyn Col-
lege. I graduated in 1963 and received my Air Force
commission through the AFROTC program. My first
assignment was to Keesler AFB, Mi ss., where I attend-
ed the Communications-Electronics Officer course. My
next assignments were to Hq Eastern GEEIA Region
and the 2863d GEEIA Squadron at Brookley AFB,
Ala., 60 miles up the coast from Keesler.
Fishing is my favorite sport, and having spent the
past 3 1/2 years on the Gulf Coast, I've had numerous
opportunities to fish in the teeming fresh and salt wa-
ters in the area. As I caught more and larger fish than
ever before I decided to preserve my catches in some
way other than on film. Hence, I returned to my al-
most-forgotten hobby.
A do-it-yourself taxidermist and fisherman has two
advantages. Not only can he keep his catch, but he can
eat it, '\00. The only parts used in mounting a specimen
are the skin, skull, and some bones. The specimen is
measured and then skinned. After curing, the skin is
placed over an artificial body made from wood and
plastic. A fish is the most difficult thing to mount since
the artificial body must be perfectly smooth. (There
aren't many lumpy fish.) Also, the skin is very thin and
it is extremely difficult to conceal a tear or a hole. A
fish also loses its color when the skin dries, so the taxi-
dermist has to use oils and special paints. Defects in the
sk'ins of animals and birds can be concealed by the fur
and feathers, and color does not change.
I mount my fish on plywood or driftwood plaques
which I cut and shape at the base woodworking hobby
shop. I use the base library to research books for color
plates of fish if I can't take a color photograph when
it's caught.
During my assignments on the Gulf Coast I've mount-
ed 18 fish representing 14 different species. The most
unusual fish in my collection is a black trigger fi sh which
J caught while on temporary duty at Ascension Island.
The largest fish I've mounted so far is a 48 pound alli-
gator gar caught in Mobile Bay from the Brookley AFB
fishing pier. My wife encourages me in my hobby and
doesn' t object (much) to all the fish adorning the walls
of our home. However, the garfish did tax her patience
a bit. The 4 1/2 foot monster was too large to skin any-
where else but in the bathtub, and it took me two eve-
nings of spare time to do it.
Taxidermy has broadened my knowledge in the bio-
logical sciences and increased my appreciation of the
outdoors. The Air Force has given me the opportunity
to travel to places having many different wildlife en-
vironments, and has made it possible for me to collect
some unusual specimens. The availability of base hobby
shops and libraries, and the advice of the people who
staff them, has added immeasurably to the pleasure and
knowledge I derive from my hobby. eO=-
April 1967
Who
Is
This
Airman?
"Lead by Example" has always been this airman's
personal code.
Although he became a member of the Texas National
Guard in 1934, his active service began with pilot train-
ing in 1942. He soon flew to the Mediterranean with the
325th Fighter Group and participated in the carrier-
launched invasion of North Africa.
During this tour, his squadron escorted a transport
aircraft to a highly classified meeting in Tehran, Iran.
On board were President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Sir
Winston Churchill and Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Sweeping northward with the Allies, this airman and
his unit fought in Sicily and Italy. When Rome fell, he
returned home.
The war was still raging in the Pacific, however. At
the head of a personally trained P-47 unit, he new into
action. After several missions over the Kyushu Islands,
he was blasted from the air by an exploding ship. He
spent two days in the water, was picked up by the Jap-
anese, and remained a prisoner until the war ended.
His Air Force career from 1951 to the present makes
him most recognizable 10 modern-day airmen.
During 1951 and 1952 he was at Neubiberg AB,
Germany, as deputy commander of the 86th Fighter-
Bomber Group. Then, after a short stint at Bergslrom
AFB, Tex., where he commanded the 12th Strategic
Fighter Wing, he came to Washington and the Pentagon.
Until September 1955, he was deputy chief of the Tac-
tical Branch under the DCS Operations, when he be-
came commander of Edwards AFB, Calif. Two years
later, he went to Fuchu AS, Japan, as assistant Director
of Operations for Hq Fifth Air Force. In 1958, he be-
came commander of the 21 st Tactical Fighter Wing
(TFW) at Misawa AB, Japan.
In 1960, this airman was assigned as the Senior Ad-
visor for the 121st TFW (Ohio ANG) at Lockbourne
AFB, Ohio. He assumed command of the 31 st TFW at
George AFB, Calif., in October 1961.
In March 1964, he moved to Holloman AFB,
N. Mex., as commander of the 366th TFW, and a year
later, returned to Florida for his present command po-
sition. One last clue-his division was the first in the
Air Force to convert to the F-4C Phantom II.
His latest portrait and duty title are on page 39.
29
"OKAY, you're cleared for hookup forty-one."
"Ah, Roger, coming in."
Flat on your belly in the tail of a KC-135 jet tanker,
you watch in silent fascination as the RB-66 Destroyer
prepares to hook up for midair refueling.
Suddenly you get a little warmer.
He's too fast, too jerky! His probe, extended just to
the right of the bird's nose center, plunges into the
funnel-like drogue which extends five or six feet from
the tanker's boom. The line starts whipping. "Break
away, break away!" calls TSgt. Bob Haag, the tanker's
veteran boom operator.
The T AC RB-66 drops back, bobs back and forth,
weaves, pulls up a little, then down, as it inches closer
and closer to the end of the hose.
The TAC flight commander is piloting forty-one.
Chances are he had the outfit's newest and youngest
pilot aboard and had let him shoot those refueling at-
tempts. You've got to start somewhere, and perfect
hookups take time, hours of training and practice, hours
which go into the making of a professional. You can
read all the manuals, all the books in the world, and lis-
ten to hundreds of lectures on how it should be done,
but there's no substitute for actual experience in the
cockpit-behind the tail section of one of those life-
providing KC-135 jet tankers.
You relax now as your pilot, Maj. Bob Lee, whose
favorite expression seems to be "oh golly," comes over
the intercom.
"Get set for another 'no-sweat' job," he says.
Bob Lee is one of the best in the business. His reas-
suring tone causes the sweat beads to form a little less
rapidly on your helmeted, oxygen-masked, earphoned,
warm--correction-mighty warm head.
Forty-one comes in again. This time he's off to the
left. Bob Haag isn't taking any chances. He pulls the
boom assembly up a few feet away from harm's way.
You take another deep breath.
It's the third try. Almost five minutes had elapsed
since we first spotted the flight of four 66s.
There's an old axiom. It goes something like "third
time never fails." I'm a believer. Third time and
RB-66 forty-one, whoever he may be, came in for a
perfect hookup, took a drink of fuel to whet his in-
creasing thirst, and broke away just in time for Us to
make our ISO-degree turnabout on schedule.
In a refueling mission everything, I mean every-
thing, comes off on schedule, split-second schedule.
There's something that defies description about
watching a turnaround with four jets in perfect forma-
tion beneath you from your 2S,OOO-foot-high vantage
point. It was beautiful beyond words. The lights of Ra-
leigh (or was it Durham), N.C., were clearly visible be-
low. It was dark down there. But at 1950 hours the
golden, orangish, pinkish twilight up above the clouds
hadn't quite gone.
April 1967
For Bob Haag, who at 31 can recall a dozen or SO
years of refueling experience as a boom operator, it
was a chance to shake the stiffness out of his arms.
They provide him with everything to ease his dis-
comfort back there, even a foam-padded chin rest.
Only how do you get comfortable with the straps of
your parachute scraping at your body, the irritation of
your portable oxygen bottle poking into your right rib
cage, and that accursed hard hat squeezing a head
that gets wetter and wetter with each passing minute?
But the experience is so fascinating, especially when
you're refueling Tactical Air Command RB-66s for
the first time . . . and you have a pretty good hunch
that some of the pilots of those four aircraft may be
fairly new at the game themselves (everyone has to be
a beginner first), that the minutes seem to pass like
seconds ... until you get a breather and suddenly realize
how fatigued you've become.
The turn completed, it's time to get back to work.
Forty-two approaches.
"Cleared for contact."
"Ah, Roger, coming in."
"How much do you want?"
"Fill 'er to 4,000, please."
"Roger, 4,000 pounds."
Forty-two moves in slowly, smoothly, deliberately.
The green signal light goes on. It was a perfect linking,
a jet-age rendezvous and docking at 2S,000 feet above
North Carolina, in an area the Air Force refers to as
"Big Tease."
The co-pilot, Capt. Glen Coates, comes across the
intercom loud and clear:
"This guy's beautiful!"
So are the other two birds, forty-three and forty-
four.
Time for the post refueling check list.
"Lift boom!"
Now for a visual check of the RB-66s, which are
starting to peel off one by one to return to their home
plate, Shaw AFB, near Sumter, S.C.
"I've got one in sight off the right wing."
"So just hold onto it. What have you got?"
The ritual continues as the last RB-66 to leave, the
T AC flight commander in forty-one, breaks away. You
catch a final glimpse of the recon birds as they peel off
to the left and marvel at their flying ability.
The whole experience had taken less than a half
hour from the first hookup to the final break away.
By the third and fourth hookups this unique experi-
ence, for me, the passenger. had almost become rou-
tine. But not for the crew of this KC-135. For them,
it never becomes routine!
Tonight Maj. Robert H. Lee's crew flew under the
call sign of "Diana - Forty - Niner." Usually they're
identified as SAC crew J -13.
Besides Major Lee, Captain Coates and Sergeant
31
Haag, there is the navigator, Capt. Don Burkett.
Tonight's mission actually started around 1530 hours.
I had met the crew as they arrived at their aircraft,
KC-135 number 1485, at 1630 hours. Also there to
meet them was the 922d squadron commander, Lt. Col.
Merle R. Jensen. He meets almost all of his crews on
every mission they fly. He's quite a man.
Also on hand to greet crew J -13 was SSgt. Larry
Nicodemus, the 30-year-<:>ld crew chief from Dayton,
Ohio. He's been in the Air Force almost 12 years, the
last five in SAC. Over the years he's been a crew chief
or served aboard the B-26, T-33, F-loo, B-57, B-66,
RB-66 and now the KC-135. Also there was his assist-
ant A I C Paul Hamilton, a 22-year-<:>ld, five-year Air
Force veteran who comes from Somerville, Mass.
The Take-aff
Major Lee and his crew had had their weather and
operations briefings. We knew there were thunder-
storms in the area that were due to hit just before take-
off. "If we miss them on the ground, we'll catch them
right after we're airborne," Major Lee had said as he
briefed us aboard the plane.
In SAC you don't leave early to avoid the threat of
a storm. We were scheduled to take off at 1805 hours.
That's when we did.
At 1800 hours, most preflight checks were com-
pleted, except for the final countdown. We had taxied
to the edge of the active runway and were awaiting
word to go. The wind was kicking up. Navigator Burk-
ett advised that thunderstorms were all around us, the
closest 10 miles northwest of the field. The one bright
word was that it was clear to the south, and after take-
off, we'd be heading in that direction.
At 180 I: 30 hours Major Lee advised, "Start check
list. "
A T-39 landed on our runway, touching down al-
most in front of our nose.
"One minute to takeoff . . . It
It was like a precision missile launch, only we were
the missile.
"Thirty seconds.
"Fifteen seconds.
"Ten seconds.
"Five ... four ... three ... two ... one ... HACK!"
We were cleared to roll, and roll we did. It was hard
to believe, but we seemed to go up like a fighter.
That's because we had our engine thrust increased by
a third, thanks to the KC-135's water injection system.
It's a device through which 5,500 pounds of water are
literally shot into the engines, giving them greater
thrust for the first two minutes of flight.
We were carrying a less-than-full load of petrol, as
our British friends might say. Normally the KC-135
carries a maximum load of 31 ,000 gallons. We only
had 19,000 gallons in the tanks below our flight deck.
If there was any sloshing, we sure couldn't hear it.
The water injection gives you plenty of thrust, but
believe me when [ say that Captain Coates, flying from
32
Major lee runs through check lilt, GloSuring proper swi tch position .
the left seat, had his hands full keeping four-eight-five
level on our climb.
We were 22 minutes out of Wright-Patterson, crash
helmets had gone on when we passed 18,000 feet en
route to our 29,000-foot flight level for this mission.
Indianapolis tower was giving us flight path instruc-
tions. Suddenly Captain Burkett, who at 27 is the
crew's youngest member, called out that we had missed
one storm by 15 miles but that another was right in
front of us.
We missed it. Our rate of climb was still good enough
to take us right over the storm. Bumpy, yes, but really
hectic, no.
The experience was repeated a dozen or so more
times before we got out of the storm front. "You can
see summertime is here now," observed Major Lee.
"That's affirmative," answered Don Burkett.
The verbal exchange was interesting.
"This stuff doesn't come in until you' re right on top
of it. "
"We're lucky, it's a good airplane."
"Yessir, it's a goer!"
We were out of the clouds and into the bright sun
at 1827 hours.
There we were, Diana-Forty-Niner, en route to pro-
vide a drinking-bird's diet for the four TAC recon air-
craft. I t was interesting to observe how well everything
went, for this crew had been together more than a year.
Still, this was their first refueling of RB-66s, and it
wasn't over one of their normal refueling areas. Train-
ing makes the difference when the chips are down and
the situation is new. Training and safety.
They're plenty safety conscious around the 17th
Wing. Maybe that's why their trophy case is filled with
such things as the 1965 Saunders Trophy, awarded to
the 17th because its 922d Air Refueling Squadron was
The Airman
the best tanker unit In Eighth Air Force that year.
In fact for the July-December 1965 period the 17th,
which also has a B-52 squadron, received 57th Air Di-
vision awards for the highest combat capability evalua-
tion, for the highest management system score, for
the highest flying and ground safety score, and for the
highest score in combat defense. On the ground the
wing's personnel drove 674,988 miles in motor vehicles
without a single reportable accident during 1965. Ci-
vilian personnel assigned to the wing have worked 105,-
736 man-hours since I96O-without a disabling injury.
The Boomer
Boomer Bob Haag is a balding, trim, clean-shaven,
well-groomed man who doesn't have an extra pound
of weight on his 5-foot 11'/2-inch frame. He weighed
224 in high school; he's down to 174 now. He's a tiger,
a smooth well-mannered tiger. He's cool, real cool. Man,
you' ve got to be in his job!
When refueling with the boom, he does all the work;
he prefers it that way.
"I don't like to relinquish control; besides we boom-
ers and the B-52 pilots have gotten this thing down to a
science; we've been working together a long time," in-
forms Sergeant Haag.
After 14 years in the Air Force you might call Bob
a career man. He and his wife, Dorothy, both of whom
are from near Jacksonville, Fla., have two boys, Lee 7
and Henry 3.
"It's a lot of fun, I wouldn't trade it with anybody.
Refueling the F-4C is the roughest; even [ come out of
the tail wringing wet," he confesses.
When the crews of the 922d are on alert, they're
away from home for five days straight. They work to-
gether, they eat together, they room together. But
In cockpit, Copt. Coates reads items for preflight check to Maj . Lee .
April 1967
there's a new twist here in the 17th Wing. Their fami-
lies can visit them. Seeing your family takes a lot of
sting out of alert duty.
To top it off, the tanker boys are grateful that they
have only five days at a stretch on alert duty, com-
pared to other outfits which are on alert for seven days
at a stretch. Usually they pull it twice a month. After
five days on alert they have 2 Y2 days of crew rest at
home, then it's back to normal duty.
We were to practice some landings and takeoffs to-
night, but they brought us down an hour early. The
thunderstorms in the Wright-Patterson area were a
little too severe for comfort. Besides, the crew could use
the extra hour. We finished debriefing shortly after
midnight. They were free now; they could go home and
rest. They weren't due to fly again until midnight;
briefings would start in exactly 20 hours 45 minutes.
But tomorrow, by golly it was alrea<ty tomorrow, was
another day--or was it? We all smiled, for someone
observed that suddenly tomorrow was today and today
was yesterday.
Copilot Glen Coates is 35 and is a native of Detroit.
His wife, Margeret, is from London, ant. They have
no children. They have been married four years and in
that time he's been stationed at five different bases-
Dow AFB, Maine; Dover AFB, Del.; Whiteman AFB,
Mo.; Lockbourne AFB, Ohio, and here at Wright-
Patterson A FB.
Captain Coates came into the Air Force during the
Korean war, in February 1951. He won his wings
through Aviation Cadets, after two years as an enlisted
F-51 Mustang mechanic. In 1958, after four years as
a he went to pilot school. Ever since he's
been in the cockpit of KC-97s and KC-135s. He's a
former B-36 photo navigator. A tiger? Yes, but a light
Expert navigation is Qutomatic when Copt. Burkett is manning sextant.
33
one. In high school he boxed as a featherweight and
pitched American Legion baseball. Then he weighed
138. Now he's all the way up to 150. He's a profession-
al. USAF won't accept anything less.
Capt. Don Burkett looks like a young Steve Can-
yon, with close-cropped crew cut, cheek of tan and a
smile that is rooted in obvious firmness and sincerity.
A native of Martinsburg, Pa., near Altoona, he at-
tended Juniata College two years before joining the
Air Force in November 1958. He got his wings via the
Aviation Cadet route, too, and has been in SAC ever
since. A relative youngster, Don already has piled up
2, I 00 hours flying time in the KC-135 and KC-97.
Weighing in at a solid 155, standing tall at 5 foot
I ~ , crew J-13's navigator observes that there
"ain' t too much humor in this business." He's had a lot
of TOY: trips to Greenland, Newfoundland and Alas-
ka during his seven years with SAC.
Don and his wife Barbara are the parents of three
boys, Mark 7, Chris 5, and Todd 3. They're buying
their own home in nearby Enon, Ohio, but still miss
Westover AFB, Mass. , their last assignment, and Penn-
sylvania.
For once the "old man," is the oldest in age too.
At 38, "Oh Golly" Lee is a man apart from most men
you meet in life's journey.
" I've always been the youngest member of every
crew, until all of a sudden I find myself the oldest," he
mused. Like Captain Coates, he joined the Air Force
in 1951. After navigation school at Ellington AFB, Tex.,
he served a tour of duty as a B-26 observer in Korea.
Staging out of Pusan, he flew 50 combat missions dur-
ing the Korean war.
After a duty stint at Smoky Hill, Schilling AFB,
Kans., he entered pilot training at Goodfellow AFB,
Tex., in 1955. The next five years he served as a
KC-97 pilot at Dyess AFB, Tex., and has also. pulled
duty tours at Dover AFB, Del., and Castle AFB, Calif.,
TSgt. Bob Hoag, the boomer, has more thon a doren years in refueling.
34
interspersed by a year of Command and Staff School
at the Air University.
A man with a well-rounded background, Major Lee
is a graduate of Howard University, where he was
awarded a B.S. in chemistry. A senior pilot, he has
compiled over 3,300 pilot hours and another 1,800
hours as a navigator. A native of Baltimore, he and
his wife Bessie, who is from San Angelo, Tex., boast two
boys, Robert, Jr., 6 and Rodney 2 ~ .
His philosophy? "You have a job to do and the re-
sponsibility to go with it; let's do it!"
His attitude towards his crew? "I've got a real good
crew." Unlike the stereotype most people assign to
SAC, he isn't a hard-nosed commander. He doesn't
call his crew to attention when they gather for pre-
flight briefing or post-flight debriefing. But they stand
anyway, out of respect; a respect which he has earned.
His hobbies? Bowling and bridge.
His physical state? He played basketball in high
school and college, a forward. He's 5 foot 9 ~ inches
tall. Weighs 168. A tiger? You bet!
What about the KC-135? "It's the best, most flexible
bird in the Air Force. Name another jet that can carry
cargo, passengers and fuel for aerial delivery!"
The challenge? "We're flexible-more so than we
used to be; we have to be. Our job is more compli-
cated. Sure I sweat it out during refueling, and I sweat
it out on takeoff and landing, too. At least on takeoff
and landing you can see where you're at, except in
weather, but it 's rough not seeing what's going on back
there in the tail."
Every man on this crew doubles in brass. Each has a
title, but each also has a lot more than just a title.
Sergeant Haag, for instance, is also a celestial observer,
flight steward, load master, airborne crew chief and
"you name it." He likes it that way.
They' re a great crew. Pros in every sense of the
word. In fact, they're a tanker full of tigers! eQ.
lee', Tanker Tigen form inspection formation; for photographer onlyl
HHHHH
HHHHH
HHHHH
HH
The Airman
ONAGAIN,
OFFAGAIN
AIR BASE
A week in the life of a "stand-by"
by Lt. GUY E. BROWN II
lto:r:uke AI, Japan
D
AWN tiptoes down the quiet, deserted streets of
sleeping Itazuke Air Base. Green and white
huildings, guardians of many tales and many exciting
times, sit empty ... waiting. Signs over the doors an-
nounce "Stand-by Barracks."
But changes are in the air, literally.
A force of ten F -100 Super Sabre aircraft is on its
way from Misawa Air Base to spend a week at Itazuke,
located in western Japan. Support personnel and equip-
ment of the 6l2th Tactical Fighter Squadron will ar-
rive momentarily in C-54s and C -130s. They will aug-
ment Itazuke's meagerly manned maintenance shops,
air police force, medical corps, base operations, fire-
fighting units and other sections of this Fifth Air Force
Forward Operating Base.
Itazuke was designated a Forward Operating Base
in mid-1964. That meant that it would maintain an
active, ready-ta-go status, but without aircraft except
for transients and those temporarily assigned on train-
ing exercises. A glance at the base's crossroad location
in the Far East points up its geographical importance.
Life Comes to Itozuke
Now activity here centers around Misawa's "Scream-
ing Eagles." Support personnel arrive, clear in and
begin work. Hundreds of airlifted items from spare
tires to rocket launchers have to be positioned. Security
personnel rope off the exercise area and locate the ac-
cess point. Misawa people are in the weather office,
base ops, the fire station--everywhere. They are now
a part of the expanded Itazuke team.
The Super Sabres arrive at three-minute intervals.
Drag chutes pop, and so do alerted maintenance and
fuel men. The ~ e x e r c i s e is underway! Pilots head for
April 1967
Augmentees from Misawa AS arrive at Itozuke on week-long deployment.
the briefing room. A new headquarters is established.
Phones begin to ring, people scurry around, empty wall
charts are being filled in. Maps and pilot checklists ap-
pear in hand and on tables.
The tactical task force, while deployed at Itazuke
Air Base, will also exercise the Japanese air defense
network in the Western Air Defense Sector. Bilingual
controllers of the Japanese Air Self Defense Force
(JASDF) will direct the F-IOOs as well as JASDF
F-86s and F-104s to intercept targets and aircraft.
In another phase of the exercise, the Super Sabres
will use Itazuke's gunnery ranges, especially the air-
to-ground scoreable facilily at Ashiya. Pilots practice
skip-bombing maneuvers, strafing and rocket firing.
Proficiency climbs with each pass.
The training exercise proceeds on schedule and
without incident. Attesting to the ability of Air Force
personnel to function under rapidly changing environ-
ments, lhe pilots and support people assimilate them-
selves overnight into the Itazuke stream of life.
And so it goes: dawn . . . alert . . . scramble .
intercept . . . gunnery . . . tactics .. touchdown.
fuel . . . maintenance. Then night.
Suspended Animation Returns
Seven days after it all began, the crates are repacked,
the C-130s prepared for the return flight. Maps are
folded, the charts scrubbed clean. Fighters redeploy,
the sign over the temporary headquarters is taken
down. The blue, red and gold Screaming Eagles flag
out front is lowered.
Now the flight line is quiet once more. The task
force is gone. The streets are clear; stand-by signs are
up. Itazuke sleeps again ... waiting. eO-
35
Moj. H. Lewis Smith (right) tolks .....ith rescue pilon .....ho brought him
out of North Vietnom jungle ofter his Al E Skyroider WOI forced do ..... n.
R
ESCUE crews flying helicopter and amphibious air-
craft had made more than 560 "saves" of downed
airmen or ground troops, in both North and South
Vietnam, before the end of 1966.
The majority of these dramatic, action-packed res-
cues were under enemy fire, which makes them all the
more spectacular. Nearly all of them, whether flown by
helicopter or amphibious crews, involved great person-
al effort and risk of life.
Many involved joint operations by Air Force rescue
crews and the ships, helicopters and aircraft of the US
Army, Navy, and Republic of Vietnam military serv-
ices. In fact, jOint air rescue activities by Air Force and
Navy units had resulted in saving 229 downed pilots
from the Gulf of Tonkin, as of November 1966, the
Department of Defense noted.
Obviously, personal risks are great for aircrew
members involved in the rescue operations through-
out Vietnam. And seldom, if ever, is any mention made
of what might be termed the battle of "guts ." Every
airman who flies search and rescue missions faces this
personal problem and comes to grips with his natural
fears in his own, personal way.
There surely has to be something heart-pounding
about hovering over a downed airman or soldier, or be-
ing lowered to the ground on a cable to assist a com-
plete stranger in a hostile environment that is alive
with the sound of enemy rifle and machine gun fire.
To learn to live with this insidious, natural fear-and
make a successful rescue-is undoubtedly as great a
personal victory as it is a shared one.
In short, the job takes guts, and there has certainly
been no shortage of courage among American rescue
personnel operating in Southeast Asia. Two ARRS men
have won the Air Force Cross for their bravery. One of
these medals was given posthumously, to AIC William
H. Pitsenbarger I a para rescue medic.
36
Adapted from news releases issued by Seventh Air
Force and Pacific Air Farces writers
VIGIII:rrf.
Porore.cuemen Ale Robert D. Bowen and Ale fronl.:!in D. 5tevIOn spen'
' .....0 hours on ground in North Vietnom after rescuing two recon pilots.
Capt. Donald S. Price, a father of three and coach
of a junior swim team at Naha AB, Okinawa, received
the Air Force Cross last September for a dramatic res-
cue in the Gulf of Tonkin in which he nearly lost his
life while saving another.
Tragedy And Heroism
On March 14, 1966, Captain Price, a navigator, and
his fellow aircrew members were orbiting over the Gulf
of Tonkin in their HU-16 A [batross. The crew was on
temporary duty in Southeast Asia from Okinawa.
When the distress call came over their radio it began
a series of events from which two men did not return.
The mayday came from a fighter pilot, reporting the
ejection of two fellow F-4 pilots over the gulf, and gave
their approximate position.
Capt. David Westenbarger, the HU-16's pilot, turn-
ed his A [batross north toward the downed aviators.
En route, he called one of the nearby Search and Res-
cue (SAR) destroyers and requested two helicopters be
The Airman
Capt. Edward P. Lat5an leaves HU16 which picked him and Capt. Kevin
A.. Gilroy aut af sea oH Haiphong in hail of point.blonk .nemy fire.
dispatched to the scene. It was a wise move.
The HU-16 rescuemen spotted the two Air Force
pilots in waters about two miles from shore. Captain
Westenbarger jettisoned external fuel tanks and full-
stalled his aircraft into the water near the pilot closest
to shore. Two Navy Skyraiders circled overhead. Until
the HU-16 started to back up, shore batteries had re-
mained silent.
But as soon as the pararescueman aboard the A Iba-
tross jumped overboard to help bring an injured pilot
into the rear hatch, all hell broke loose. The commun-
ist gunners opened fire with everything from machine
auns to mortars and I05mm howitzers. The sea became
a frenzy of erupting shrapnel and water.
Captain Price ran to the rear of the aircraft, or-
dered the radio operator to assist the flight mechanic
getting the two pilots out of the water, and grabbed
M-16 rifle. He began to return the fire from a
boat approaching the HU-16.
howitzer round turned the aircraft into a
Lt. Gerold K. Bonkus was rescued within 20 seconds after ejetting from
his F l00 into the dense Vietnam jungle 40 mile. northwest of Saigon.
burning inferno. Captain Price was knocked against
the aft bulkhead and momentarily stunned. When he
looked up, he saw that his radio operator was dead
near the rear door. The flight mechanic was gone, ap-
parently blown out of the door.
As he got up, Captain Price was hit by the flash
from igniting JATO units. His hair and face were
seared, but he scrambled out the hatch, caught the in-
jured pilot there, and towed him away from the burn-
ing seaplane.
The pararescueman, apparently hit by shrapnel,
floated dead in the water. Safely away from the burn-
ing aircraft, Captain Price stopped towing the pilot
long enough to take stock. He found that he was bleed-
ing, and he burned from his shoulders down his back
to his knees from shrapnel hits . The HU-16's copilot,
yelling from the water that helicopters were coming,
went to assist the flight mechanic, who needed help.
A chopper hovered over them and Captain Price,
exhausted and bleeding, helped the half-drowned F-4
31
pilot into its sling. When he looked around again, only
he and the flight mechanic remained in the water. The
other helicopter had pulled the copilot aboard before
he could tow the sling to the mechanic. Then a heli-
copter returned and retrieved the airman. A Navy Sky-
raider was making passes at the beach to draw fire
away from the rescue scene. Another helicopter took a
hit in its fuel line and was forced to return to its ship.
Alone in the sea, Captain Price swam slowly and
painfully for the empty raft nearby. He climbed in, but
found the raft was drifting toward shore and the enemy
guns, so he got out and swam seaward, towing the raft
behind him.
He started to shake, so he got back in the raft and
opened his survival radio. He heard the A-I pilot call-
ing for more air strikes. Two Air Force F -4Cs arrived
and started blasting shore batteries and the enemy
junks which were approaching Captain Price. They blew
one out of the water close enough to the navigator that
the concussion raised him out of the water.
The HU-16 had sunk. Captain Price recalled the
action which followed:
"I began to shake violently alI over for periods of
20 to 30 seconds. I called the Rescap but they didn't
answer. I called for anyone who could read me, but
still no answer. Then I spotted a chopper coming in low
from the northeast."
Captain Price was lifted out of his raft into the heli-
copter. Inside, he stretched out on his stomach. A flight
crewman tore his flight suit away and put gauze com-
presses on Captain Price's wounds. He was still shaking
violently. Two other aircrew men took off their own
flight suits and covered him.
Within minutes he was aboard an aircraft carrier,
where Navy doctors picked out pieces of shrapnel and
stitched his wounds. They couldn't get all the shrapnel,
so Captain Price figures he'll be able to predict the
weather occasionally. Within two weeks from March 14,
1966, he was back on duty with his outfit in Okinawa.
He was later awarded the Air Force Cross.
And, somewhere in the Air Force, an F-4C pilot
thanks God for rescuemen like Don Price.
Other Rescue Efforh
Paramedics A2C Robert D. Bowers and A2C Frank-
lin D. Stevson spent nearly two hours in dense under-
growth near a North Vietnamese village before being
rescued by a helicopter.
On a rescue mission to recover two RF-4C pilots,
Airman Bowers' HH-3E helicopter was forced to leave
him on the ground after he had assisted one of the in-
jured pilots into the litter for hoisting aboard the hov-
ering craft.
Hearing au.tomatic fire nearby, Bowers hid in the
brush. Then Airman Stevson was lowered to the ground
38
to search for him. He was almost immediately pinned
down by enemy small arms fire and his heijcopter was
also forced to withdraw. Stevson contacted A-IE Sky-
raiders in the area and gave directions for an air strike.
Then a third "Jolly Green Giant" helicopter entered
the operation and picked up both of the paramedics.
An adviser to the VNAF's 213th Helicopter Squad-
ron, Capt. Paul H. Schnucker, and a Vietnamese lieu-
tenant flew a helicopter into an area near Dong Ha in
a medical evacuation mission. Two Marine Corps chop-
pers had already gone down on the mission.
"We were hit when about 50 feet in the air," Captain
Schnucker said later. A Vietnamese soldier on board
the helicopter was hit in the shoulder and leg, so the
crew took him back to the Dong Ha dispensary for
medical care. Their oil lines had been damaged, so
they switched helicopters.
Going back into the mission area, Captain Schnucker
and his VNAF crew took several more rounds in a fuel
section, but managed to load 13 casualties aboard and
complete the evacuation mission. They went back to
the area a third time and evacuated 10 more casual-
ties, then had to abandon their aircraft because it was
leaking fuel.
Capt. David W. Haines, 1961 graduate of the Air
Force Academy, landed his HU-16 Albatross in the
South China Sea, close to a Viet Cong-held shoreline,
to rescue a downed Vietnamese airman. His HU-16
rescue crew ignored bursting mortar shells raining down
around them, and evacuated the VNAF pilot to Da
Nang Air Base.
A veteran combat pilot and vice commander of
the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing in Vietnam recently
compared his own World War II rescue to current res-
cue operations:
Col. Joel D. Thorvaldson, now an F-4C pilot, was
shot down over New Guinea in 1943. "I had to float
down river for nine days, even though I was spotted by
an observation plane, before I could be rescued. We
didn't have choppers then."
Commenting on the dramatic recent rescue of a
downed F-I05 pilot in North Vietnam-which took 22
minutes-Colonel Thorvaldson said, "During World
War II the pilot would have been captured, or might
have waited several days and traveled many miles on
foot before being picked up."
Colonel Thorvaldson flew 186 combat missions dur-
ing World War II (he downed three Zeros and was
credited with six "probables"), and flew 59 combat mis-
sions over Korea. He is now flying missions in Vietnam.
These few examples of Air Rescue and Recovery
Service's daring and bravery under fire in Vietnam
barely begin to tell the dramatic story of combat res-
cue. THE AIRMAN joins aviators everywhere in saluting
the men of ARRS for their heroism and life-saving
operations. -J.A.G.
The Airman
)
of the C E people is to chase snakes?
However, The Case of the Slithering
Infiltrator was contributed by H q US
Air Foree Security Service and we as-
sume they have good reasons for giv-
ing the "snake patrol" job to their air
policemen.
* * *
First-rate Airman
Sir: If there's an "Airman of the
Year" award, I believe it should go to
SSgt. "Chick" Tamilio of the Air Force
Recruiting Station in Queens. I am
contemplating an Air Force career and
that is how I met this truly outstand-
ing airman. Sergeant Tamilio is doing
an excellent job of "selling" the Air
Force to young men like myself. I be-
lieve it is airmen like Sergeant Tamilio
who feany make the Air Force what
it is!
Rodney Georges
St. Albans, Jamaica, N.Y.
* * *
Buttons and Badges
Sir: I collect badges. This is my
hobby. I also collect military insignia,
_patches; ribbons, medals, etc., from US
services and many foreign (,OUll-
I recently added considerably to
n ~ , : : ! ~ ~ : , ~ ~ ~ during a tour of duty
~ Asia. I would like to cor-
other hobbyists who en-
pastimes. My address is:
(TAC), MacDill AFB,
SSgt. Bobby L. Fink
MacDill AFB, Fla.
like to know something
officers who shot down
World War II but
fire on me while I was on
24, 1942, at 1 p.m.,
of seven planes
15 miles
My plane'
was in the rear of the troop-carrying
fonnation. Three US Air Force P-38s
attacked us. The fuselage, engine and
left wing of my plane were hit. I was
forced to land with my plane on fire.
I was helpless. My attacker flew over
me several times but didn't fire again,
for which I was, and still am grateful.
Perhaps one of your fOrmer P-38 of-
ficers wi1l remember this incident. I
would like to correspond with him.
Marco Amilcare
Malpensa Airport
Varese, I talia
Calling all veterans of the World
War II Italian campaign; especinlly
you P-38 pilots. Anyone remember
this incident? If so, THE AIRMAN
will be pleased to forward your com-
ments to this Italian airman.
* * *
Silver Anniversary
Sir: The Fourth Tactical Fighter
Wing celebrates its 25th anniversary
this year. The wing was activated as
the 4th Fighter Group in England dur-
ing September 1942. We need photos,
orders, mementos and miscellaneous
facts from former members in order
to plan special histories and anniver-
sary activities. Please contact me at:
4th TFW Historian (OIH), Seymour
Johnson AFB, N.C. 27530, for details.
T. R. Sherwood, J r.
Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.
Answer to Who Is This Airman?
Brig. Gen. Frank J. Collins commands
the 836th Air Division at MacDill
AFB, Fla. Often ciecorated, he is one
of the few airmen to hold 26 oak
leaf clusters to the Air Medal. He likes
to golf, hunt and fish but his first
love is flying fighter aircraft for the
US Air Force.
Blue Beret
Sir: Last year THE AIRMAN car-
ried a story about pararescuemen and
a special beret authorized for their
wear. The same article mentioned a
blue beret being worn by security con-
trol forces. \hat governs the wear of
this distinctive headgear?
MSgt. Teddy McFarland, Jr.
APO San Francisco
Check AFR 35-10.
* * *
Colorful Future
Sir: I plan to subscribe to THE
AIRMAN through the Superintendent
of Documents, Government Printing
Office, Wash., D.C. 20402. I particu-
larly enjoy your color reproduction.
Do you plan any color for this year?
John C. Euler
LaCrosse, Wise.
Color photos are u.red only on spe-
cial occasions. Watch for our Septem-
ber 1967, Air Force 20th anniversary
issue.
* * *
Deke's Doring
Sir: Appreciated reading Colonel
Tyler's article about the Piggy-Back
P -51 operation (THE AIRMAN, Nov.
'66). He did a fine job in reporting the
story of Deke's (Lieutenant Priest)
spectacular rescue mission.
J. H. Doolittle
Los Angeles, Calif.
Answer to
Where In The Air Force Are You?
This is Randolph AFB's famous
landmark, commonly referred to as the
"Taj Mahal." The base, located near
San Antonio, Tex., was named for
Capt. William M. Randolph. Captain
Randolph, a member of the committee
selected to choose the site and name
the base, was killed in a plane crash
in February 1928. Known during
World War II as the "West Point of
the Air," Randolph AFB boasts an
alumni of more than 50,000 pilots.
39
"US Jets Down 7 Mig 21s In Air Combat." "US Raids Called Hard Blow At
Foe." "Air Secretary Brown Says Enemy Supply Is Disrupted."
Headlines told the story - the continuing story.
The newspaper was in the hands of an experienced fighter "jock" standing on the
Nellis AFB flight line. The bright Nevada sun glinted on windshields and wing tips
of F-IOOs, F-105s and F-4s - in the air and on the ground. The whine of jets was
heard everywhere.
Deliberately, the fighter ace folded his newspaper. His eyes swept the field as he
spoke. "The men and planes who are making these headlines are halfway around the
world, flying seven days a week, yet they often focus their attention on Nellis.
"Why? Easy. This base has been called The Home of the Fighter Pilot.' Nellis
has, for years, trained Tactical Air Command pilots in all methods of weapons
delivery.
"Now a new, bigger mission has been added to the old," explained the speaker,
Brig. Gen. Ralph G. Taylor, Jr. "Our new organization here is TAC's Fighter
Weapons Center, and it's deliberately designed to 'call the shots' in the fast-paced
Details! Details! They make for top pilots at
THE FIGHTER WEAPONS CENTE
40
by HAP HARRIS The A;,man Staff
changes which characterize the super-sophisticated fighter tactics and weapons
field today."
As first commander of the Fighter Weapons Center, General Taylor emphasized
a vital point: that activation of the new unit is good news to pilots who fly F-4
Phantoms, the F-I05 Thunderchiejs and other first-line aircraft because their lives
and the success of their missions often depend entirely on the quality of the aerial
tactics they use and the efficiency of their delivery techniques.
Air Force Secretary Harold Brown said recently the new Tactical Fighter Weap-
ons Center will be the Air Force's top authoritative agency on the use of tactical
fighter forces on a worldwide basis.
Its mission will include testing new weapon systems such as the F-IIIA - the
US's new supersonic, two-place fighter-bomber, expected to be in the tactical in-
ventory later in 1967-the development of completely new combat tactics, and
the identification of problem areas.
To do the job, the Nellis base organization was completely realigned on September
I, 1966, and converted into a two-wing organization: a fighter weapons wing and
a combat crew training wing under the Fighter Weapons Center headquarters.
Now under the jurisdiction of Twelfth Air Force, Nellis was first opened as Las
Vegas Army Air Field back in 1941 with facilities consisting of a rough operations
shack, a Western Air Express dirt runway, and a water well - "small potatoes"
when compared with today's vast, busy complex that covers some three million acres.
First mission of the field was "the training of aerial gunners to a degree of pro-
ficiency that will qualify them for combat duty." Shortly after, the mission grew to
include training of B-17 copilots.
Three years later, after 215 B-17 pilots were turned out every five weeks, the
base received B-29s. Inactivated in January 1947, Nellis was shuttered until 1949
when it reopened as a fighter training school.
When the Korean war started it was the experience gained in this school that
enabled Nellis to change quickly from an undergraduate pilot training program to a
combat crew training school.
Almost all US fighter pilots and aces who proudly flew in Mig Alley - that
action-packed piece of sky over Korea where they helped establish a "kill" ratio of
14 to I - received final combat readiness training at Nellis.
The base received its name in 1950, honoring a Nevada native, Lt. William Harrel
Nellis, a World War II fighter pilot who died in aerial combat over Luxembourg.
The Airman
t
I
I
As the base continued its growth the Thunderbirds,
official US Air Force aerial demonstration team, arrived
at Nellis in June 1956, transferring from Luke AFB,
Ariz. In 1958 the base became a part of TAC with the
F-IOO Super Sabre replacing the F-86 Sabrejet. In 1965
the base began training pilots as instructors in the F-4
Phantom, the F-I05 Thunderchief and the F-I 00 Super
Sabre
Today the 4525th Fighter Weapons Wing and the
4520th Combat Crew Training Wing comprise the Tac-
tical Fighter Weapons Center.
The FWW Fights and Teaches
The 4525th FWW is commanded by Col. Floyd
White, whose staff includes the Deputy for Operational
Tests and Evaluation, Deputies for Combat Analysis,
Materiel and Intelligence, and the Fighter Weapons
School commander.
Heading the Fighter Weapons School's three squad-
rons is Col. Charles W. Reed. The 4536 th FWS trains
pilots to be fighter weagons instructors in F-IOOs. The
course provides 35 hours of flying and about 210 aca-
demic instruction hours. Pilots, after graduation, fill
staff positions within fighter wings as gunnery officers
or return to tactical squadrons to take up duties as
weapons instructors.
Training in specialized areas is the mission of the
4537th FWS. Newest squadron in the school, it started
training operations in various century series aircraft in
June 1966. The 4538th FWS, as its sister unit , trains
weapons instructors for the F-4.
The Deputy for Operational Tests and Evaluation is
concerned primarily with new munitions and equipment
for use by tactical fighters. The information acquired is
given to Hq T AC through test report s, studies and
analyses and the quarterly illustrated Fighter Weapons
Newsletter. The Applications Division has the com-
plicated job of planning and programming the entire
testing program for the wing.
Another vital division in the FWW is the Test Support
organization with its engineering section; radar tracking
men who provide accurate delivery and tracking data;
photographic staff and armament maint enance people.
One of the newer areas of the wing, Combat Analysis,
identifies problems affecting operations in combat areas
and starts action to solve those problems.
Liaison officers are in Southeast Asia participating in
combat missions, continually gathering information on
our tactics with fighter-bombers over the Mekong Delta
and mountainous areas of South Vietnam and our mis-
sions to North Vietnam. Communist response - in the
air and on the ground - is also carefully detailed, re-
corded and evaluated, then sent to the wing for further
study. When answers arc produced, the various school
courses benefit immediately as do tactical units through-
out the world.
Training the Pilots
Of equal importance to the new center in mission
Objective is the 4520th Combat Crew Training Wing
and its three training squadrons. The commander, Col.
April 1961
/
Dwarfing the three crew chiefs who in reality are their masten, the
F.105, F-. ond F-100 represent the oircroft used by the men ot TfWC.
Geffing checked out on preflight procedure1 is TfWC commander, Brig.
Gen. Rolph G. Taylor, Jr. His F-. instructor is Copt. Donold Calvert.
C. L. Van Etten is another "old pro" in the tactical fly-
ing business, a three-war veteran with combat time in
World War II, Korea and Southeast Asia.
His wing conducts an extensive training program in
the F-I05 for pilots at two levels of experience. The
F-I05 long course consists of seven months training de-
signed to put the "platinum fini sh" on officers who
have just completed basic flight training.
The short course is cockpit tailored to the needs of
experienced flyers who have hundreds and in some
cases thousands of hours in other aircraft. Both courses
run the training gamut of detailed classroom and flight
experience in tactics, weapons delivery, navigation and
other associated subjects.
More details of the ccrw's activities came from
affable Lt. Col. Fred A. Treyz, commander of the
4526th ccrS. Working with him was student Lt.
Hank Sherrard, a pilot who earned his instrument and
commercial flight ratings while a Civil Air Patrol memo
ber, and having earned Air Force wings, was in the long
course for F-I 05 pilots.
Colonel Treyz had flown wing with Lieutenant Sher-
41
rard as he practiced a visual, low-level bombing attack
on a target building in the north-northwest corner of the
gunnery range complex near Nellis.
The problems of performing navigation safely and
accurately at low levels were immediately apparent. The
closeness of rapidly changing terrain and the high rate of
closure of navigational check points gave the lieutenant
a busy flight.
Features such as small villages, roads and railways -
easily identified from high altitude by their shape - are
of little value at low altitude when seen as a fast-moving,
blurred image. The basic method of low-level navigation
used by student Sherrard and instructor Treyz was a
combination of dead reckoning and pilotage (map
reading). Dead reckoning is a system of determining
where a plane should be on the basis of where it has
been. It depends on three factors: readings from flight
instruments, the forecast or calculated winds; and past
positions and performance.
As he flew, Colonel Treyz "stop watched" hi s stu-
dent, who was required to know his location at all times,
in accordance with his pre-selected flight plan.
"This is important," the colonel later explained, "be-
cause a well-planned and studied route means less 'head
io the cockpit' time and less chance for that small fatal
error in altitude."
The lieutenant, flying nearby, was doing fine. Only a
few seconds off the flight plan, he continued on his
complicated course, changing direction several times till
he approached his target with his powerful fighter-bomb-
er, dropped his bombs on several runs, scored hits and
turned for "home."
After their return to Nellis a discussion was held on
the fighter jock's "stocks in trade," the many areas of
work he had to cover on a mission. These included the
selection and preparation of charts for fighter cockpit
use; route pJanning, target approaches, the enemy air
order of battle (defense and attack capabilities); check
points (landmarks used to position the plane and to
check its direction of travel); precise turns, and altitude,
weather and range control planning.
Lieutenant Sherrard and Colonel Treyz reviewed the
entire flight. Nothing was left to chance. Lieutenant
Sherrard, already well trained at flight schools, would be
a man with practiced expertise when he flew his Thun-
derchief on missions in other areas of the world.
"There's a saying in the school among the instructors,"
the colonel noted, "that goes like this, 'The success of
the mission will be proportional to the planning, study
and effort that went into it.' Very true--and we don't
let our students forget it."
The next day our visit to the Fighter Weapons Center
continued with another discussinn over coffee in General
Taylor's office.
Ground Staff Real P.os
"You've seen the students, instructors and ground
crews in action here, with the emphasis on flying. How-
ever, the ground staff deserves a word or more," the
general said. "Without their hard-working maintenance
repair and support efforts, we would be doing very little
flying. They are as professional as our flyers, and un-
questionably our air crews are the most highly qualified
in the world.
"Yes, that's a sweeping statement, but it will stand
the test. The records of our airmen around the world-
in World War II, Korea and Vietnam attest to this."
General Taylor pointed out that TAC pilots must be
able to deliver accurately every type of armament that
can be hung on or in century series fighters and other
supersonic aircraft. They must be ready to leave, on
short notice, for far corners of the world, at any hour of
the day or night. They must meet tankers, fly long hours,
then often go to a destination "short on concrete" that's
enveloped in bad weather.
"No other air force in the world can get this much
performance from one man and have him coming back
for more," the general said.
Tactics is 0 topic for conltont discussion at TFWC, Her. Lt. Henry l. Sherrard. 26th eClS, chots with Lt . Col.
April 1961
BIRDS BY RAIL
The mighty Titan life solid-propellant booster motors which thunder
off launching pads at Cape Kennedy, Fla., reach the vastness of space in a
matter of minutes. But it takes them nearly seven days to go from California
to Florida.
A unique problem faced by the Titan IIIC Division of the 6555th
Aerospace Test Wing at the Air Force Eastern Test Range, Patrick AFB,
Fla., is the movement of the 250-lOn booster motors from Sunnyvale, Cali f. ,
to Cape Kennedy.
Delivery from Sunnyvale's United Technology Center is by flat-bed
rail Shipment across country, a trip which takes from five to seven days.
Normally, two booster motors are carried on each trip. Each motor, when
assembled, is 75 feet long and 10 feet in diameter.
The motors have special baby-sitters, too. Members of the Titan II IC
Division, two at a time, take turns accompanying the huge space launchers.
The two sergeants fly from Patrick AFB to Sunnyvale, then begin the return
trip in a special railroad car. Anytime the train stops, day or night, they in-
spect the environmental control equipment boxes located on each of the seg-
ment containers, and check the diesel engine generator sets that maintain a
constant ambient temperature inside the containers.
Each of the booster motors is shipped in seven segments, with each seg-
ment in its own special container. They ride aboard special hydracushion rail
cars, securely fastened with large tow bolts that prevent any movement.
(In special tests prior to the first cross-eountry rail movements, engineers
determined that the motor segments would not detonate if impacted.)
It's a scenic trip for the mighty rocket motors, but the 2,900-mile
journey is a child's step compared to the travels in store for them in future
US space efforts.
43
THAT
WORN OUT
Believe it or not, someone might be very
unhoppy if you foil to demilitarize it.
T
HAT old, worn out Air Force uniform is causing
a lot of grief. It begins when the frayed collars
cuffs and pockets tell you it's time to replace the
worn garment with a new one. After all, regulations
(AFM 35-10) dictate that the uniform must al-
ways be clean, neat and in good condition. If it
won't pass inspection, it's time to visit the clothing
sales store.
That's no problem. Most airmen know how to
wear and take care of their uniform. It's another
situation entirely when it comes to disposing of the
old, worn out one. There are even rules for this.
Legally, your uniforms are private property.
What you do with them is your own business, as
long as you conform with the prescribed rules for
their wear. The danger lies in what happens after
you dispose of the uniform.
It's not unusual to see an unauthorized person
wearing an old, discarded item of the military uni-
form; a garage mechanic in an old set of fatigues,
or maybe a trash collector in an old, outdated bat-
tle jacket. If the chevrons are still in place or a
closer look reveals other distinctive military indicia
still on these items, these people are very likely to
be in trouble.
It's Illegal
These people are violating federal laws. Title
10, US Code 771 prohibits the unauthorized wear
of the uniform. Title 18, US Code 702 advises that
persons who wear a uniform or distinctive part of a
uniform of the armed services without proper
authority, are liable to a $250 fine, six months
imprisonment, or both.
Although ignorance of the law is no excuse, many
people are totally unaware of this restriction. A
UNIFORM
good airman can also be a real friend to some un-
suspecting civilian. He can help to eliminate or
curtail potential violations.
Demilitarize that worn out uniform before you
throw it away or donate it to a friend or charitable
organization. Rip off the chevrons and other sleeve
adornments. Remove all awards, decorations, rib-
bons and collar insignia. Don't forget the buttons
and shoulder epaulets. Strip that garment of any
item distinctively military.
AirForce Manual 67-4 makes it mandatory that
you do this before discarding the uniform.
Now it's just another item of clothing. You can
throw it away, give it to a worthy charity or even
sell it. You've met your obligation.
How about those surplus sales stores? They are
in all large cities and they sell virtually every item
of military uniform. True! But, these vendors are
supposed to require appropriate identification be-
fore selling such items.
Military uniforms are often sold or donated by
authorized government agencies. This is perfectly
legal and such transactions are always accomplish-
ed through the expedient of signed statements of
intent whereby the purchaser or recipient acknow-
ledges his responsibility under the US Code.
As for the individual airman, caution should be
your byword. You can feel secure, no matter what
you do with that old worn out uniform, as long as
you have completely demilitarized it. Then you
know you have fulfilled your obligation. Then you
know you have done all in your power to protect
some unwary citizen who may not know the law as
well as you.
-K.A.A.
The Airman
The
Perambulaling
Pylhon
The constrictor cooly coiled itself around
the colonel's control column.
Lt. Col. Norman J. Mueller, Air Force liaison officer
for the 23d Army of Vietnam Division was on duty
at Baa Lac in the central highlands when he saw a
Montagnard merchant trying to sell a python.
He remembered that the Special Forces men at Ban
Me Thuot needed a boa constrictor type wildlife ex-
hibit to "round out" their small zoo. He haggled for,
and purchased the 20-pound, muscle-bound serpent.
Colonel Mueller sandbagged the jungle dweller,
placed him on the rcar seat of his 0-1 E Bird Dog and
took off for Ban Me Thuot. While checking ground
sites and map coordinates he noticed something mov-
ing on the cockpit floor.
You guessed it. The situation had changed-from
cockpit to snakepit-in three easy wriggles.
With limited knowledge of reptilian psychology-
and a hazy remembrance that the family Pylhonidlle
coiled and crushed, but was nonpoisonous, the colonel
decided landing was the better pan of valor.
With some fancy stick and rudder work the pilot
was on the ground fast at Gia Nghia airstrip. Aided by
a dubious local FAC and a crew chief, the colonel un-
flexed the muscular creature-right into a duffle bag.
That did not end the problem. When Colonel Muel-
COMING
Nine.foot boo made an interesting companion lor Lt. Col. Mueller who
finally decided snokes- espec:ially big ones-belong on the ground.
ler got to Ban Me Thuot, the roving reptile was caged,
but some local residents started yowling.
The dissident voices came from Vietnamese mon-
keys. They consider the python a mortal enemy. They
wanted no part of him-and he was returned to the
hapless colonel.
The officer is still stuck-with nine feet of trouble!
-H.H.
NEXT MONTH
Our Top Airman in Vietnam
on interview with Lt. Gen. William W. Mamyer
What Will Came From It All?
the story of a dozen golden bases
The Endless Pursuit
scientists in blue suits
and a special report an the
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Farce
Read THE AIRMAN
The magazine for everyone in the Air Force
45
PENTAGON
PERSONAL
The word is out! Supporting documents are a must
for airmen who claim errors have been made in their
leave records. Officials at the Military Personnel
Center are willing to investigate these claims and to
adjust leave records if claimants will send along
copies of paid travel vouchers. itineraries and travel
orders with amendments, telegrams or letters direct
ing movements or port call dates, the number of
days charged to leave accounts and the number of
days actual travel time allowed on movements.
When in doubt as to proper personnel procedures,
always check with local base personnel offices
(CBPO) before initiating action.
There are now 67 worldwide locations for Air
Attache duty employing Air Force colonels. Inter
ested officers should consult Chap. 25, AFM 3611
before applying for this select duty. Applications
must be submitted through channels to arrive at Hq
US Air Force (AFNIND) by July 30, 1967. A Selection
Panel wHl convene this fall. to choose officers for
Air Attache training during calendar year 1968.
'.
All Civil Air Patrol cadets, boys and girls, age
16 and older who meet training qualifications, will
46
be eligible to compete for some 184 !light training
scholarships this summer. Seven programs will be
held at six different locations from July 16 through
August 13. Power !light training will be conducted
at Reno, Nev., Rock Hill, S.C., Lawton, Okla., and
Kutztown, Po. Glider training will be held at Elmira,
N.Y .. Chester, S.C., and also at Reno. CAP cadets
who successfully complete the expenses-paid train
ing will be awarded Federal Aviation Agency pri
vote pilot certificates.
colonel board
month
Air Force Reserve lieutenant colonels with promo-
tion service dales of June 30, 1963, or earlier, are
eligible, and may be considered for promotion to
permanent colonel when the selection board meets
next month. Eligible officers may submit letters in
their behalf to the President, ResAF Selection Board,
ARPC, 3800 York Street. Denver, Colo. 80205. Section
8362, Title 10, USC and Para. 603, AFM 353 apply.
It's official! The total number of Women in the
Air Force (WAF) will soon climb to 850 officers and
6,000 enlisted women. The increase, scheduled for
FY '68, will result in approximately 100 officers and
1.000 airmen over present WAF strength.
WAF airmen work in administrative, personnel.
medical. dental, supply and communications career
fields, to name only a few. WAF officers are assign
ed to almost every career field open to nonrated
Air Force commissioned personnel.
Th. Airm
duty scheduled
for ten WAP
Ten Women in the Air Force (WAF) will soon be
traveling to Saigon, South Vietnam, for duty with
the US Air Force contingents of MACV. One officer
and nine enlisted WAF will replace their male coun
terparts in administrative and personneltype func
tions at the joint services headquarters. As soon as
housing and uniform problems are resolved, more
WAF will be assigned to Southeast Asia, replacing
male Air Force personnel for assignments in other
than Saigon. Col. Jeanne M. Holm, Director of WAF,
hopes to limit these assignments to volunteers.
DIA seeks applicants
for intelligenee course
Applications are now being accepted for the Au
gust 28. 1967, Defense Intelligence Course to be con
ducted by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DlA) in
Washington, D.C. First lieutenants, captains and rna
jors who do not have an intelligence AFSC and have
not completed this course are eligible. Nine months
long. it is designed to qualify officers for future as
signments in the intelligence field. AFM 505 outlines
application procedures. A baccalaureate degree is
desirable.
Selection
to prom
Selection boards will be convened this month to
recommend Regular and Reserve permanent chief
,:warrt:mt officers (W2, W3) for promotion to CWO,
and CWO, W4. All officers with a date of rank
Drclm.,ticln service date on or before June 30, 1962,
be considered. Eligible CWOs may submit writ
communications in their own behalf to the Presi
Warrant Officer Selection Board, USAFMPC
1U'I'M.A.1I11. Randolph AFB, Tex. 78148. These must
prior to April 24 to be considered.
/ullullm":c;' 8{'/wol
at IJr()o},:s
eightweek Laboratory Animal Techni
has been established at the USAF School
9alpac:e Medicine, Brooks AFB, Tex .. for airmen
in biomedical research. Applicants must
active participants in an animal colony
at least three years and have an appro
aptitude cluster on their AQE tests.
work with Air Force science teams,
used in research and test pro
Distinguished AFROTC Grads
considered for Regular
Distinguished graduates of Air Force ROTC pro
grams who entered on extended active duty during
July 1 through September 30, 1966, and who have
not been considered for a Regular appointment
based on their distinguished graduate status, will be
so considered this month. The Hq USAF Uniform
Officer Record will identify all eligible officers and
their consideration for a Regular appointment will
be automatic.
Liability
on HIIG shipmen
Common motor carriers of household goods being
moved on military orders are now liable for 60 cents
per pound per article for lost or damaged items. The
old rate was 30 cents per pound per article. The
carrier is also now required to provide, upon request,
insurance for full value of the shipment at a cost of
50 cents per $100 valuation of goods up to a maxi
mum of $10,000. Any recovery under such a policy
will, of course, be deducted from claims paid by the
US government.
Last-Second Lines

.. Attention, Air Reservists-your sons are eligible
to compete for entrance to the Air Force Academy
under the Presidential Quota category.
.. There'll be no doctor's draft call for the Air Force
this summer; enough are already on board to meet
anticipated requirements.
.. Air University is seeking applicants for its 177
AFROTC detachments. Airmen first class through
master sergeants in 702XO and 732XO may apply in
accordance with Chap. 3, AFM 3911.
.. An old friend of many Air Force pilots has been
retired. The T33 Shooting Star has flown its last
training flight. Jet pilots now learn their trade in the
more advanced T38 Talon.
.. Astronautics Instructors are needed at the Air
Force Academy. If you have a master's degree in
guidance control. orbital mechanics, or computer
science, see Chap. 36, AFM 3611 for application
procedures and infonnation.
.. Are you planning a leave to a foreign country?
Your uniform is not always an entry permit. Some
countries require a tourist passport. Better check with
your personal affairs office before departing. It
could save loss of leave time, embarrassment and
costly delays.
.. USAF A is the official and correct albbreviation
for the Air Force Academy. Use AFA when refer.
ring to the Air Force Association. -K.A.A.
47
JUNGLE by,
J O L L l E ~ f ~
"Thanks a loti"
"Oh, uh, Uncle Mikel What surprisel When did you
get back from Cam Ranh Bay?"
- - .
- .
AUTIFUL.
MAN \ \<.U RE-
I? piS
aeri,ean eagle, chosen emblem of a free people forever set against
all its works. The sky-vast, eballenging, awesome-is my home,
,"r"1I'11am its peace I am pledged. This great vault of blue was not
meant as an avenue for evil trespassers, miscreants and intruders bent on ac-
complishing foul designs. Let these take counsel of what other
such have painfully learned for their efforts. My wings
are unknown strong, tireless. My talons can hurl myr-
iad thunderbolts from which there is no hiding.
Yet, when a stem lesson has been taught and
the sky once more is untroubled, my beak
will accept an olive branch without ran-
cor and let the light shine upon it.
-William A. Kinney