Candy and Kids

Cute, small child we had given chocolate candy to … wearing much of it on her face. Another child, perhaps the brother, looks on in the background of an open storefront somewhere near an airbase where we landed – Vietnam 1972. These kids did not have to wear much of any clothing in the warm temperatures. They didn’t seem too happy with blank stares on their faces … don’t know if we scared them, or if maybe they were already impacted by the wartime at that young age.

Con Son POWs

The men wearing purple shirts and white bandanas were just a few of a plane load of North Vietnamese POWS we were loading from the infamous detention camp on the small island of Con Son off the southern tip of South Vietnam - 1973.  There were reports of torture and confinement of prisoners in tiger cages … all this supposedly validated by a visiting US Congressional delegation. It was near the end of US involvement in the war and these lucky prisoners were being freed as part of prisoner exchanges. Our destination was a remote dirt airfield near Hue, just south of the DMZ where the men were to be freed. Needless to say they were most elated as the South Vietnamese guards in green look on.

C-130 JATO

Cargo groundcrew girls clowning at left side paratrooper door (aft of the wing) of the C-130 … Saigon 1972. An interesting detail of the aircraft is revealed here with the four mounts at left side of photo that were for a JATO (Jet Assisted Takeoff) system. Four small jets (actually I think more like rockets) could be attached to these mounts on both sides of aircraft. The jets would be ignited for a short time during takeoff, propelling the C-130 into the air in a very short distance … supposedly in as little as a few hundred feet which is incredible. The JATO was rarely used and was the cause of a few accidents during tests. There was also another configuration where jets could be used in reverse to allow aircraft to land and stop in a very short distance. It was reported that in 1980 a plan was in place to use a JATO equipped C-130 for rescue of the Iranian hostages … takeoff and landing to be done on a soccer field … yikes!

Control Tower with Character

Not saying too much, but this was one of the more architecturally interesting airfield control towers I remember … something more than a colorless monolith. Location was the very much rundown, and largely abandoned airfield in Ban Me Thout, Central Highlands, Vietnam – 1972. Surprisingly I’ve had no luck finding another picture of this tower on the web in an effort to get more info. Regardless, this tower had a bit of multicolor earth-tone style with some tile work and modest decorative trim. The prominent “ELEV – 1759” in photo indicated the elevation of the airfield … something very important to pilots in calibrating their altimeters although it was generally conveyed in a more sophisticated manner … a mis-calibrated altimeter could easily cause an aircraft to fly into a mountain in IFR (low visibility) weather. FYI – varying barometric pressure is very important to pilots setting their altimeters below 18,000 feet, above which a standard setting is always 29.92. Note this was in days before GPS and other more sophisticated avionics. The elevation of 1759 was indicative of this highland area … not far away was the Vietnam coastal plain close to sea level. Although this altitude is not excessive, thinner air makes for reduced engine performance, and therefore influences takeoff calculations.

Monsoon Rains

People on bicycles and on foot scrambling for cover under open marketplace. Blinding rain and deafening noise from the metal roofs were very common during the afternoon thunderstorms or almost anytime during monsoon season. I don’t recall where this was in 1972 … possibly the Philippines which really gets clobbered by the rain. Also puzzled by yellowish, tower-like structure behind the shed. These downpours could last for hours. By the look of empty racks of bottles maybe the folks didn't mind waiting if the beer was flowing.

Ban Me Thuot Depression

In terms of airports the one we flew into at Ban Me Thuot, Vietnam in 1972 was one of the worst. The entire place was falling apart with crumbling buildings and semi-paved surfaces … it appeared to be mostly abandoned with few signs of life … no idea why we had to land there. It was also a dismal, overcast day adding to the scene of absolute depression. Located in the Central Highlands it was a place of many intense battles throughout the war … spent large caliber brass casings littered the ground in several places. The tail of a Vietnamese C-7 Caribou frames the photo in which our navigator Joe can be seen walking about the rubble. Although too small to read in the left side of the picture, the word PEACE! was painted on the white fence in red.

C-7 Caribou Saigon

A pair of twin engine Vietnamese C-7 Caribou cargo planes sitting on ramp in Saigon – 1972. Behind the nearest aircraft is a fork lift carrying a metal pallet on which are four Vietnam flag draped caskets … assume these must have been war dead. Next to the pallet are two small children dressed in white … one sitting on some sort of scooter. Never saw anything quite like this before or after WRT the children although it must have sadly been a very common occurrence. Photo taken out the right cockpit window looking back over the wing of the C-130. The C-7 was smaller than the C-123 Provider and even smaller than the C-130 Hercules in the tactical airlift aircraft hierarchy.

Saigon Lambro 550

Two tree-wheeled Lambro 550 vehicles waiting for GI fares in Saigon – 1972. I know these cheap public transportation noise and pollution makers had nick names but can’t remember what … reminds me a bit of the old jitney buses in Atlantic City. A trip in one of these could sometimes rival a thrilling amusement park ride especially in congested downtown traffic. A little research shows they were Italian made with tiny 9hp, 198cc engines, and did get 45mpg. Appears steering and controls inside cab of this 4-speed was similar to a motorcycle. Thank goodness top speed was only 35mph.