Air Force Crew Chief

 


From 1971 to September 1974, I was a Staff Sergeant crew chief on KC-135Q tanker aircraft, used to refuel SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance planes.  I was assigned to the 456th Organization Maintenance Squadron (OMS) and Beale AFB.  I did a lot of TDY to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, U Tapao Air Base, Thailand, and Andersen Air Base, Guam.

On February 11, 1971, I reported for duty at Beale AFB in Yuba City, California as an aircraft maintenance technician on KC-135Q aircraft at the 456th OMS.  My pay was $83.73 a week. 

On Dec 20, 1971, I took off in a KC-135Q and was assigned to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa until Feb 21, 1972.  We stopped over Hickam AFB, Hawaii to refuel before going on to Kadena.

On Dec 26, 1971, I was assigned to U Tapao, Thailand for a few weeks.

On January 10, 1972 at about 1:30 am, three attackers (sappers) got past my KC-135 that I was refueling and made it to the B-52 side of the airfield.  They tossed grenades and satchel charges in the B-52 engines and under the wings, trying to blow up three B-52 aircraft.  One attacker was killed by guards, and the other 2 escaped.  I flew out of U Tapao the next day.

In late January, 1972, I went to Anderson Air Base in Guam, then Clark Air Base in the Philippines before returning back to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa.

In the spring of 1972, I supported Operation Linebacker and Arc Light missions, the bombing of North Vietnam.

In December 1972, I supported Operation Linebacker II, the Christmas bombing of North Vietnam.

On Sep 16, 1973, I flew to Alaska, then to Japan, Guam, Philippines, then to Bangkok, Thailand.  I then took a bus to U Tapao, Thailand.  I was assigned to the 307th OMS.  I worked 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, from midnight until noon.

On October 6, 1973, the Yom Kippur War started.  Soon, all our aircraft was in the air.  We worked long hours to support that effort.

On April 20, 1974, a Lockheed C-130E Hercules touched down on the runway at Andersen AB, Guam.  The tires blew out on the right hand main landing gear/  the plane skidded off the runway and caught fire.  6 crew members died.  I had to pick up the aircraft pieces from the runway.

At Beale AFB near Yuba City, California I worked with the following:

Arthur Brown, Al Castle, Dean Easton, John Ferrara, Henry Giertych, Rob Harnden, Robert Knapp, John Manson, Louie Martinez, Ken and Starlene McCarty, Tom McCoy, Richard Monahan, Henry Murtaugh, Mike Salvaggione, Don Smith, Steve Spaulding, Robert Tharp, David Thompson, Manuel Torre, Mike Wick, Stewart Williams, and Joe Wisher.

At Kadena, I met and worked worked with: John Kalish, Bob Karch, Louie Martinez, Henry Murtaugh, Robert Tharp, Manuel Torre, Mike Wick, andStewart Williams

At U Tapao, Thailand, I met and worked with: Bob Brooks, Walter Chapman, Dave Evans, Jim Friedrichsen, Bill Hatfield, Bob Karch, Tom Louie, Morales, Haskell Sikes, Doug Steward, Robert Tharp, Larry Van Guilder, and Stewart Williams 

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