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2 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org Air Commando JOURNAL Fall 2013 Vol. 2, Issue 4 4 Foreword Gen (Ret) Norton Schwartz 8 Combat Talons in the Son Tay Raid 40 From One Aux Field to Another 15 Gone, But Not Forgotten STARS MC-130E Surface-To-Air Recovery System 5 Chindit Chatter: Editorial 19 Operation Rice Bowl: 20 Desert One Loadmaster A Crewmember’s Perspective Challenges 24 23 The Night Two Plan Secret Preparations for Eagle Claw 29 35 Operation Eagle Claw: Recollections and Reflections 1SOW in Operation Rice Bowl/Eagle Claw 38 ON THE Eagle Claw: COVER A Crewdog’s Rememberances 44 Combat Tharthar Palace Raid Talon Black Bird 48 Photo taken in 1988 of a MC-130E Capt Hilliard Wilbanks LAS-Det 4, 645 MATS (SOFI Phase I Completion) Photo courtesy of USAF Medal of Honor Recipient www.aircommando.org Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 3 FOREWORD

There are many Talon operators who are better equipped to pen an introduction to this issue of the Air Commando Journal. But, the editor was kind enough to approach me and of course I enthusiastically agreed to prepare this brief narrative. Allow me to assert at the outset that my service in our Air Force was profoundly influenced by that initial operational and four follow-on supervisory tours in the Special Operations community. Let no one suggest otherwise: had I not experienced the intensity of the mission, associated with an array of remarkable joint teammates, and earned a reputation as being a “SOF warrior,” I would never have had the opportunities to lead in our Air Force that I ultimately enjoyed. I arrived at Hurlburt for Talon School in the fall of 1980 in the immediate aftermath of Honey Badger. I arrived as a reasonably well qualified C-130 tactical pilot. I knew the airplane (or so I thought) and basic airdrop tactics. How hard could this be? Well, it was hard as Bob Brenci, Jim Hobson or Jerry Uttaro can attest. The leadership of the 8th SOS accepted me, with some deserved reservations of course. The Talon business has always been a “show me” activity. At that time and hopefully for all time, performance trumped other considerations…but these notable Talon leaders and marvelous squadron-mates gave me a chance: Lee Hess, Tom Bradley, Ray Turczynski, Bob Meller, George Ferkes, Jerry Thigpen, Sam Galloway, Thom Beres, Bob Almanzar, Buff Underwood, Ray Doyle and Taco Sanchez among a number of others. How important it was to me not to disappoint them in any way. I checked out and ultimately was assigned to Jerry Uttaro’s crew…one of just five in those days. Jerry was also the crew commander for the initial mission and follow-on Credible Sport II effort to evaluate short take-off and landing and related avionics technologies that had matured under the earlier classified program, undertaken following the American Hostage rescue attempt in Iran. Ultimately, the leadership of that crew passed to me, with Sam Galloway, Chris Armstrong, Mike Dredla, Tom Daignault, Dee Newberry, Ken Bancroft and Dave Metherell and others as teammates. The Credible Sport II crew worked for many months together at the Lockheed Marietta plant, evaluating and documenting those aspects of the Credible Sport I aircraft that should be incorporated in the then newly conceived Combat Talon II aircraft development program. Self-contained approach avionics was one such capability. I will never forget a Friday night sortie in the Sport aircraft inbound to Field 6 at 80 knots when all the instrumentation in the aircraft was “wired,” but looking outside on PVS-5s I apparently mumbled to myself: “This Doesn’t Look Good”. Had we followed the internal approach guidance we would have landed well short. The moral of the story was that good instincts in the special operations aircraft cockpit will always be essential to managing the inherent risks of and accomplishing that very demanding (and rewarding) special operations aviation mission. It is with genuine humility that I now defer to the authors of the accounts of Talon history you truly wish to read. I just close this introduction by expressing appreciation to all the Talon crews over the years, our “Heavy” program predecessors, those in each of the Talon squadrons (notwithstanding the focus on the 8th SOS above), and those who lost their lives (and in some cases their careers) in pursuing Talon excellence in special operations aviation. Only Talon families sacrificed more and are more deserving of our lasting respect.

NORTON A. SCHWARTZ General (Ret), USAF Former Chief of Staff

4 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org CHINDIT CHATTER

his edition of Air Commando Journal (ACJ) focuses on the recently retired and highly venerable to the end, Combat Talon 1. More importantly, it highlights the men and women who flew and maintained Tit during its nearly 50 years of fantastic service to the nation. Perhaps its most memorable single mission occurred in April, 1980, in the wasteland of Iran at Desert One. The history of that mission, generally accepted as providing the impetus behind legislation that led to the creation of USSOCOM and AFSOC, is well known and documented. We asked some of the crewmembers to draft articles focusing not so much on the mechanics of carrying out that heroic feat, but on the visceral emotions and individual thoughts and highlights of making that historical attempt. The response was overwhelming and many of those articles are published here. We could not use all of them in this single edition or we would not have been able to discuss other capabilities and missions of this great machine. We will publish the remainder in future ACJs.

This obviously is not a complete history of the Talon 1. Rather, we looked at snippets through her history. One of our contributors, Col (Ret) Jerry Thigpen penned a very thorough look in The Praetorian Starship, The Untold Story of the Combat Talon Air University Press, Dec 2001. Readers should refer to it for a more in-depth look. Enjoy this edition of ACJ.

Dennis Barnett, Col, USAF (Ret) ACA Vice President and Editor In Chief

Providing assistance to wounded warriors and their families. Support the foundation donate online at www.aircommando.org or contact the Air Commando Association at 850-581-0099 Email: [email protected]

The Air Commando Association Foundation Endowment is a fully tax deductible 501(c)(3). All donations to the Foundation are 100% committed to providing assistance as all administrative and other overhead costs are absorbed by the Air Commando Association (ACA). www.aircommando.org Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 5 Hotwash My son-in-law is now an Air Commando at the 27th SOW, and it is wonderful to see that the Commando Spirit not only continues, but THRIVES! I am proud to see the community take care of my daughter and grandbabies while the Commandos continue to fight for freedom around the world.

Tim Hale, Goose 77/SG5 Cabinet Secretary, NM Dept of Veterans Services

Just a quick note to say, GREAT summer issue of the Air Commando Journal! Just got it delivered the day after Labor Day… (Pony Express runs a little slow up here in Holt, FL). The article on John Grove was an eye opener, I knew a lot that he had done but there was Summer 2013 ACJ Cover still a lot to learn. Sam (Felix Sambogna), thanks for writing The cover of our Summer edition elicited many to ask, the article. “Who are those Air Commandos?” Thanks to Bob Dutton, Jim Connors, Holt, FL the mystery has been solved. 50 years ago (from left to right) Ken Alnwick a RB-26 Navigator, Robert Dutton a B-26 Col Barnett, Pilot, Fred Redeker a B-26 Navigator arrive in Saigon on 20 Just want tell you what a great job the ACA Staff did on June 1963 on a C-135 for a 1st tour out of Bien Hoa with the the Summer 2013 ACJ. Keep up the great work. 1st SOW, 6th Fighter Squadron. Sincerely, Gene Adcock , The Villages, FL 606 SOS U-10 Reference page 49, Summer 2013 Air Commando Journal, Dick and Dennis, there is no mention of the 606 SOS U-10s. I originally had I deeply regret I won’t be able to attend this year’s reunion. orders to the 5th SOS, was subsequently transferred to the 606 Tops a bad week losing Gen Vaught and Bagger both. SOS at Nakhon Phanom flying U-10s. We flew U-10s in Laos, Best wishes for a great reunion and dinner. What an Cambodia and Thailand. Leaflets, loudspeakers, infil/exfil, appropriate list of HOF honorees. Hmong support, civic action, etc. Several links are available to Reread my copy of Journal last night. You hit it out of the provide background, I suggest the following site as a starting park. Thanks for the tribute to John Grove. point: www.aircommandoman.tripod.com. If anyone is interested I have several hundred slides of our VR, aircraft and operations. I would appreciate it if the 606 SOS Maj Gen (Ret) Robert Patterson U-10 veterans could receive concurrent acknowledgement. Submissions can be e-mailed to [email protected] or Thank you, mailed to Hot Wash c/o Air Commando Association, P.O. Box 7, Dennis Petersen, Member #5238 Mary Esther, FL 32569. ACA reserves the right to eliminate those that are not deemed appropriate. Thank you in advance for your Super! interest in the Air Commando Journal. The article Piston STOL and SOF (Summer 2013, Vol 2, Issue 3) is, in my opinion, a super example of the kind of Advertisers in this issue: contextual history that backs up the Air Commando story. ATK...... 7 Please convey to Dr. Hallion that I enjoyed reading it. I hope to see more of his work in the Air Commando Journal (ACJ). Black Diamond...... 28 Blanchard Family Wines ...... 43 Maj Scott E McIntosh, USAF Boeing...... 31 USAFE HQ AIRCOM/A2 Creative Awards...... 43 Sir(s), Emerald Coast Convention Center...... 43 As always, thank you for bringing the organization Lockheed Martin...... 41 to a new level! It has always been an honor to be an Air ScottEventPhoto...... 2 Commando, now it is a pleasure to share the great info you Sierra Nevada Corporation ...... 28 provide via the Journal, and the Reunions to build our force both professionally, and in comradeship. BZ! Special Operations Warrior Foundation...... 47

6 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org

Combat Talons in the Son Tay

ASSAULT FORMATION Daytime “Assault Formation” Raid training with Cherry 01 leading HH-3 Banana and HH-53 Apples. By Col (Ret) John Gargus

Our 1970 attempt to rescue American POWs from Son Tay in North Vietnam started out as a small joint ground and air special operation that grew into what, up to that time, became the largest nighttime air battle of the Vietnam War. To appreciate how this event evolved, we need to recall the aircraft capabilities of that day.

POW CAMP PHOTO Low altitude Buffalo Hunter photo of the Son Tay POW Camp.

8 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org North Vietnam had the most Green Giants were being replaced by Air Service undergoing modification. formidable air defenses of that time longer range, more powerful, and faster The 15th SOS in Vietnam was simply and we were losing many aircraft in our Super Jolly Green Giant HH-53s. The informed that the on-going modification daytime bombing missions. Son Tay A-1E Skyraiders were not air refuelable, POW camp was well inside this heavily but they had sufficient long range with Heavy Chain aircraft were C-130Es defended air space, just 23 miles west loitering endurance, and flew at speeds that were used as testbeds for of Hanoi. A daytime rescue attempt compatible with the helicopters and Combat Talon upgrades and would have been suicidal. For the raid C-130s. Neither the helicopters nor the to succeed it had to be done at night Skyraiders had the navigational capability modifications. with undetected intrusion into North or the electronic countermeasures needed Vietnamese airspace. to fly into enemy territory at night while needed more time to complete. The Stray Goose Combat Talons had been avoiding detection by enemy radars. By Combat Knife (stateside Combat Talons) sneaking into North Vietnam supporting themselves, they were not survivable Detachment from Pope AFB provided Military Assistance Command Vietnam in the formidable North Vietnamese one volunteer crew and a complement of – Studies and Observation Group airspace. To carry out a successful rescue, maintenance people. The Combat Arrow (MACV-SOG) at night since the first the entire force would have to get into (European Combat Talons) squadron Combat Spear aircraft (Pacific Combat North Vietnam undetected, find the Son from Ramstein AB in Germany provided Talons) had deployed to Southeast Asia Tay prison camp, rescue the prisoners, another full crew. The Heavy Chain unit (SEA) in 1966. For four years they had and then run for the hills toward Laos, from Norton AFB in California, that been executing a variety of clandestine out of the air defense hornets’ nest they had the same navigation and electronic missions on the periphery of this would surely provoke. countermeasures in their special mission formidable defense umbrella without Consequently, the initial plan C-130s, was tasked to provide 12 getting shot down. The Combat Talons presumed that a Combat Talon MC-130 maintenance personnel for this unique had the sophisticated terrain following/ would have to fly as a pathfinder for the equipment. Pulling people and aircraft terrain avoidance, navigation, and Jolly Greens and the Skyraiders. Because from a variety of units lessened the electronic countermeasures equipment, the joint task force planners wanted burden on the squadrons and on-going sufficient back-ups for everything, they programs, and also helped minimize risks opted for two Combat Talons. This to operational security. Stray Goose was the Air way one could escort the helicopters General Manor briefed selected Force program to convert 14 at about 105 kts with the second members from both Talon crews who C-130Es into an unconventional escorting the Skyraiders at about 145 became the air operations planners. warfare capability for long kts. This configuration would allow two From the Pope AFB crew they were: range infiltration, resupply, and formations flying at different airspeeds. Lt Col Albert (Friday) Blosch, aircraft That basic plan appeared simple enough. commander; Capt Harry Pannill, first exfiltration. Delivered from 1966 Secrecy around this daring rescue pilot; Maj John Gargus, navigator; and to 67, these original Combat plan was of utmost importance. A joint task Lt Col Cecil Clark, EWO. The Ramstein Talons were equipped with TF/ force had to be assembled and trained in AB crew was represented by aircraft TA radar, a defensive electronic the USA and inserted into Southeast Asia commander Maj Irl (Leon) Franklin warfare suite, and the Fulton for the execution of the rescue mission. and navigator Capt Tom Stiles. Both surface-to-air recovery system. The obvious place for training without Gargus and Clark had served as mission causing any undue attention was Eglin planners during their tours in Vietnam, AFB where experimentation of all kinds and because they had flown as regular while the crews had the unique planning was always on-going. There was already crew members, while also serving as skills and experience to do this with a Rescue wing in place with Jolly Green their unit’s mission planners, they were a single aircraft employing terrain Giants and HC-130 helicopter refuelers, well experienced with the capabilities of following tactics that avoided early and plenty of isolated training areas. So, North Vietnam’s air defenses. warning radar detection. Together, these that was where the Joint Contingency The very first thing they concluded men and their machines always managed Task Group, headed by Brig Gen Leroy was that the terrain following option to accomplish their targeted goals before Manor, commander of the USAF Special for sneaking into North Vietnam was the enemy responded to their surprising Operations Force, assembled. out. The AN/APQ-115 radar could not presence in their well-defended and One Combat Talon, #64-0558, operate at speeds below 160 knots. At lethal air defense zones. came from the Detachment 2 of the 1st the slow speeds required to escort the Our search and rescue capabilities Special Operations Wing at Pope AFB. helicopters, the radar could be used only during the 1960s and early 1970s The other Talon, #64-0523, was from for mapping and for terrain avoidance were conducted by Jolly Green Giant the 15th Special Operations Squadron at operations. In order to lead the extremely helicopters and supporting Skyraider Nha Trang, SVN. The Nha Trang aircraft slow formation, the Talon would have fighters. The Sikorsky HH-3E Jolly was already in California at Lockheed to fly in a nose high attitude that would www.aircommando.org Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 9 analysis indicated that HH-3 would have to chop down some tree limbs as it landed inside of the prison courtyard. The good thing, though, was that HH-3 could cruise at 120 kts, it was air refuelable, and had room for the assault team, as well as the specialized equipment Capt Dick Meadows and the Blueboy force would need during that initial assault. Because we did not know until the very end if we would get an HH-3, we decided to stay with the 105 knot air speed for the helicopter formation. This uncertainty was caused by the programmed STRIKE FORMATION withdrawal of the few remaining rescue Daytime “Strike Formation” training HH-3s from Da Nang to Okinawa. We with Cherry 02 leading A-1E Peaches. had a UH-1H flown to Thailand in a C-141 as a possible back up if we ended up without an HH-3. The Combat Talon that led the exceed the antenna tilt even for the terrain planned as the sixth helicopter. Because helicopter formation was called Cherry avoidance flight. The navigators would of its smaller size, the Huey was intended 1. The HH-53s were Apples 1 through have to compensate for these limitations, to carry the team of raiders, call sign 5. The HH-3 call sign was Banana. The knowing that terrain at or slightly above Blueboy, who would land inside the whole Cherry 1 entourage, bringing the flight level and also dead ahead of prison compound to help protect the in the ground troops, was the “Assault the aircraft would not be seen by the POWs from the prison guards and give Formation”. Extensive nighttime flying radar, and that terrain to the left and right the other elements of the raider force training with helicopters was necessary. would be shown higher in relation to the time to breach the walls and take down At that time in the war, helicopter aircraft’s true horizon. the prison compound. operations, including air refueling, were The limitations of the radar was The maximum airspeed of that conducted only in the daytime. Night not the biggest problem faced by the Huey at the anticipated altitudes and helicopter refueling was just entering Combat Talons. The biggest problem was atmospheric conditions encountered its initial training phase at Eglin AFB. caused by the requirement to escort the in Southeast Asia was 87 knots. The There were no night qualified HC-130 helicopters at slow speeds. The Combat only way the Huey could have been tanker crews in Southeast Asia. The raid escorted to Son Tay was if it had drafted would employ the first night operational off the C-130’s left wing. This was an Editor’s comment: Reader’s will refueling of helicopters. emergency procedure for the faster note that Jerry Uttaro points out Formation flying with the A-1E Jolly Green Giants (used if needing to Skyraiders was not a problem. We flew that the challenge of formation refuel single engine). During testing we at 145 knots. Our only problem was that flying came up again ten years proved that the Huey could draft off the we had to make very gentle heading later when the Combat Talons MC-130 if the Herc flew at 105 knots changes to ensure that the Skyraiders in with nose up 10 degrees and with 70% preparing for Eagle Claw had to the V formation did not lose sight of our flaps. The Huey would drop down just develop “new” formation flying guiding wing tip lights that were visible aft of the left wing and flew at 5 degrees procedures in order to lead the only from above. Call sign for the Combat nose down attitude in order to stay in Talon leading the Skyraider ”Strike EC-130s into Iran. position and gain 20 knots of air speed. Formation” was Cherry 02. Skyraiders While possible, this was very difficult, were Peaches 1 through 5. They would Talons had been designed for single-ship, strenuous, and hazardous flying that was be needed to provide air cover for the covert penetration of defended enemy finally abandoned after the first dress ground operation. The whole 13 aircraft airspace. The radar was not designed rehearsal. The 11 combat-ready men ensemble was called “the Fruit Salad.” to provide obstacle clearance for a who were crammed inside of the small We tried hard to keep flight plans for formation. Huey for more than 3 hours also found each type of aircraft as simple as possible The original plan called for five they were in no shape to execute the swift even though we had to orchestrate a HH-53 helicopters to carry the raiding attack needed to subdue the guards inside pretty complex and carefully timed force in and also have room to extract the prison. arrival into the objective area at different the raiding force and the prisoners, some We then had to consider inserting air speeds and altitudes. Everything of whom were expected to be on litters. the Blueboy raiders by HH-3 with its 14 depended on the open ended arrival A Bell UH-1H Huey was originally ft larger rotor diameter. The intelligence

10 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org time for the Assault Formation into the that we remained in the center of our mission planning. Lt Col Bud Neville, objective area. Arrival times and altitude corridors. To accomplish this, we had the who had used the FLIR at Heavy Chain, separations of others had to be based on only two existing experimental forward was summoned from his assignment at that critical time. The assault time was looking infrared instruments (FLIRs) the Tactical Airlift Center at Pope AFB based on the prison guard shift change installed at Lockheed Air Service in to come to Florida to give us instructions that occurred regularly at 2:00 AM. California on both aircraft. These two on its use. The ideal attack should take place 15 devices had been tried before by the We also experimented with the minutes later when the new shift was just Heavy Chain unit from Norton AFB. first sets of night vision goggles that getting ready for a boring, monotonous The FLIRs more than compensated for were being developed at Ft. Belvoir. night and the retiring one was getting the mapping inadequacy of our terrain They also turned night into day, but one to bed. We also needed to establish a following radar. A 12x10 inch television had to move his head slowly because critical distance from the prison where screen turned the night imagery into of excessive image smearing during the formations would break up and each day and we were able to see landmark scanning along the horizon. These early aircraft proceeded on its own to complete features, especially those of rivers and NVGs were unusable in the cockpit the mission. With all that, each aircraft creeks that were concealed by the jungle because of their tunnel vision and the would still have a very simple fixed flight plan to follow that would fit in into a more complex objective area scenario. Both formations would fly the centerline of 6-mile wide corridor that gave them 1,000 ft. clearance above the terrain. This wide corridor was required due to the possibility of a helicopter formation break up, in which case the helicopters would spread out and the C-130 would make a circle coming back under the helicopters and reestablishing the original formation. If Cherry 1 lost an engine or could no longer continue leading the Assault Formation, Cherry 2 would abandon the Skyraiders and speed in to take over leading the helicopter formation. In order to do this, Cherry 2 had to be not more than 10 minutes away at the start of the dog-legged, low level flight and 2 minutes away at the initial point of entry into the Red LOW LEVEL ROUTE TO SON TAY Routes of the “Fruit Salad Formations” over the mountains of and Black River Basin. Because the North Vietnam showing exposure sector to Na San early warning radar. Assault Formation flew at 105 knots and the Strike Formation at 145 knots, the two routes had to cross each other foliage. Contrast between the water glare from the instrument panel lights. a few times in order to keep them that and foliage temperatures made them The six pairs of NVGs we got were used close to each other without the faster easily discernible. This new technology successfully, though, by the helicopter Strike Formation overtaking the slower ensured that Cherry 01 would be able crews on the ground to scan the terrain formation. Keeping this up in flight was to see the Son Tay prison and guide its around them for any enemy movement a navigational challenge for the Strike flight directly over the camp. The FLIR in their direction. Capt Jim McClam, Formation. No matter what kind of monitor was installed to the right of the the Army marshaling officer used the timing problem happened to the Assault navigator’s console in the space occupied goggles to locate and identify the late Formation, Banana’s arrival time at the by one of the cockpit passenger seats. It returning team that provided security at prison was the time to which all had to required another navigator to operate it. the canal bridge. We were the first ones adjust their objective area orbits and Because the Ramstein crew came in with to use these prototype goggles in combat. work. a spare navigator, there was no problem. They are now standard issue to our troops There were many new innovations A recently returned navigator from Nha in Iraq and Afghanistan. we planned to use in the raid. Some Trang was brought in from Pope AFB. Next, we employed ground involved the Combat Talons. We were He was Capt Norman Mazurek, who was acquisition responder/interrogator concerned about positive identification promptly added to the mission planning (GAR/I) beacons on Banana and two of our formation turning points to ensure staff because of his recent work in other helicopters during formation break www.aircommando.org Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 11 p CHERRY ONE IN THE OBJECTIVE AREA Cherry One’s orbital track in the Son Tay area showing drop locations for flares, battle simulators and napalm bomb markers. q CHERRY TWO IN THE OBJECTIVE AREA Cherry Two’s orbital track west of Son Tay showing drop locations for battle simulators, napalm bomb markers and railroad log flares.

12 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org ups. These transponders were normally used for ground target could deliver. identification by bombing aircraft or on a drop zone to assist The two formations had to fly higher than the Talons the navigator during blacked-out airdrops. The Talon’s terrain normally flew when operating normally as a covert single-ship. following radar would trigger them to send back coded signals We had to sacrifice some altitude to ensure that the width of that would be displayed on our radar scopes. the corridor we had to have would keep us at safe levels during We also turned our C-130s in to bombers. Normal napalm possible formation break ups. The higher altitudes made it bombs dropped by fighters would spread out the jellied gasoline impossible to avoid detection by the North Vietnamese early across a wide area, which only burned for a few minutes. As warning radar at Na San, west of the infiltration route. During our plan called for no more than 30 minutes on the ground by mission planning we calculated that our exposure would be the raider force, we needed a way to provide illumination and just over four minutes for the Assault Formation and about mark the holding points for the Skyraiders. By using a special three minutes for the Strike Formation. If everything went as cradle to deploy the napalm bombs and adding a drag chute, the planned, this exposure to the Na San radar would occur while napalm canisters landed in a confined area which concentrated the formations were between 39 and 26 minutes away from Son the napalm. The resulting fire provided up to sixty foot high Tay. Our plan was to distract the radar operators by having the flames for at least an hour. We had no idea what kind of local Navy simulate an attack against Hanoi and Haiphong by fighters electrical lighting would be available, so we brought in our from Task Force 77, which had three US aircraft carriers in the own lighting that was very distinct from anything that might be Gulf of Tonkin. burning on the ground that night. Also, our loadmasters dropped In addition, we had USAF F-4s and F 105s from Thailand improvised battle simulators (large suitcase size Styrofoam converging on the air refueling tankers southwest of Na San, boxes imbedded with firecrackers and cherry bombs) to make over Laos. The hope was that the combination of threatening the enemy on the ground think that a much larger raiding fighter-bombers over North Vietnam’s two most important force was attacking areas at some distance from the prison. In cities and on the aerial tankers where they would normally addition, we dropped improvised railroad flares on the hillsides begin assembling before attacking targets in the North, would to start conspicuously red burning fires that would have to be be enough of a distraction to allow the Assault and the Strike checked out by the confused enemy troops. The Skyraiders were Formations to slip past the Na San radar. equipped with electronic warfare equipment to jam the radio The F-4s were provided in case the North Vietnamese sent frequencies used by the MiG ground controllers. We wanted MiGs to intercept the formations and the F-105s were Wild to create as much enemy confusion on the objective area as we Weasels used to suppress any surface-to-air missile (SAM) and

p AIR FORCE & NAVY TRACKS Tracks and orbits of Air Force assault and Navy diversionary aircraft. www.aircommando.org Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 13 anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) sites. The behind the Assault Formation at 3,000 Tay. Col Blosch, the aircraft commander F-4s and F-105s, were scheduled to be ft. This was also the initial orbiting orbited over the Wild Weasel crew over Son Tay by the time we descended altitude for the Skyraiders. They were and began to run the Fulton recovery from the mountains into the Red and to fly the final heading toward the flares checklist. It proved to be unnecessary, Black river valley basin. They were to over the camp on their own. Fire from though, as Apples 04 and 05 refueled remain on station, keeping the enemy the napalm bombs would provide them from an HC-130 and returned to join defenses focused on their high altitude with orbital points once the flare light Cherry 02 orbiting over the downed intrusions until we exited the valley was gone. Cherry 02 would descend to crewmen. At first light Apple 04 picked about 45 minutes later. The Green Berets 1,500 ft. and at 4 miles out execute a up the pilot and Apple 05 recovered the had trained to accomplish the prisoner slow right hand turn back to the initial EWO. Cherry 02 and the two helicopters rescue in under 30 minutes. Hopefully, point. During the turn and continuing then returned to Udorn RTAFB. high altitude jets would draw all the SAM after, it would drop two fire simulators, We started in Florida planning air and AAA fire and divert attention from two napalm bomb markers and several operations for 13 “Fruit Salad” raiding the low level flyers. railroad flares. After crossing the initial aircraft. We knew that more support The initial point for the Assault point it was planned to establish an orbit aircraft would be added to the force once Formation was over a small dam on the and record all radio transmissions (relay we got ready for the raid in Thailand. We Black River that was 10.9 miles away any of them if necessary) and monitor didn’t think that it would escalate to 57 Air from the POW camp. At this point the exit of the raiding force across the Black Force aircraft that eventually participated helicopter formation would descend to River. Once everyone was out and across in the raid. We never envisioned that 800 ft. and head straight for the camp. At this river, Cherry 02 was to proceed to the the Navy would also respond by using 3.5 miles out, Cherry 01 would abandon Skyline TACAN and monitor everyone’s 59 aircraft. Consequently, it turned out the helicopter formation, accelerate and exit toward Thailand. to be the biggest nighttime operation of climb to its flare drop altitude of 1,500 ft. In our early planning we hoped the Vietnam War up to that time. Twenty Two helicopters, Apples 04 and 05, would that we could get the US Navy from the SAMs were fired against the Navy. follow Cherry 01as back-ups for the flare Gulf of Tonkin to create a diversion for Sixteen against the USAF. That was drop. Cherry 01 would drop four flares us so that the enemy’s focus would be also the biggest missile battle up to that precisely over the compound and begin toward the east while we approached time. We started it all believing that we a slow teardrop turn dropping one battle Son Tay from the west. We didn’t get could do it all with only 13 “Fruit Salad” simulator over a highway intersection, a commitment from the Navy for this aircraft lead by 2 Combat Talons. another one over a river bridge that any until Gen Manor and Col. Simons visited Both Talons executed their well- Vietnamese counterattack force would the Task Force 77, in the Tonkin Gulf, rehearsed role flawlessly. If the POWs have to cross. This was followed by a two weeks before the raid. The aircraft had not been relocated, our Jolly Green napalm bomb drop between the ammo carriers began launching aircraft at Giant helicopters would have returned storage and SAM training school. 1:00AM and provided a hell of a show with at least five dozen freed American After the Assualt Formation broke with three attack tracks dropping flares POWs. In retrospect, the mission was not up, the helicopters would re-form in around the port of Haiphong. Much to the a disastrous failure because it resulted in trail behind Apple 03, which served as Navy pilots’ disappointment, they were improved treatment of our imprisoned the gunship. Banana and Apples 01 and restricted from dropping bombs on or colleagues. We can now say that we 02 were to follow at reduced airspeeds, near Hanoi and Haiphong. accomplished our secondary goal by giving themselves enough separation for Ten minutes after Banana landed sending a clear message to the North sequential landings. Apple 03 would fly inside the compound, Capt Meadows Vietnamese that we dared to conduct a over the camp, use its mini-guns to take informed that there were no prisoners rescue effort by invading their homeland out the guard towers and then attack the in Son Tay. Less than 30 minutes after and by letting our POWs know that they guard barracks before turning left to land the initial assault, all the raiders and the were not forgotten. in a nearby rice paddy. Banana would 5 HH-53s were airborne and heading land inside of the courtyard as soon as back to Thailand. Cherry 02 was the last Apple 03 was clear. Apple 01 and 02 aircraft out of the objective area, jamming About the Author: Col. (Ret) John Gargus would land outside the camp and secure the North Vietnamese ground controller served in all Combat Talon units, Spear, the area. frequencies and being available to direct Knife and Arrow, mostly as an instructor Cherry 01 was planned to fly to the rescue forces should any aircraft be navigator. While at Pope AFB he participated the Laotian border from where it would shot down. Cherry 02 was prepared with in flight testing of Mod 70 Talons and wrote provide direction finder steers for the three Fulton recovery kits on board. needed manuals and training aids. In the Apples and Peaches returning from the Once the assault force had cleared 7th SOS he ran the Mod 70 ground school raid. Apple 04 and 05 would land on the the area, Cherry 02 departed west and and with Cherry One pilot Bill Guenon island in a large lake nearby and respond followed. Over the Plain of Jars in checked out all their crews. He authored to the events as needed. northeast Laos, Cherry 02 picked up the book “Son Tay Raid – American POWs The Strike Formation was planned to the survival beacons of the F-105 crew in Vietnam Were Not Forgotten” and was reach the same initial point two minutes that had been hit by the SA-2 over Son inducted into the ACA Hall of Fame in 2003.

14 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org t was in August of 1978 when I first came In 1977, I had taken a trip to the Military to Hurlburt Field for initial checkout in Personnel Center at Randolph AFB, Texas Ithe Combat Talon weapons system. I and had an assignment session with then Maj had spent a short tour flying EC-130Es in Jim Hobson, who was in charge of filling SEA followed by four long years in West Air Force Special Operations personnel Texas instructing mostly middle-easterners requirements. From that meeting, I secured on how to fly the T-37 aircraft, and then my first assignment to the MC-130E. I two very challenging years in Air Force would spend the remainder of my 30 year Recruiting Service. While in SEA, my path career in special operations flying this very crossed with an odd looking C-130 aircraft special aircraft. that I later learned was a Combat Talon. The Combat Talon was unique in

Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 15 and marked a significant increase in the pilot’s station. The sky anchor was capability over the earlier C-130A and controlled from the sky anchor control C-130B model aircraft. A removable box just forward of the left paratroop tubular V yoke tested on the earlier model door. The winches were operated by aircraft was redesigned by Lockheed control handles on the winch platform. engineers and transformed into a fully To retrieve the line, a torpedo-shaped retractable, hydraulically operated unit parahook was provided. The parahook, mounted permanently on the nose of which closely resembled a conventional the aircraft. The configuration required iron bomb, had a hook on each side and redesign of the nose radome, which was used to hook and retrieve the lift resulted in the characteristic nose found on line. The parahook was attached to a early Combat Talons. Fulton equipment recovery line, which passed through a located in the cargo compartment was portable pulley assembly mounted above removable and installed on the aircraft the ramp in the cargo compartment of the dependent on mission tasking. aircraft. After passing through the pulley More than 75 USAF C-130 aircraft, assembly, the recovery line was attached including the 14 original E model Combat to the standby winch. The parahook and Talons, were eventually modified with recovery line were deployed to retrieve Recovery Equipment-Typical Illustration the Fulton system. The Combat Talon the lift line trajectory beneath the Fulton 1.0 Fulton system consisted of a yoke airplane and had to be maneuvered until its appearance as it sat on the Hurlburt assembly, sky anchor, davit assembly, the lift line was hooked. Airspeed of the Field flight line that afternoon in 1978. manual davit winch, two hydraulically aircraft directly affected the trajectory It was painted nearly all black with just operated winches, ramp air deflectors, of the parahook, with higher airspeeds a bit of dark green camouflage, and the ramp guards, parahooks, miscellaneous and heavier packages requiring a heavier nose of the aircraft had a distinctive recovery equipment, recovery kits, parahook. One 30-pound and one radome with ‘whiskers’ folded back. control panels, and fending lines (See 75-pound parahook were provided for From my first day at Hurlburt Field, I Recovery Equipment-Typical Illustration lift-line recovery. When not in use, the was totally enamored with the Combat Fulton 1.0). The yoke assembly was parahooks were stowed in the retrieval Talon aircraft, its mission, and most of designed to fold back along the fuselage of equipment stowage box located on the all, the people who flew and supported the aircraft when not required for Fulton aircraft. it. Of all the capabilities found in the operations. The sky anchor, located Miscellaneous recovery equipment MC-130E, perhaps the most famous at the apex of the yoke, was mounted included in the Fulton recovery kit was the Fulton Surface-to-Air Recovery internally in the upper nose section of consisted of a cleat bar, portable pulley System (STARS), famous in part because the aircraft. The davit assembly was a assembly, snatch blocks, pilot’s hooks, of an early James Bond movie featuring a V-shaped boom mounted on the cargo anchor clamp, and personnel restraint Fulton recovery sequence and enhanced ramp floor; it provided a means of raising harnesses. All the miscellaneous later by a John Wayne film titled, ‘The the retrieved package over the aft end Green Berets’. To be a part of a Fulton of the ramp and lowering it to the ramp. aircrew or a member of the ground party Two hydraulically operated winches supporting the operation was something were included in the Talon configuration. very special. To this day, I still have The winches were mounted, one above some of my most treasured ‘war stories’ the other, on the cargo compartment floor associated with the Fulton recovery just forward of the ramp hinge and were system. Over the years, two questions designed to retrieve the lift line after have repeatedly surfaced: What exactly the sky anchor secured it to the nose of is the Fulton recovery system? And how the aircraft (See Winch Assembly and does it work? Taken primarily from my Controls Illustration Fulton 1.1). The book titled, The Praetorian STARShip: top winch was the primary winch, and The Untold Story of the Combat Talon, the bottom winch was the standby. To published by Air University Press in decrease windblast around the ramp area 2001, the following is a not-so-short during recovery operations with the ramp answer to those two questions. lowered, a buffer board was mounted on each side of the cargo ramp. Three What exactly is the protective guards were attached to the Fulton recovery system? aft end of the ramp to provide protection In 1965, the C-130E was the for the lift line during recovery. The yoke Winch Assembly and Controls Illustration newest model aircraft in the C-130 series was controlled from the yoke panel at Fulton 1.1

16 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org recovery equipment was stowed in the kit to personnel on the ground. retrieval equipment storage box in the Two propeller guard cables, known forward cargo compartment. One pilot’s as fending lines, were provided to protect hook was stowed on brackets on the the lift line from striking the propellers flight-station aft bulkhead. The cleat bar, head-on in the event the pilot missed which mounted on the aft right side of the line with the yoke. The fending the ramp floor, contained two cleats. The lines also protected the pickup package cleats were used to secure the lift line from movement in the event of a miss. when removing the snatch block from the Early fending lines did not have cutter line. The portable pulley hooked into the knives installed; rather, they relied on overhead structure above the aft center the aircraft’s propeller to cut the line of the ramp. The pulley was used to raise in case of a miss. These early fending the davit assembly when the recovery lines placed the lift line in an optimum package reached the ramp. The snatch position so that it could be properly cut block was used to pull enough slack in by the propeller without danger of having the lift line to enable the lift line to be the line ingested into the engine. A later secured to the cleat bar. The pilot’s hook modification installed cutter knives on was used in the cockpit to pull the lift line the fending line to cut the pickup line into the airplane, where the line could be automatically if missed by the yoke. cut to release the balloon connector end. The fending lines were attached to the Personnel restraint harnesses were used outboard end of each wing tip and to Recovery - Sequence of Operation, Plates by personnel working on the ramp during a point just aft of the sky anchor and C and D Fulton 1.3 recovery when the ramp was lowered. were stowed in the cargo compartment line between the upper and lower markers The anchor kit consisted of when the airplane was not configured (See Recovery - Sequence of Operation, ground anchor stakes, anchor tie-lines, for recovery operations. An aerial sight Plate A Fulton 1.2). Upon contact with shovels, sledgehammers, and operating was provided for the pilot to align the the yoke, the lift line was guided into the instructions for the use of the ground airplane with the lift line during lift-line sky anchor, where it was locked to the anchor equipment. Two types of ground engagement. The intercept sight was a airplane. At that time the balloon broke anchor stakes were provided in the kit: portable optical instrument that attached free, the upper part of the lift line flowed one, with movable spades, was used to a mount located over the pilot’s forward aft over the upper fuselage, and the lower for normal, compacted soil; the other, a windshield. The sight contained a two- part trailed in an arc under the fuselage shorter stake with a sharp spike, was used position toggle switch and a rheostat that (See Recovery - Sequence of Operation, for ice and frozen ground. The ground controlled the brilliance of the reticule Plate B Fulton 1.2). The ramp crew anchor components were placed in the projected on the reflector plate. When the hooked the lift line using the parahook. drop kit when forecast surface winds sight was not in use, it was stowed behind At the forward flight station, the upper were more than approximately 20 knots the pilot’s seat. part of the lift line was drawn into the and were air-dropped with the recovery How does it work? aircraft through the overhead escape Normal System Operation: hatch using the pilot’s hook, and excess The recovery operation began with line was cut off. The end attached to the the airdrop of the recovery kit. The kit sky anchor was held until the sky anchor was configured either for water or for was released. At the ramp the parahook land use and was delivered at 130 KIAS. was raised by the primary winch and the Following recovery kit deployment, overhead pulley, thus drawing the lift the ramp crew installed the necessary line aboard the ramp and a snatch block, recovery equipment (such as the overhead attached at one end to the standby winch, pulley, snatch block, and anchor clamp), was connected to the lift line below the set the sky anchor to its ready position, parahook, and the winch was reeled in turned on the hydraulic pressure switch to until the snatch block neared the winch the two winches, donned safety harnesses, (See Recovery - Sequence of Operation, and prepared to lower the parahook. The Plates C and D Fulton 1.3). An anchor forward escape hatch was removed, and clamp, attached at one end to a tie-down the pilot’s hook was removed from its just forward of the winch platform, was stowed position. The aircraft was slowed then clamped to the lift line as far back to recovery airspeed, the yoke extended, as possible, and the standby winch was the ramp and door opened, and the reeled out until the anchor clamp and aircraft was flown upwind into the lift tie-down line assumed the lift-line load. Sequence of Operation, Plate A Fulton 1.2 When enough slack in the lift line was www.aircommando.org Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 17 was released. When the sky anchor had that they challenged themselves by been released, the lift line was pulled engaging the lift line without extending through the sky anchor from the ramp the yokes. There was about six inches (See Recovery - Sequence of Operation, to play with (three inches either side of Plate H Fulton 1.5). Once the loose end dead center) where the lift line would of the lift line was retrieved by the ramp enter the skyanchor hub resulting in crew, a knot was tied in the end of the lift normal operation of the system. When line, and it was inserted into the detent one crew just missed and had the lift on the primary winch drum. The slack line take off a pitot tube, Russ recalls lift line was then fed on to the drum. an FCIF restricting STAR engagements Just before the primary winch assumed only when the yokes were full extended. the load, the lift line was untied from the cleat bar. The primary winch continued to reel in until the anchor clamp could be removed from the lift line. After the anchor clamp had been removed, the lift line was reeled in at maximum speed until the davit was ready to be installed, at which time the reel in was stopped. The davit was moved under the lift line, Recovery - Sequence of Operation, Plates and the pip pin was installed over the E and F Fulton 1.4 line. The davit was locked to the ramp floor, and the lift line was forced under available, the lift line was tied to the the forward davit roller. After the davit cleat bar (See Recovery - Sequence of was installed and the lift line was forced Operation, Plates E and F Fulton 1.4). under the roller, the primary winch was The parahook, overhead pulley, reengaged and operated at maximum primary winch drum, and the snatch speed until the package approached the block were removed and carried forward ramp. Concurrently, the davit rotation past the ramp hinge to clear the working line was attached to the standby winch. area on the ramp. An empty drum was As the package neared the ramp, the then installed on the primary winch (See primary winch was slowed gradually and was stopped when the package harness Recovery - Sequence of Operation, Plate Recovery - Sequence of Operation, Plate K Fulton 1.6 G Fulton 1.5). With the lift line positively reached the davit roller (See Recovery locked to the aircraft by the cleat bar - Sequence of Operation, Plate J Fulton and the anchor clamp, the sky anchor 1.6). The standby winch was then reeled There are many other stories, some funny in to rotate the davit, and the ramp crew and some not so much, of adventures stabilized the package and attached involving the STAR system. When we the retention line to the D ring on the get together in the fall or in the spring for package harness. The primary winch was our Combat Talon reunions, these stories then reeled out, allowing the package to are told and retold. It has always amazed descend to the ramp with excess slack in me how stories change over the years, the lift line. The package was then moved but the basic facts remain the same. forward of the ramp hinge line where it could be safely detached from the lift line and retention line (See Recovery - About the Author: Col (Ret) Jerry Thigpen Sequence of Operation, Plate K Fulton spent 31 years in special operations, flew 1.6). over 1000 combat hours in SEA and later Multiple recoveries were possible served as the commander of the 8 SOS and and were usually made during training. the 353rd SOG. He was a primary aircrew Pilots, Flight Engineers, and Loadmasters participant during the workup and execution all had semi-annual requirements, which of Operation Eagle Claw and participated in post-Desert One activities during Operation were usually filled during ‘Fulton Week’ Honey Badger. He authored the book “The scheduled for two or three times a year. Praetorian Starship: The Untold Story of the In the early years, requirements were Combat Talon”. so demanding that, according to Russ For Combat Talon inquires please email the Recovery - Sequence of Operation, Plate G Fulton 1.5 Darden, pilots became so proficient author at: [email protected].

18 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org Aircraft on the ramp at Masirah Island - preparing for the mission.

It was just another bright, sunny The vast majority of current and planners on the 16th of November and afternoon in Masirah, an island just off former special operators are quite was busily working the difficult problem the Arabian Peninsula. Combat Talon familiar with what happened that night of infiltration and exfiltration routing MC-130E (#64-0565) was taxiing out at Desert One and the tragic immediate for Operation Rice Bowl. This was the to begin a mission that would eventually consequences and aftermath of the cover name for the mission to rescue the contribute to a major evolution of mission. So, this is not an attempt to hostages from the embassy in Iran. US Air Force special operations. The recount those specifics, but rather to give It may seem strange in today’s age aircraft commander taxied the aircraft the various perspectives from a few of of advanced technology and widespread into position on the runway. Preparing the crewmembers who were involved. secure communications equipment, for takeoff, under strict radio silence, he The intent is also to share information on but in 1979 the command post was asked the flight engineer, MSgt Bubba some of the procedures and techniques the only location on base that had a Almanzar for the usual takeoff data. “I during the five months of preparation for secure communications capability. don’t have that information,” he replied. the mission. Picture a telephone “booth” within “The flight manuals were left behind to The story of Eagle Claw actually the command center—that was it. lighten the load.” began a few months before members During that phone call I was directed “What’s takeoff speed?” queried the of the Revolutionary Guard stormed to select two crews and begin training pilot. the US Embassy in Tehran and held that evening utilizing NVGs. Our task The flight engineer answered, “Just American citizens hostage (4 Nov 1979). was to develop appropriate cockpit check the engines at max power, release In August of 1979, the annual Combat procedures for blacked-out landings. brakes and when we get to the end of the Talon Management Review (CTMR) It had already been determined that runway – rotate!” conference was held at Hurlburt Field. the MC-130E Combat Talon was the There was really no need for the During the CTMR, aircrew personnel appropriate airframe for this mission takeoff data, since the charts did not cover from the 1st SOS at Kadena AB, Okinawa, because it offered the combination of extreme weight of this bird— estimated presented a briefing on the feasibility inflight refueling, terrain following at above 190,000 lbs. Maximum gross of using night vision goggles (NVGs) radar, defensive countermeasures, and weight for the C-130 is 155,000 lbs, and for fixed wing, blacked-out approaches precision navigation capabilities needed even the Emergency War Plan (EWP) and landings. The conclusion drawn at for the operation. This was also before max gross weight is 175,000 lbs. So, the time was that although NVGs were GPS systems were standard aircraft we pushed the engines to the firewall, successfully being used by helicopter equipment, so we used a suction cup to released the brakes, and rolled and rolled crews, NVG landings were not possible mount an antenna for a commercial GPS and rolled down the runway. Finally, the with fixed wing aircraft. to the window over the pilot’s head. Combat Talon leapt into the air as the In mid-November 1979, I was the The Talon crews also had the necessary runway disappeared under the nose. It Chief Pilot at the 8th SOS. Lt Col Les training in blacked-out, short field was 24 April 1980, and the attempt to Smith, the Operations Officer, contacted takeoffs and landings. rescue 49 hostages held by the Iranian me at Hurlburt Field via secure phone That first training sortie was an Revolutionary Guard at the US Embassy and told me to go to the command post adventure. Initially, the copilot in the in Tehran – Operation Eagle Claw – had for a secure call. Les had been dispatched right seat, wearing NVGs, would fly the begun. to the Pentagon with two other mission aircraft using visual cues and receiving www.aircommando.org Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 19 airborne radar approach (ARA) (Editor’s note: this deployment was Desert One directions from the navigators. The covered by Lt Col Jim Lawrence idea was for the aircraft commander in Air Commando Journal, Vol 1, in the left seat to take over control Issue 4, Summer 2012). Loadmaster at the final portion of the approach This awkward situation was and make the landing without a problem during the first week of using NVGs. After a few very hard our training – we were flying at Challenges landings by the initial trainees and night and crew resting during the problems with depth perception, day, thus the pressure to maintain By CMSgt (Ret) Taco Sanchez we changed the procedures and operational security (OPSEC) the aircraft commander in the left was considerable. I finally One of the major requirements we seat began wearing the goggles. requested that the Pentagon brief needed to solve was how to refuel the The copilot still flew the ARA on my immediate bosses in order to helicopters at Desert One. The USMC RH- the instrument gauges down to the relieve me from being questioned 53s were not equipped for aerial refueling. minimum approach altitude. Once about our activities. Once this was In the months before the hostages the aircraft commander located the accomplished, it made life easier were taken, we had finished testing the runway, he took over visually and for everyone. procedures to airdrop 5,000 lb blivet to landed the aircraft. This technique As a group, we expected a the SEALs in order to refuel their boats in proved to be the safest and most deployment to somewhere at any the open ocean. We found that two G-12D sensible solution, and it became the moment, but once it was realized parachutes and a 15 ft extraction chute as a standard procedure for all aircrews. that training and planning would pilot chute worked well. Due to the highly classified drag on, it became necessary to Col Foley and his Army team from the nature of Operation Rice Bowl, brief an increasing number of Airborne Board designed a system where the initial cadre of operators and personnel. Amazingly, OPSEC was a single C-130 could airdrop five blivets, planners were required to maintain strictly maintained for the next five each mounted on a 463L pallet, and a strict secrecy which resulted in months. package of pumps, hoses, and filters. They some early difficulties. The NVGs At this point, I need to speak determined that the G-11A parachute was available were the first generation to the prevailing attitudes among better suited for the operation. PVS-5s. The only NVGs at all the crewmembers in the 8th SOS They attached the system to the airplane Hurlburt Field were the property of during this initial training phase. anchor cable via simultaneous release the 20th SOS, our helicopter-flying, After a few days of unusual activity static lines. Although the experienced sister squadron. We managed to in the squadron, together with the Talon loadmasters totally disagreed with borrow a handful of sets from them, headlines in the media, people were this procedure, we were told they were which raised a few eyebrows since putting two and two together. As the the experts. Our tests using a single blivet a few months earlier it had been acting ops officer, hardly a day went showed the fuel could be delivered safely determined that NVGs were not by without one or more individuals and accurately. compatible for fixed wing flight. popping into my office to volunteer In January, three Talons deployed to Also, the squadron (and practically beg) to become Davis Monthan AFB for a full rehearsal. We commander, Lt Col Roland Guidry, involved with “whatever the hell rigged the aircraft for simultaneous release had been recently assigned and was is going on.” And, of course, as per the instructions from the Airborne still going through the MC-130E time passed, the need to train more Board, but asked to substitute intermediate upgrade program. Due to newness, crews was recognized. Those initial release gates in order to separate the blivets he was unfamiliar with the two crews evolved over the next as they exited the aircraft. The testers crewmembers’ individual skills. As few months to become five crews. determined that a delay system was not he was not yet mission qualified he Together with the three crews required. not been briefed on any of the Rice of the 1st SOS, under the command All three aircraft suffered damage Bowl training plans or operational of Lt Col Ray Turczynski, this made during the airdrops. The left anchor cable information. Fortunately, he up the final fixed wing contingent was snapped in two at the troop doors on accepted that we were “involved” that would eventually fly the my aircraft. The second Talon had both aft in something and did not pursue the Eagle Claw mission in April. The anchor arms torn from the aircraft. Number issue. The same situation was true desire to become involved in this 3 had one anchor cable torn in two at the for our wing vice commander, Col operation, no matter the risk, was – wheel well and the other aft anchor cable TWA Stuart, who had also not been and remains today – a hallmark of arm ripped from the aircraft. And, most of briefed on the operation. The wing all special operations personnel. the fuel blivets streamed into the ground commander, Col Dick Dunwoody, Now, how did we go about and were destroyed. had been dispatched to Guam with training to develop helicopter After landing, we debriefed and the the AC-130 gunship contingent refueling procedures? In order to

20 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org achieve the objective of refueling carry both the necessary fuel load loadmasters developed the intermediate helicopters at a designated location, and the required ground forces gate system that is still used today for heavy it was initially decided to airdrop (Special Forces, 1/75 Rangers, and CDS. The next night, the new procedures 5,000 lb blivets loaded on pallets. CCT) needed for mission success. worked perfectly—all blivets were The initial attempt of a one blivet Ultimately, airlanding the fuel and successfully delivered without incident. drop was successful. Next, we troops to rendezvous with USMC The other problem we needed to solve needed to increase the load to five helicopters at the Desert One landing was how to rapidly offload the Rangers and blivets in order to carry enough fuel site became part of the final plan. Combat Controllers with their vehicles and for the rendezvous helicopters to The months of December 1979 equipment. complete the mission. In the early and January 1980 were taken up In Nov 1979, there were no procedures weeks of December 1979, training with numerous training deployments for these tactics. We used standard airlift deployments to Arizona tested – typically on the weekends – practices and equipment: 10,000 lb chains the concept and it was a failure. to various locations in the US and locking devices to restrain the gun jeep During a two-ship airdrop at Yuma, Southwest. We were developing and on the ramp and 5,000 lb cargo straps for the as the multiple pallets exited the refining techniques for blacked-out motorcycles. We used the standard ground aircraft, the acceleration forces NVG landings, inflight refueling loading ramps for all onload and offload caused spacing problems and the without communications, airfield operations. At first our light configuration pallets literally piled up, resulting seizure, helicopter refueling, was to just dim the white lights. We then in parachute deployment failure. and infiltration and exfiltration switched to red lights. Finally, we settled The fuel blivets ruptured upon procedures. This training continued on just the flag unlock lights for the cargo ground impact. In order to remedy into the spring and by now, the door as the other lights produced too much the problem, a gate system was 1st SOS and 8th SOS crews were light. No one in the cargo compartment was devised by the loadmasters and this working closely on all exercises using NVGs when we first started. allowed enough spacing between with the Special Forces, the Rangers, During the flight the Rangers were the individual pallets to permit safe and the KC-135 and C-141 crews seated on the bare floor or in the jeep. We exit from the aircraft. Using this to develop Day One and Day Two flew for a week or so in this configuration revised procedure, the next airdrop procedures. The two-night plan had which was both uncomfortable, as well as mission was successful. However, been approved in Washington. dangerous. a new problem arose. Upon ground In mid-April, three MC-130 and We taught the Rangers to remove impact, the blivets were so far three EC-130 aircraft manned by 8th the tie-down devices once the ramp was apart that it took significantly more SOS crews were secretly deployed horizontal. During these operations we had time for the Army Ranger team to Wadi Kena (called the Alpha numerous incidents of tie down devices and already on the ground to move the location) in Egypt. Meanwhile, ground loading ramps being inadvertently blivets into position to refuel the their sister unit, the 1st SOS, was thrown out of the aircraft or becoming helicopters. Air-dropping blivets departing Kadena AB with three unhooked. I spent a lot of time policing up proved to be a feasible approach to MC-130s on a clandestine journey equipment on the runway while avoiding refuel the helicopters, but only as a through Diego Garcia and final other landing aircraft and the lost Rangers last resort. join-up at Wadi Kena. In preparation wandering around the airfield. Another possible option was for Day One, the largest portion of The loadmasters at Hurlburt got to land a C-130 with the required the force transited the Red Sea and together and came up with an innovative amount of fuel in bladders onboard set up camp on Masirah Island, solution to the rapid offload problem. the aircraft and use ground refueling Oman. Operation Eagle Claw was We used 5,000 lb tie-down straps for all equipment to refuel the helicopters. about to commence. vehicles and attached the hook end to the This would ensure the security of As suggested at the start of this aircraft and the ratchet end at the vehicle so the fuel, however a suitable landing/ article, Dragon One’s takeoff roll that they stayed connected to the aircraft. rendezvous location would have from the Masirah airfield was longer We also drilled holes in the attaching points to be located. The decision was than usual. Rotation at the end of of the ground loading ramps and used made to use EC-130E aircraft from the runway. Silence! We staggered safety ties to keep them in place. the airborne battlefield command, off and climbed at an unusually low To improve the conditions for the control, and communications rate due to the heavy gross weight Rangers sitting on the floor for hours and squadron at Keesler AFB, MS, of the aircraft. It was just past 1800 hours during the infil, we procured old because they could be refueled local time. There was no chatter mattresses from DRMO and used tie-down inflight and had the necessary in the cockpit as we leveled off at straps to secure them. We called this the hardware in the cargo area to 1,000 feet. As we crossed the Gulf “Sealy configuration.” transport the fuel bladders. The of Oman, it remained quiet – any There is better equipment today, but expanded numbers of fixed wing engine problems at this point and the procedures we developed that winter assets provided the flexibility to we would be in trouble. Since it are still being used today.

www.aircommando.org Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 21 communications that Dragon One was safely on the deck. Once all three Dragon birds (MC-130s) and the Republic (EC-130) tankers were safely on the ground and while awaiting the arrival of the RH-53s, a decision had to be made on how to handle the captured bus passengers. It was initially decided that the passengers would be flown out of the area and back to Masirah Island on board Dragon One. Preparations then began to load them up on the Talon. At this point, we had been “The Guts to Try” by James Dietz - US Army Ranger rapid off load at Desert One. on the ground for well over an hour so we were carefully monitoring our fuel status. Our requirement was to have enough fuel was still daylight, numerous types of landed – an extremely hard landing that at takeoff to make it to a pre-determined ships, boats and other sailing vessels took my breath away – and possibly rendezvous with a KC-135 tanker on the were visible below. Finally, after an hour loosened some teeth. I was hoping that return flight. Before we could load the or so, everything seemed to be going as the MC-130E would remain in one piece frightened civilians, however, a search planned so the crew began to relax a bit, at the completion of the landing roll. It of the cargo compartment was ordered. but we had plenty of surprises ahead. was and I called “Go” – the signal for What now, I thought? Apparently, one of En-route to Desert One, we flew all the troops in the cargo compartment, the two Iranian generals who had been a modified terrain following profile, Col Charlie Beckwith and his Special accompanying the Special Forces team varying from 1,000 to 3,000 feet above Forces and the 1/75th Ranger Battalion had suddenly realized he no longer had the ground. This allowed us to conserve airfield seizure team, to exit the aircraft. his loaded revolver in his possession. precious fuel and also remain clear of Looking to my left from the cockpit, on Perhaps it had been misplaced somewhere the numerous Iranian observation towers the parallel dirt road, the roadblock team on our aircraft? A rapid search of the that dotted the country. Official darkness was stopping and surrounding a civilian cargo compartment did not locate the came and all was operating smoothly bus. They quickly secured the vehicle weapon. Rather than risk having one for the next few hours. That’s when we and the 44 (terrified I’m sure) Iranian of the Iranian civilians find the loaded entered the “haboob” – a severe type of citizens on board. pistol, and with time constraints reaching dust storm peculiar to the Middle East As we slowly made a 180° degree a critical phase, the plan changed to and Africa. Would we be able to arrive turn with Dragon One, it confirmed that placing the passengers on another C-130. at our landing zone in the clear? For a the nose wheel steering and nose gear Dragon One was then cleared for takeoff while, it seemed we might not be able were still intact and working properly. – without the 44 Iranians. to rendezvous with the helicopters at the What we did not realize at that moment, As we rolled down the runway, Desert One landing site after all. About was that although the aircraft itself all seemed normal. The copilot, Capt half an hour from destination, everyone was still flyable, the SATCOM secure George Ferkes, was calling out the breathed sighs of relief as we popped out communications capability had been airspeed at 10 knot increments. At about into the clear. We were okay. disabled due to the hard landing. This 90 knots, the calls slowed – we were Five minutes from our objective, the would prove to be consequential later. not going to achieve computed takeoff infra-red (IR) landing lights which had We taxied into position for the speed. Apparently, the consistency of been set up weeks before by the “Father ensuing takeoff and departure down the the sand at Desert One was causing us to of USAF Special Tactics,” Maj John Desert One “runway” in the opposite bog down and it felt as if we were glued Carney, were remotely switched on from direction from which we had landed. to the surface. As the last IR landing the cockpit. Suddenly, directly ahead of us an light passed out of sight, and blackness The covert, IR landing lights immense fireball lit up the sky. An enveloped us, I yanked the nose wheel illuminated and we lined up for a runway approaching truck had been observed off the ground and we staggered into the clearing pass. On the road to the left of the on the road to the west and had been night. landing zone, we spotted a truck. In order promptly destroyed with an anti-tank to remain unobserved, we maneuvered to weapon. It was a fuel truck and the desert Once airborne, we headed back to stay well clear and behind the vehicle and sky was lit up like a giant bonfire blaze. base, unaware that we did not have secure it eventually moved out of sight. During As the remaining fixed wing aircraft communications capability. As a result, our next attempt to make a surveillance began to arrive in the landing area, we did not realize until we had landed pass, we were in too close and executed there was initially some thought that that the Eagle Claw mission had been a “go-around.” The area seemed clear the fireball was due to an aircraft crash. aborted because not enough helicopters of obstacles. On the next pass, we Quickly, they realized through secure had made it to the Desert One site to

22 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org accomplish the Day Two objective. 6, flown by Maj Jerry Uttaro arrived, What happened afterwards, the they offloaded the injured survivors Secret Preparations unfortunate catastrophe that occurred from Republic 4 and Helicopter 3. when Marine Helicopter 3, while Lt Jeff Harrison with minor injuries for EAGLE CLAW repositioning to refuel, collided with appeared in shock. The severely Republic 4. Eight crewmembers were burned radio operator, SSgt JJ Beyers, By Col (Ret) Tom Bradley lost. Three Marines and five airmen was in critical condition, as were the The MC-130Es (Combat Talon) assigned made the ultimate sacrifice. surviving helicopter crewmembers. to the 7th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) Considering that we had very It was dawn and the C-141 that had were involved in the Desert One mission from nearly departed the scene with the been dispatched to evacuate the the very beginning of 1980. From early January bus passengers on board, a “what injured was landing. The wounded until mid-April, 3 of their 4 assigned aircraft if” might be in order. What if the personnel were quickly transferred deployed from their base at Rhein Main Air lost revolver had been recovered and soon they were on their way to Base, Germany, to Wadi Kena Air Base, Egypt, or located and the 44 Iranians had medical facilities in Europe. designated Operating Location Alpha, (OLA), landed with us at Masirah? Would Perhaps the most poignant for the operation. the United States have suddenly been moment that day was when the During that time, the necessary flight involved in a political stalemate, 8th SOS commander gathered the routes overflying France and Italy, transiting accused of taking “hostages” to crews in our tent facility and had an Naval Air Station Sigonella, and undetected counter the 53 Americans held in obligatory roll call. As individuals and clandestine routes between Sigonella Tehran? Would President Carter responded with the standard “here” and Wadi Kena down adjoining air control have allowed the immediate release or “present” there was silence five boundaries between Greece and Northern of the Iranians with no concessions? times – Hal Lewis – Lyn McIntosh – Africa were investigated and developed. With Or would he have kept them as Rick Bakke – Tom McMillan – Joel 7th SOS personal representatives in Italian bargaining chips, demanding the Mayo. Now everyone knew officially and Egyptian Ministry of Defense and Civil release of the American hostages? that we had lost some of our own. Aviation Administration headquarters, these Interesting questions to ponder, but Tears flowed and sadness filled the flight routes were established for the future use no one will ever know the answers. room. for the positioning of the Air Force Component Enroute to Masirah Island, we The next few days were a forces in Desert One. rendezvoused with the KC-135 confusing blur of emotions. Our crew Daily flights out of Wadi Kena from January tanker using the no comms/blacked- was the first to return stateside. through April, 1980, provided the signature for out procedures. Since at that point we Col Tom Wicker, 1st SOW/DO “normal” air operations required for operations had enough fuel on board to safely and one of the on-scene commanders security and communications security to cover recover, we elected not to hook up. At at Desert One, had accompanied us future Desert One air activities. this point in the mission, I remember on Dragon One during the mission One specific and extremely sensitive feeling completely exhausted. The and was with us headed home. mission involved a 7th SOS Combat Talon adrenaline rush had long since worn International headlines were rampant equipped with the Fulton Surface to Air off. This was obvious when we began with stories of the failed rescue Recovery (STAR) system. On 30 March 1980, our long descent for landing. The attempt and the catastrophic disaster. the aircraft was flown from Wadi Kena to Seeb copilot, George, had to continually Flags were at half-mast and our nation International Airport in Northern Oman. On the remind me that I was drifting left mourned. A day after arriving back at night of 31 March, a joint CIA/USAF three-man on final approach. We made an Hurlburt Field, I had the unenviable team, consisting of Jim Rhyne, Bud McBroom uneventful landing and taxied to our task of accompanying Col Wicker and John Carney flew a civilian DHC-6 Twin parking spot. It was early morning and on an official death notification. The Otter into central Iran to find and prepare the still very dark on the ramp. Expecting saddest moment of all. landing site for Phase 1 of Desert One. The to hear some loud exuberance from Combat Talon and crew, with a small support the ground personnel when the crew team sat strip alert, for the possible rescue of About the Author: Col (Ret) Robert L. door opened – we were safely back these three in the event of mechanical or other Brenci, is the former commander of the and the next portion of the mission 8th Special Operations Squadron. He is problems involving the Twin Otter. The 7th was to commence that evening – I a graduate of the USAF Academy, class SOS crew and aircraft were prepared to fly to was disappointed. It was very quiet of 1963. In April 1980, he was aircraft the location in Iran, drop a two-man and a one- and somber. It was then, when our commander of Dragon One, the lead man STAR kit and recover the personnel back loadmaster Duke Wiley announced aircraft for Operation Eagle Claw, the to Seeb. in the cockpit that there had been a mission to free American hostages held The Twin Otter and crew safely returned terrible accident. in Iran. Although Rice Bowl/Eagle Claw to Seeb on the morning of 1 April having was unsuccessful, the mission paved successfully completed this critical and We spent the next few hours the way for future innovations and clandestine mission, and the 7th SOS crew awaiting the recovery of the tremendous growth and expansion of returned to Wadi Kena. remaining aircraft. When Republic USAF Special Operations Forces. www.aircommando.org Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 23 Abandoned Soviet aircraft hangar at Wadi Kena, Kena, aircraftAbandoned Soviet hangar at Wadi Eagle Claw. for Egypt used as Ops Center

By (then) Capt Bob Meller

It was April 1980, and my crew was part of the crew of Dragon One, the lead without a doubt, the most rewarding, at Wadi Kena, Egypt, waiting for word Combat Talon on Night Two. We would exhilarating, and fulfilling time in my of how the Night One insertion of the be the first in and the last out. I asked him entire 24-year, Air Force career. And, it joint task force (JTF) into the Desert One why he was taking all his gear and he was also the worst. The things we did and site was going, I asked Col Bob Pinard, just kept walking towards a truck where the procedures we developed, literally 1st SOW Chief of Maintenance and my Maj Jack Launder, one of my navigators, “on the fly,” are still being used today. former 1st SOS squadron commander was standing. Jack yelled that Hal Lewis’ My crew, with the exception of my from Okinawa, where he had found a EC-130 refueler and a helicopter had had loadmasters TSgt Dave Chesser and SSgt glass of bourbon on this arid Egyptian an accident, that there were eight dead, Ron Thomas, who flew on Capt Russ night. He stopped, turned to me and the and the Night Two mission was scrubbed. Tharp’s aircraft, did not fly to Desert One majority of my crew and said, “Bob, We were in shock. Col Pinard came into on Night One. Our job was to lead the here’s a toast to a successful mission. the hangar and officially told us the recovery of Special Forces, Rangers, and They’re airborne out of Masirah.” tragic news that Hal, Lyn McIntosh, Rick hostages on Night Two. The plan was for Operation Eagle Claw, after almost six Bakke, Tom McMillan, and Joel Mayo Chesser and Thomas to rejoin us at Wadi months of intense, exciting and truly were dead. He also said that JJ Byers Kena for the Night Two mission. innovative preparation, had finally begun. was in real bad shape and Jeff Harrison To quote Charles Dickens, “It was After a fitful night of attempted was injured. Even though I had lost close the best of times, it was the worst of sleep, occasional trips to the JTF friends, my first thought was, “…, we times….” Command Center, I watched the sun rise FAILED”. out of our eastern exposure and noticed Reflections/Observations: Maj Gen James Vaught’s radio operator Introduction: Sympathetic aborts: In 1979 walking out of the command post bunker I was the Stan/Eval Chief and Combat the Air Force was using peacetime with all his gear. He had bunked with Talon pilot for the 1st SOW in Nov 79. operating procedures. The tankers back our crew and was going to fly with us I was fortunate enough to be chosen as then belonged to the old Strategic Air that second night as General Vaught’s one of the first aircraft commanders for Command (SAC), which is where the radio operator. He would be an integral the Iran Hostage Rescue mission. It was, bombers, tankers, and strategic missiles

24 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org were assigned. Typically, when one #6, which is at Camp Rudder, the home airfield seizure and use a suitable landing tanker aborted from a training mission, of the Ranger training camp. Field #6 area in the Iranian desert for Night One, the wingman did a “sympathetic” abort is about five minutes flying time from the Desert One site. and did not take off either. One night Hurlburt. It is also a relatively short Ranger Training: An airfield over Texas during one of the first major runway with no navigation aids. As it seizure was always the plan for Night rehearsals for the Night One mission, we is isolated, in the middle of the Eglin Two and had been for most of the experienced the effects of a sympathetic Range Complex, we had practiced NVG planning for Night One, also. This meant abort just as our flight of MC-130s landings there. Despite all the new, continuous training with the Ranger approached the air refueling initial point. innovative, and somewhat dangerous company assigned to the mission. As an Without tankers we had to cancel the things we had been doing, the approach airfield seizure is an extremely complex mission and the entire joint task force had and landing that night was as intense as operation, this required extensive ground to return to our starting point. Col Kyle it gets. training and a series of full mission had a serious talk with the SAC liaison It was truly a “dark and stormy profile rehearsals. We learned early on who was not allowed to tell the tanker night” and a lot was packed into those that following proper aircraft ground crews what the implications of their abort five minutes. We had a heavy aircraft and movement after landing was critical to had caused, but from then on, there were there were severe thunderstorms in the the Rangers’ execution of their mission. no more sympathetic aborts. The tanker vicinity. We had the blackout curtain up Having the aircraft in the wrong parking Abandoned Soviet aircraft hangar at Wadi Kena, Kena, aircraftAbandoned Soviet hangar at Wadi Eagle Claw. for Egypt used as Ops Center crews got the message very quickly and in the cockpit to keep the front as dark location or getting out of sequence on were always there whenever we needed as possible. Because of the short duration the ground could and, unfortunately did, them. of the flight, we had not planned for cause problems and injuries. One of the The boom operators did have little an NVG landing. Also, we feared that lessons we learned was to make John bit of learning curve doing things at a lightning flash at the worst moment Carney’s combat controllers responsible low altitude, slower than they normally would black out the PVS-5 goggles. The for controlling aircraft movements did with the bombers and fighters, right navigator, Jack Launder, kept the on the ground. The Ranger task force no-communications, blacked-out, and KA-band radar expertly tuned to the field commander, Col Williford, emphatically with those big props spinning in the while the left navigator, Joe McBride, stressed to us that his Rangers would dark. One night, while we were on monitored the inertial navigation system. always get the job done, but we must put someone’s right wing, waiting our turn It was raining really hard and although it them in the correct place to do it. to refuel, we could see the “boomer” was a sweet approach, it made for a true C-141 NVG Training: Prior to was having a difficult time plugging in. white knuckle landing. All four Talons Eagle Claw, there was no such thing He was bouncing the probe all over the landed safely, picked up the soldiers, and as the Special Operations Low Level top of the Talon. Even during blacked- the rest of that night’s training came off (SOLL) capability in Military Airlift out refueling, we kept the slipway lights without a problem. Command’s (MAC) conventional force. on, but he was having a real bad night. Sniper Perch: After the concept I was sent to Charleston AFB, SC, to He finally plugged in, but the Talon crew of airdropping the fuel blivets did not train the C-141 instructor crews in NVG got a bit scared that night. As the training provide the results that the JTF leadership landings. We began the flying training and rehearsals progressed, though, the had hoped for (Editor’s note: See Bob down at Hurlburt with a day sortie using boomers got better and we never again Brenci and Taco Sanchez’ article, this heavily-tinted welding goggles instead of had to worry about them not begin able edition.), the planners chose the airfield NVGs. We found that the images, minus to make the contact. seizure option. Several isolated airstrips the green speckled effect that occurred Blonde Flight: Several Talons were in the US’ southwestern desert areas were in the NVG light tubes, were strikingly winging west again, this time using used to practice this option. The remote, similar to the actual NVG visuals. The a “Blonde” call sign. We reached the Iranian airfield initially chosen as the C-141 crews were fully on board and point where we needed to descend and helicopter refueling site, code named eager to be a part of the mission. The enter low-level to the objective area. “Fez” had a small building at the end of the MAC general that flew on the training Blonde Lead called air traffic control to runway that needed immediate attention sorties with us offered me a job as a C-5 cancel our instrument flight rules (IFR) as the first aircraft rolled out. “Taco” pilot at Dover if I ever wanted to get into clearance. Once the controller cleared us Sanchez, one of our loadmasters, and a “Big MAC.” I declined. to descend on that clear, dark night over Ranger planner brainstormed the idea of Breakfast at Norton: After one the western US, he asked, “Where are all removing the flight deck overhead escape major rehearsal, the Air Force contingent you blondes going tonight?” There was hatch, installing a stabilized shooting recovered at Norton AFB in the early nothing but silence from the Blondes. seat, and lighting up the building and morning hours. Since operational “Well, be good,” he said. occupants on roll out. I suggested a side security was always a top priority for us, Field 6 Landing: Before heading limiter to restrict shooting into the props. I was shocked to realize that I still had the west one night, we had to pick up a load This idea was eventually unnecessary mission plans and procedures still with of Army Rangers at Eglin Auxiliary Field when the leadership decided to forego an me. Joe McBride looked on as I burned

www.aircommando.org Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 25 the papers in the ashtray (yes, the Norton were reinstalled. in 2011) We didn’t know that John was BOQs still had them in 1980). This Final Trip West, 11 – 15 Apr: Although making a trip into Iran to set up the proved to not be the best idea I ever had. we didn’t know it at the time, this was landing lights at Desert One. The burning papers set off smoke alarms to be the last rehearsal. Departing Pope We landed at Laguna AAF at about in the building and much swearing was AFB on the evening of 11 Apr, I flew with 2400 and were initially taken to the heard up and down the hallway as we a mixed, augmented crew to Norton AFB, helicopter crews’ assembly room which, woke up the sleeping residents. Joe CA. We arrived at the usual o’ dark thirty I think, was on the bottom floor of their looked at me and said, “Well, Meller, I and went into crew rest at a local Holiday quarters. The first thing that I saw was think it’s time we go to the O Club for Inn. With the sun coming up, most of us one big Marine pilot throwing an equally breakfast.” The fire department emptied started our crew rest around the pool. We big Marine pilot over the pool table. It out our BOQ and the club had a large, splashed around a bit and laughed at the made me wonder how long had these angry crowd for breakfast. Joe and I very brave, MSgt Bubba Almanzar, a boys been away from civilization? The never said a word—ever. non-swimmer, going off the high dive. biggest Marine, Barney Oldfield, said Miracle on Ice: The 1980 Winter As the sun rose higher into the sky, like Olympics were in full swing and we had the creatures of the night that we were, a day off between mission rehearsals we went to bed. We weren’t supposed while flying out of Norton. One night we to fly until the next night but Col Kyle ended up in a San Bernardino watering called me in the late afternoon and told hole to watch the young US hockey team me to round up the troops, get back out to get crushed again by the Soviet pros in Norton, and call him on the secure phone the semi-final match. We watched in from the command post. He did tell me amazement as the “college boys” made that we were flying to Laguna AAF in the good coach Herb Brooks’ pre-game beautiful Yuma Proving Grounds—the speech of “great moments are born from YPG as we called it. It was also where great opportunity,” and stunned the the Marine Corps and Navy helicopter Soviets and the world—US 4, USSR 3. crews were sequestered. Two nights later, 24 Feb, as we were The unplanned “bag drag” was flying from Norton to Davis-Monthan easier said than done. One SMSgt was AFB, AZ, the sector air traffic controller unable to make it to the crew bus in time, came on frequency and said, “US 4, so we decided to press on and get him Finland 2. We won the Gold.” Everyone later. While talking to Col Kyle on the on the frequency that night let out a cheer. “fuzzy” phone at the Norton Command At the time, none of us knew that Post (CP), I overheard the CP NCO tell Coach Brooks had delivered another the Duty Officer that he had an irate prophetic speech. In the locker room, senior NCO at the Holiday Inn requesting between the second and third periods of a crew bus. The NCO also said that crew that final game, and the US losing 2-1 to transport had already sent a bus to that the Finns, he emphatically told the team, location, but this guy had missed the bus. “If you lose this game, you will take it I respectfully intervened and asked the with you to your graves!” How right he captain to please send another bus since was, as we sadly found out two months that man was vital to the success of our later. mission. I offered some lame excuse why Problems with the Sealy he missed the original bus. I guess the that the head Air Force guy, me, would Configuration: The forward urinals on captain figured we were up to something have to arm-wrestle him if we wanted our Herks had been removed to prevent special because he sent the bus. That rooms in their “home.” I sure didn’t under-deck corrosion. The only places future CMSgt and I laughed about that see that coming. Somehow I talked my left to relieve oneself were the two incident until the day he died. Back on the way out of that one, but I think having a urinals on either side of the ramp area. phone with Col Kyle again, he said the lone Air Force pilot, Capt Russ “Rotor” With soldiers sleeping on the mattresses reason for the hurry-up call was the need Rakip, among the group of helicopter during the long sorties, what we called to do a live Fulton recovery rehearsal the pilots helped a bunch. We finally all got the “Sealy Configuration” (also described next night. The “package” for the Fulton bedded down and I shared a room with in Brenci and Sanchez’ article), it was too recovery was supposed to be the combat Rotor. easy to inadvertently step on someone in controller, Maj John Carney. A finer man The Fulton rehearsal did not go well. the course of heading back to the urinals. and warrior you will never find. (Editor’s Poor John Carney had to sweat in the After more than one soldier had their face Note: John “Coach” Carney was inducted dark under the Fulton pick-up balloon stepped on in the dark or worse should a into the Air Commando Hall of Fame in for a long time as we orbited and tried buddy miss the urinal, the forward urinals 1995 and the USSOCOM Hall of Honor to get a balky recovery winch to stop

26 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org bleeding hydraulic fluid. We could not commander, set up the crew order for anybody, we would be golden. As 7th fix the winch and finally had to scrub the the mission. Although we had done the SOS MC-130s had been flying from recovery. Night One rehearsal, my crew was not Rhein-Main AB to Wadi Kena for The next night we did the Night scheduled for the Night One insertion. months on routine “training missions” One landing rehearsal with my crew We would be the only Talon crew left and an exercise with the Egyptians to in a Talon leading Capt Russ Tharp, at Wadi Kena in Egypt. But, since we establish a presence, we did not cause in an EC-130 refueler to a landing on had done so much helicopter ground any notice. Edwards AFB’s dry lake bed runway. refueling, our loadmasters, TSgt Dave Approaching the Egyptian coast, we The route was not too long, but Russ’ Chesser and SSgt Ron Thomas, were had an engine problem and had to shut it crew got a bit out of position while put on Tharp’s EC-130 tanker crew down. We landed before dawn, the last turning inbound to the landing area. for Night One. They would rejoin us mission aircraft to land at Wadi Kena. After I landed, Tharp let us know he at Wadi Kena for Night Two when we We ate breakfast at the chow hall on the was having some trouble picking up would have the honor of leading Night southern end of the airfield where the Two with the Task Force Commander, vast majority of the support and tanker “Combat Talon Pterodactyl” by Maj Gen Vaught on board—first in and force were housed. The JTF Command Diane Dillon, donated to USAF last out. This plan made perfect sense to Center, Rangers, AC-130 Spectre crews, Art Collection in 1978 as me, but my crew and I still felt like we and my crew were housed in bunkered catalog number 1978.032, were missing out on part of the greatest hangars at the north end of the runway, “Blackbird - C130”. experience of our military lives. near our aircraft. The other 1st SOW Departure: On 18 Apr, I flew a Night One crews had already departed functional check flight (FCF) on my for Masirah Island. Therefore, my crew mission aircraft (#64-0572) just a and General Vaught’s radioman were few hours before our mass departure the sole occupants. briefing. I did a complete FCF, to include Wadi Kena: We landed at Wadi shutdown and restart of all four engines, Kena about three hours after Bob using both the fire handle (T-handle) Brenci’s crew departed flying a 1st SOS and the engine condition lever. For the Talon (#64-0565). Lewis, Tharp, and first time in my extensive history of Uttaro in their EC-130s had departed doing FCFs, one of the engines would earlier. Since the other three Night Two not shut down using one of the methods. crews would not return to Wadi Kena We tried several times, but without any until just prior to launch, we spent luck. The maintenance chief grounded most of our few waking hours refining the aircraft and I went to the mission the Night Two plan and making sure briefing. The maintainers immediately the three 8th SOS MC-130s were in got to work on the aircraft and another good flying shape. The fourth Night pilot flew a successful FCF. We had a Two Talon would be a 1st SOS aircraft good aircraft by the next day. flown back to Wadi Kena from Masirah. We were the last of the seven MC/ Pilots Jerry Thigpen and Charlie EC mission aircraft to depart Hurlburt Williamson configured the Night Two the night of 20 Apr. After 15.7 hours and aircraft, Combat Talons #64-0562, #64- a night refueling in bad weather over 0567, and #64-0572 with IR lenses on the North Atlantic, 64-0572 landed late the landing lights and covers on the the landing area. I pointed my aircraft in the evening of 21 Apr at Rhein-Main rotating beacons—try that without down final with landing lights on and AB, Germany, ostensibly to participate a cherry picker in 100 degree heat. directed him to fly to the left of a very in EUCOM’s Flintlock exercise, just as Flight engineer Tom Daigneault pre- well lit shuttle gantry on final. He found our orders read. flighted the aircraft and coordinated the landing zone and landed just a few The next night we flew to Sigonella the maintenance action required for the minutes later than scheduled. We all AB, Sicily where we were met by my next night’s launch. Navigators Jack noted that the dust was not a problem as good friend, Maj Dave Blum from the Launder and Joe McBride refined the we refueled the helicopters. 7th SOS. I just wanted a good flight low-level routes to Manzariyeh airfield, The Mission is a Go: Shortly plan to “Alpha,” as we called Wadi the Night Two landing site, and created after returning to Hurlburt from the Kena before we knew its name, without mission folders for each crew. The desert landing rehearsal, all the crews talking to anybody over the Med. We electronic warfare officer, Capt Bill were gathered together and told that departed Sigonella AB and figured if we Robb, analyzed the route for threats the mission was a “Go.” We were flew down the flight information region and colored the maps appropriately. ecstatic. Col Tom Wicker, 1st SOW boundaries, the airspace boundaries Our radio operator, TSgt John Mink, mission commander and our group between countries, and did not talk to checked all aircraft radios and worked www.aircommando.org Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 27 with the JTF communications element refining procedures. aborts on this mission. He told us to do whatever was necessary, Since my primary loadmasters were with Russ Tharp’s crew but we had to get to the objective area. We were not to leave for Night One and would not join us until shortly before the anybody in Iran. No Herb Brooks’ Olympic hockey speech Night Two launch, SSgt Jim Chamness was added to my crew or Knute Rockne half-time speech could come close to Gen and ensured that all the cargo compartments were properly Vaught’s masterpiece. configured. Jerry Thigpen helped me prepare an in-depth 25 April 1980: The AC-130s and Rangers left Wadi Kena briefing that covered all phases of the Night Two mission into quickly after mission cancellation. Our crew, the last to arrive the Manzariyeh airfield. Since the three Night One Talon crews at Wadi Kena, volunteered to be the last to leave. We did what would have little time between returning and launching for the we could for the Night One guys as they came through Wadi Night Two mission, I planned to brief them immediately after Kena. That night we stayed up and got the generators going so their arrival back at Wadi Kena and provide them the mission they had hot water in the shower tent. folders containing essential mission details. There would be Going Home: On 28 Apr, good to our word, Combat just enough time for questions before take-off. In addition Talon #64-0572 departed Wadi Kena—last in, last out. We to coordinating all the above, I worked with the Ranger flew home through Sigonella AB, Rhein-Main AB, and Goose commander on the ground operation/airfield seizure plan at Bay, Labrador, arriving at Hurlburt Field on 2 May. And, yes, Manzariyeh, an isolated airfield the former Shah of Iran had my crew felt that we would take this to our graves. Sadly, Ron built to USAF standards for firepower demonstrations by his Thomas, Jack Launder and Joe McBride have. air force, about 50 miles west of Tehran. I even showed Capt Out of the ashes of Desert One, though, arose the Bubber Youngblood, the AC-130 pilot, where he could crash “Phoenix” of the most lethal and respected Special Operations land his gunship on Manzariyeh after doing lethal damage in Force in the world. his target area. Hammer Time: General Vaught’s call sign throughout training was “Hammer.” Either before or after (I forget which) About the Author: Lt Col (Ret) Bob Meller was, at the time of Eagle the Night Two mission briefing, “Hammer” gave us a speech Claw, 1 SOW Chief of MC-130 Stan/Eval. In 1977, while with 1SOS in Okinawa, he was project officer and first fully qualified C-130(MC- that was as impassioned than any I had ever heard—goose 130E tail #64-0564) air refueling receiver pilot. He later was 23 bumps and a desire to follow this man to Hell and back. I AF/DOVA, 23AF OL-D Det 3/CC, 8SOS/DO during Desert Shield, do remember one salient point that he “stressed” to the four and COMAFSOCCENT in Saudi Arabia. He had 6300 flight hours Spectre crews and my Talon crew, there would be no in-flight with over 4000 in the MC-130E Combat Talon I.

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28 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org Rhein Main Germany Officer’s Club. Combat Talon 1 painting that hung in the

By Col (Ret) Gerald “Jerry” Uttaro

Introduction First, I must introduce myself actual mission. I must emphasize the fact party and a TV was on broadcasting so some of this makes sense. When that it has been over 30 years since most news about the American embassy Operation Rice Bowl (the planning of these events took place, so I would ask personnel being taken hostage in Iran. Lt segment that culminated in Operation the reader’s indulgence if total accuracy Col Roland Guidry, 8th SOS squadron Eagle Claw) first began in late November is compromised in certain areas. I must commander, made the statement that he 1979, I was selected by the 8th SOS’s admit that much of what I have read wondered if we would get involved. assistant operations officer, Lt Col Bob about the operation over the years seems n On 21 November, we picked up Brenci, to be an aircraft commander of foreign to me, almost to the point that the 12 sets of PVS-5 NVGs from the one of the first two aircrews that would I feel the authors are talking about a 20th SOS, at the time flying CH-3Es begin training for a mission to rescue completely different mission. So I hope and UH-1Ns. The squadron commander the US hostages that were held in the not to stray too far from what I actually never asked a question, although we US embassy in Teheran, Iran, on 4 know and REMEMBER! did have to hand receipt over $200,000 November 1979. So you can say that I worth of NVGs, and he volunteered to was on the ground floor of the planning Recollections and Reflections send over his Stan/Eval pilot to show us and tactics development for Operation n A few months before the Iranian how to use them. Eagle Claw. I must inject here that students took the hostages, I attended n Once we got the NVGs, we tried many other individual crew members the Combat Talon Management Review to use them in the 8th SOS’s very small were also involved in the development (CTMR) conducted by Maj Lee Hess. and totally blacked out briefing room. and implementation of the tactics, These annual conferences brought We could not see through the NVGs. We techniques, and procedures (TTPs) that together representatives from US and didn’t realize until the pilot from the 20th were developed during Rice Bowl/Eagle overseas Combat Talon units, their SOS showed up that these first generation Claw and subsequently became the respective headquarters, and industry NVGs needed some ambient light in standard operating procedures for special representatives to discuss the Combat order to see with them. He showed us the air operations. Talon weapon system, training, tactics, basic operation of the NVGs and how During the actual mission I was and logistics support. During one of the to focus them for near and far vision. Lt the aircraft commander of Republic 06 CTMR formal presentations, Capt Marty Col Brenci and three of us flew the first (an EC-130, tail number 62-1818). Our Jubelt, who would later command one Combat Talon night sortie about a week mission was to haul fuel to the Desert of the Talons during the hostage rescue later to see if it really would be possible One landing site and then refuel the mission, reported that after numerous to land a C-130 wearing NVGs. Because RH-53D helicopters . My aircraft had a tests it was concluded that an MC-130 of the the urgency of the situation, within crew of 15 including myself. We were could not be landed using night vision three weeks we had developed the the last to land at Desert One and the last goggles (NVGs). He stated that, in fact, basic procedures for blacked out, NVG to take off after the tragic accident. it had been determined that no fixed landings that changed Combat Talon The rest of this catharsis is wing aircraft could safely land using the tactics forever. dedicated to those events that made a NVGs currently available at the time. n The first time we attempted to lasting impression on me during the lead n The day after the hostages were demonstrate to Maj Gen Vaught, the task up, preparation, and execution of the taken the squadron was having a holiday force commander, our ability to land the

www.aircommando.org Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 29 MC-130s using NVG landings was not when we broke out on top of the weather, We landed at Charleston and parked the smoothest. He was standing behind I was on the left side and Meller on the in front of base operations. I went in to the copilot in order to get a ringside right side. For the debrief we decided see if I could find our passenger. When I seat and when we made that first, VERY that breakaway procedures would be an went to the dispatcher and asked if they positive contact, he was thrown forward integral part of the crew briefings from had a passenger for us, the dispatcher and it almost took his Adam’s apple off that point forward. look confused and asked who we were. in the process. Admittedly, that landing n During the early planning, it was Then there was a tap on my shoulder and was not our best and he was not ready for thought that if the Talons air-dropped fuel this individual dressed in cowboy boots, it nor impressed by it. He could not talk bladders, commonly called “blivets,” and jeans, and a short leather jacket, and for about 10 minutes. After a few more the accompanying pumps, hoses, and holding a thin Samsonite briefcase, said pretty rough landings we called it a night. related equipment then a small team of “I’m your passenger.” I said, “Are you Afterwards, Col Kyle gave us pretty clear Rangers could parachute in behind the John?” He said, “Yep,” so we boarded instructions, perfect and then master blivets and set up a refueling point for the the craft. The back of the aircraft was the NVG landing techniques. Within a helicopters. The first time we air-dropped stripped down – no seats or rail – it was month, we had become the masters. the blivets was at Davis-Monthan AFB, complete bare. I asked him if wanted to n I was initially against having both AZ. This was a new type of air-drop load stand on the flight deck as it would be pilots on NVGs during landing. During that was under development by the Army. more comfortable. He said no, that he our first attempts to learn to land with It was supposed to be a type of container would stay in the cargo compartment. NVGs, the copilot turned off all his delivery system (CDS) drop where After takeoff I asked the loadmaster cockpit lights and focused his NVGs on the five 5,000-pound blivets would be what our passenger was doing. He said the instruments. The aircraft commander gravity extracted. Bill Diggins was my he was sound asleep using the briefcase did not wear NVGs. A third (safety) pilot copilot that night. We decided he would as a pillow. Right then and there I knew and the flight engineer focused their fly the drop portion of the mission that John was going to fit right in with this NVGs outside and assisted the navigators night because he needed annual training merry band of men. Right after takeoff with alignment and cues for landing. The events. Col Bob Pinard, the Director of we had to shut down the #3 engine and copilot would fly the aircraft down to Maintenance for the 1st SOW, was on return to Hurlburt Field. John never got aircraft radar approach minimums, 300’ that mission as an observer. We flew off the floor. AGL, and when the aircraft commander across the DZ and made the drop. On its n I got to set a record during all these had the runway environment in sight he way out, though, the load wiped out the exercises and rehearsals. Returning took control of the aircraft and landed aft cargo compartment of the aircraft – from the first major exercise, we landed unaided. The first few attempts were anchor cables and parts of the 463-L rail at Field One at Eglin AFB to drop off not the smoothest. Bob Meller, a flight system. Col Pinard’s first response was the Rangers. Once the passengers were examiner pilot assigned to the 1st SOW, that the pilots and crew had screwed up. offloaded, Lt Col Guidry, the squadron proved me wrong. He suggested and we Colonel Foley, the Army’s chief rigger commander, asked if he could fly the elected to try landing with both pilots was also on the flight to review the drop aircraft back to Hurlburt Field and get the wearing NVGs. Bob’s method worked procedures and equipment. After the test landing. Naturally I said yes. The flight great – both pilot and copilot on NVGs, drop, he stated that the rigging method takes about 5 minutes. Just enough time and from there we learned, adapted, and was screwed up and he would have to go to get all the checklists completed. Once developed the new TTPs. back to the drawing board. Only then did in the pattern, he lowered the landing n During our preparation/training/ Col. Pinard finally stop insisting that Bill gear and the instruments went crazy. As development of tactics we were told that and I should be decertified as pilots. Once Col Guidry was newly checked out in the we needed to develop the capability to the rigging and air-drop problems were Combat Talon, he asked me if I wanted fly figure-tip formation. This came from solved, though, the dispersion of the fuel to get back in the left seat and make the Col. Tom Wicker who was the 1st SOW blivets made this procedure unworkable. landing. I could not get in fast enough. Director of Operations. You should know The decision was made that we would We then made a flyby of the tower that the good colonel’s background was refuel the helicopters after landing using and determined that we had nose gear F-4s. So one night we planned a training a Vietnam-era, bulk-fuel delivery system problems. When the tower controllers sortie to fly a 3-ship to Tyndall AFB and intended to haul fuel to remote locations asked what I wanted to do, I asked if the land and then return to Hurlburt Fld. by C-130. runway foam was available. They put the We briefed the mission, but left out one n Another memorable moment for me foam down on the runway and we made very important part – what each aircraft was the time I first met Maj John Carney, an uneventful landing. I was the last should do if we encountered weather the combat controller who would set up aircraft in the USAF to land on foam as and had to break away. Needless to say, the landing zones at the Desert One site. the procedure was discontinued later that we did encounter weather and had to We were told to proceed to Charleston year. execute a breakaway. When we went AFB and pick up an individual by the n After the decision had been made to into the clouds I was on the right wing name of John Carney who would be ground refuel the helicopters using the and I think Meller was on the left wing. waiting for us at base operations and bulk-fuel delivery system, we needed a We all climbed – which was good. But proceed out west for another exercise. way to transport the 3,000 gal. bladders of

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Frontline Communications Partners 1880 Century Park East, Suite 1011, Los Angeles, CA 90067 fuel and pumping equipment. The answer was to use EC-130E Capt Thom Beres, said he was sure happy we did not have to Airborne Battlefield Command, Control, and Communications set down in the desert. So I asked why. He said that, according (ABCCC) aircraft from Keesler AFB, MS. These C-130s to his charts, the area all around the airfield was a mine field – normally had a slide-in, railroad car sized capsule, that provided for about one mile. Would have been nice to have known that the work stations for controllers. With the capsule removed, before takeoff, I thought quietly to myself. two of the bladders on large metal pallets could be carried in n The two days spent at Masirah before we took off on the the cargo compartment. The pumps, hoses, and extra equipment mission were, in hindsight, extremely interesting and insightful. were strapped to the loading ramp and when lowered, the entire 4 In those days our flight planning, to include threat analysis, system was ready to offload fuel to the waiting helicopters. was all done by hand. We stretched out the charts on plywood We nicknamed it the “Exxon” configuration. Capt Russ Tharp tables and held them down with dried camel chips to keep them picked up the EC-130 aircraft from Keesler AFB and flew it from blowing away. Today everything is done by computer and to Hurlburt Field. I was in the tower the afternoon he landed. I the press of a button. thought to myself, “Boy am I glad I’m not flying one of those.” 4 During this time we walked through the taxi plan numerous The next afternoon my crew and I were out at that EC-130 times. We were determined to get it right. Of course we getting ready for our first flight and checkout in the aircraft. We didn’t. The airfield at Masirah Island is a single runway and had one takeoff and one landing and were signed off and ready all departing aircraft have to taxi down the runway to the to go. hammerhead in order to take off. When the flight lead, Marty n Once President Carter made the decision to deploy the Jubelt in MC-130 Dragon 02 taxied out, his wingman, Hal joint task force everything intensified. The EC-130s were to Lewis in EC-130 Republic 04, was stuck between the other two deploy through Lajes Field in the Azores. After takeoff the next EC-130s. As we were comms-out on the blacked out runway, morning, on climb out the ramp of our aircraft malfunctioned Republic 05 inadvertently taxied out ahead of Republic 04. and would not lock in place. That meant we could not pressurize After Marty departed, Steve Fleming followed him in MC-130 the aircraft and could not fly above 10,000 feet. We had tankers Dragon 03. Following Steve’s departure and amid all the scheduled for our flight to NAS Sigonella, Sicily. Luckily confusion, I began to back taxi down the runway. This led to our refueling altitude was at 10,000 feet. So I instructed the a very interesting time on the runway as Hal Lewis began his loadmaster to chain the ramp to the inside tail section of the takeoff roll as I was back-taxiing. I was able to avoid running aircraft to keep it from opening any further. We flew the entire head-on into Hal by turning off onto the hard-packed sand of deployment and mission in that condition. Later we learned that the runway shoulder. The messed up takeoff sequence resulted that was probably not the smartest thing to do. The engineers in a messed up formation. The heavily loaded EC-130s were later said that if the ramp had further malfunctioned and opened too slow to catch the lead Talon, so Steve Fleming and Dragon it would have ripped the tail off the aircraft. This was one of 03 led all three Republic “Bladder Birds” to the Desert One site. those times when it paid to be lucky. 4 I remember when Doc Postles (our combat flight surgeon) n Upon landing at NAS Sigonella we were greeted by a Maj decided to sleep on his cot under the wing of one of the aircraft Dave Blum. All we wanted was fuel and a flight plan to Wadi instead of inside one of the tents. The next morning Doc was Kena in Egypt. Instead, Dave brought us into a briefing room awakened by a camel who had stuck his nose through the and gave us a 30-minute briefing on how we should behave mosquito netting and into the Doc’s face. They were both while in EUCOM. Oh yes, he also extended a welcome from surprised by what they saw, and everyone had a good laugh. the Commander of EUCOM. He finally gave us our flight plans 4 I was amazed at how hard the maintenance crews worked and we departed. However, I would run into Dave again on my in the conditions they had to work in to make sure the aircraft return trip – covered later in this chronology. were ready to go. And they never complained. n Three things standout in my memory about Wadi Kena: 4 The day before we were to take off JVO Weaver, one of 4 The first is the huge concrete hangers where we stayed. The my navigators and life support officer for the mission aircraft walls must have been 2 feet thick and the sliding doors about flown by crews from the 8th SOS, handed out the life support the same. The hangers were built by the Russians to help the gear to the crews. JVO had enough equipment to support a crew Egyptians protect the Russian-built Migs. of 12 on each aircraft. There was only one problem with that – 4 The starkness of the desert. The airbase looked like a movie the three tankers had crews of 15. So even before takeoff our set right out of an Indiana Jones movie. options were limited should something happen over water. Not 4 General’s Vaught’s sendoff speech the morning we took enough parachutes to jump; not enough water wings to swim. off for Masirah Island in Oman. I must admit, as Bob Meller Then JVO got mad at me because I kept all the bullets on board described earlier, that Gen Vaught was hugely inspiring. Again and would not hand them out. I called this early “gun control.” it was a scene right out of a Hollywood movie. n I remember very clearly the afternoon before we were to n On takeoff out of Wadi Kena we were extremely heavy. take off on the mission. I was talking with Capt Hal Lewis. By our estimates we weighted about 185,000 pounds. Just We had been crewed together since the very beginning. As the before takeoff roll I briefed the crew that if we lost an engine on crews expanded in numbers he went on to take over his own takeoff and could not maintain altitude we would land straight crew (Republic 04). He loved to fly and he loved life. ahead in the desert. The desert floor was nice and smooth for a We had just finished checking out equipment on each of very long way. Once we took off and all was well, my navigator, our aircraft. Hal and I were standing under the wing of one of

32 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org the aircraft to stay out of the sun, when he looked at me and said, “Jerry I’m not coming back from this. I just know it.” I was truly taken back. I didn’t think I heard him right. I said, “Hal what do you mean not coming back?” He said, “Jerry I just have that feeling.” I told him he was crazy, “We are all coming back.” He then said even Sergeant Mayo, the flight engineer, felt like something was going to happen. I did not believe what I was hearing. I insisted that he was wrong and that everything was going to be fine. I said, “You know we learned to land these things without lights. This is the easy part.” He shook his head and grinned and we went off to do other things. I did not think about it again until we got back to Masirah Island and we started to decompress and take stock of what just happened that tragic night. I had never mentioned that conversation to anyone before this year. In February I was at the USAF Academy’s National Character and Leadership Symposium, making a presentation on Operation Eagle Claw. During the question and answer period a member of the audience asked if any of the crew members On April 24, 1980, in the Oman desert (top row from left): Maj were worried about the plan. Hal’s words popped into my mind Richard Bakke, killed; unidentified survivor; TSgt Joel Mayo, like a fluorescent billboard. The theme for the symposium was killed; Maj Lyn McIntosh, killed; Maj Harold Lewis Jr., killed; demonstrating courage in adversity and I could not think of a Capt Charles McMillan, killed; SSgt J.J. Beyers, survivor; Col better example. Capt Lewis had a premonition of what was to Jeff Harrison, survivor. (Bottom Row): unidentified survivors. (The come and still he went on with the mission, even after the close Associated Press) call on the runway during the takeoff from Masirah Island. back of the aircraft just in time to hear Col Beckwith tell Doc If Hal’s actions don’t demonstrate true courage and Postles to leave JJ Beyers, the radio operator from Republic 04, dedication, I don’t know what would. I ask myself sometimes if because he was as good as dead. Doc ignored Col Beckwith I had felt as strongly as Hal felt about the outcome what would I and kept right on treating JJ. And because Doc ignored Col have done. Maj Hal Lewis’ and Technical Sergeant Joel Mayo’s Beckwith he was able to save JJ’s life and hands. actions will stay with me the rest of my life. n The first person to meet us after landing in Masirah Island n I won’t go into the actual mission in detail. Enough has was Capt George Ferkes. George and I had checked into the been written about all of that and the published versions are 8th SOS at the same time and had gone through Combat Talon many. But I will mention one small act of leadership that has school together. We also had bent many an elbow together. He not received the recognition it should have. After the mix-up was a pilot on Dragon 01 and had landed back at Masirah before on the taxi out and the resulting out of sequence takeoffs, there all hell broke loose. George asked how I was doing, if I needed was one individual that was smart enough to know what had anything, and just stayed nearby the rest of the day. A true friend happened behind him and that he needed to do something. Capt who knew what was needed at the moment. Steve Fleming in Dragon 03 knew our EC-130 Bladder Birds n After getting over the initial shock of what had just were too slow to catch up with the Combat Talons and did not happened, it was time to redeploy. The EC-130s were to redeploy have the navigation and terrain following equipment needed to through Wadi Kena. We had just enough time for a hot meal, a get to Desert One on their own. Realizing what had happened shower, and some crew rest. Capt Russ Tharp (Republic 05) and on the departure he made the decision to slow down and wait my aircraft were to fly formation back home. It was determined for the three tankers to join up on him so that he could lead them that, because of my ramp problems, the number of crewmembers to Desert One. His flight of three turned out to be a flight of on the return flight should be kept to a minimum. Russ would four. He knew and understood – you don’t leave your wingmen take many of the maintenance folks and the remaining crew on behind. his aircraft. As luck would have it, Russ had to shut down #3 n When the helicopter crashed into Hal Lewis’ EC-130 that engine as we flew past Rota, Spain. When we diverted into NAS night at Desert One, it was horrendous. From the cockpit of Rota, we were greeted by the base commander, a nice guy but my aircraft I watched as my friends burned to death and there not happy we were there. He understood our situation, but said was nothing I could do to help. For almost a year I had been the Spanish government knew who we were and wanted the sleeping, eating, drinking, and working with these men day in aircraft off Spanish soil ASAP. and day out. You soon come to realize that there are some things We got an engine shipped in from Rhein Main AB, you never really get over or forget. This incident is one of those. Germany, the main USAF airlift hub in Europe back then, n I remember getting word from John Carney that the area within six hours. The maintenance folks had the engine hung had been policed up and we could take off anytime. We were and run in record time. Everyone wanted to get home. While the last C-130 out of Desert One. When we returned to Masirah all this was going on, US European Command notified me Island, we immediately offloaded the injured. I walked to the that I needed to select four crewmembers plus myself to stay www.aircommando.org Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 33 Maj Richard L. Bakke, USAF Sgt John D. Harvey, USMC CPL George N. Holmes, JR., USMC SSgt Dewey L. Johnson, USMC

Maj Harold L. Lewis, Jr., USAF TSgt Joel C. Mayo, USAF Maj Lyn D. McIntosh, USAF Capt Charles T. McMillan II, USAF on at Rhein Main to wait for the release of the remains of the the General how we were to get back to Hurlburt. The General eight crewmembers who had died at Desert One. They said was honest. He said I don’t know how we were getting home, CINCEUR had determined that my aircraft was not in good but his ride was right there, pointing to his T-39 Sabreliner with enough shape to fly back to the US. Once Capt Tharp departed the four stars in the window. As we all chuckled about it, I saw NAS Rota we were to leave for Rhein Main AB. a big black aircraft landing. I knew they had not forgotten us. I had no problem getting four volunteers. Ed Bagby, Ken Our MC-130 “carriage” had arrived. Poole, Dee Newberry, and Ray Doyle jumped in and off we n It had been a long six months. I was exhausted, but I knew went to Rhein Main. While we waited for the Iranians to release it wasn’t over. The government couldn’t stop now. I was right. the remains of our fallen comrades, EUCOM got the five of us The next six months turned out to be a story unto itself. all cleaned up with new class A uniforms. On the second day Summary at Rhein Main AB there we were finally allowed to call our Although the actual mission was a failure, much was families back home. However, we could not tell them where we learned. We developed new tactics, techniques, and procedures were, although we were not sure why not. Ken Poole found out that would have never been accomplished in a normal, non- during his call to Sarah that he was going to be a new father in a emergency environment. The aircrews were driven by an few months. It was something to celebrate and we truly needed attitude of “this was going to be a success.” Much of what was that. developed is still used today, some 30 plus years later. We spent five days waiting for the release of the remains. In the aftermath of Operation Eagle Claw, the We all wanted to get home, but we also wanted to do this. organizational structure of the United States Special Operations Finally, word came that the remains were to be picked up in Forces was completely revamped. Because of our failure 33 Geneva, Switzerland. We would fly by C-141 from Rhein Main years ago special operations forces across the 4 Services has AB to Geneva, and then direct to Dover AFB, Delaware. literally exploded. Prior to 4 November 1979, Hurlburt Field Once the remains were on board in the flag-draped coffins, was very near caretaker status. Army Special Forces were being the five of us got very quiet and introspective. Those were our systematically moved into the Reserve component. Navy SEAL friends, colleagues, and drinking buddies. My daughters had units were usually assigned to the fleet. April 24, 1980 changed babysat for Lyn McIntosh’s set of twins. We lived a stone’s everything. As a result of that April night in the desert of Iran, throw away from them back home. Capt Rick Bakke had everything changed.. started out as my navigator. I had just met his new wife before we deployed. These weren’t strangers that you read about in newspapers or see on TV. It was almost surreal. Upon landing About the Author: During Operation Eagle Claw, Col Uttaro was at Dover we were met by General Creech, the Commander of assigned to the 8th SOS, 1st SOW, Hurlburt Field, Florida as the the Tactical Air Command. 8th SOS’s standardization and evaluation officer. He was selected as one of two pilots in the unit to be aircraft commander for the After the remains were ceremoniously offloaded, everyone initial two-aircrew cadre to begin preparation for a possible hostage took a very deep breath. I realized we were finally on US rescue attempt. He flew an EC-130 with call sign Republic 06. soil. General Creech did his greetings and typically laudatory Republic 06 was the last aircraft to land at Desert One and the last comments. Ed Bagby, who was never known to be shy, asked aircraft to takeoff from Desert One.

34 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org By Ray Turczynski and Steve Fleming

In November 1979, only 7 of the 14 overseas while the spouse and children but he was not supposed to send either Combat Talons in the USAF had been remain in the US. During Eagle Claw, and on temporary duty (TDY) for 60 days modified for aerial refueling. The 1st again with the succeeding Honey Badger prior to DEROS so that they could meet SOW had three and the other four were operation (preparation to try again), the their out-processing requirements from assigned to the 1st SOS at Kadena AB, 1st SOS military members were in the the squadron and the base. He sent both JA. The Combat Arrow Talons in Europe US for an extended period while their Thom and Mike TDY to Hurlburt during would not be modified until the 1990s. families remained in Okinawa. But, Jan 1980 for Eagle Claw training and The joint task force (JTF) planners had special operations spouses are tough gals. mission rehearsal. Beres was obviously determined that all seven air refuelable They stuck together and weathered their violating the “No TDY” rule. But while MC-130s would be needed for Eagle “remote” tour as a team. at Hurlburt, a swap was made: Les Smith, Claw. This led to a twist in the normal The second concern proved to the 8th SOS Operations Officer and also way of doing business. be more difficult. Military members an instructor navigator, was reassigned Because the 8th SOS at Hurlburt stationed overseas all have a DEROS to the open 1st SOS Operations Officer had an insufficient number of modified month, or the Date Expected to Return position, and Beres into the 8th SOS as Combat Talons, all four MC-130s from Overseas. Personnel assignments to planned. Both were able to depart for the assigned to the 1st SOS were ordered to a unit are managed on the DEROS date, swap in February and probably passed join the JTF. Where normally, a Stateside with the replacement member arriving each other en-route. Both also flew as unit would augment an overseas unit at the overseas during a certain month Eagle Claw crewmembers. for an overseas contingency operation, and the military member they replace In Sumida’s case, things got a little the opposite became true for Eagle departing the same month. This personnel trickier with a “severe violation” of the Claw. During this operation, 1st SOS management system ensures all units are personnel rules. Mike flew on Eagle aircraft and crews deployed to Hurlburt neither over nor under-manned. This Claw but missed his port call. His wife and joined forces with the 1st SOW for strict personnel management process departed from Kadena without him in mission preparation, training, and the would immediately impact the selection late April and was in Chicago heading mission. of Eagle Claw crewmembers. home to New Jersey on the night of the The 1st SOS would provide four The first to be affected were Thom mission. The squadron was able to get Combat Talons and two crews for the Beres and Mike Sumida, two top-notch word to her that her husband was okay, Night One mission. Aircraft 64-0565, instructor navigators in the 1st SOS. The but would be a little late getting home. with its Forward Looking Infra-Red American hostages were taken by the Mike departed Kadena in late April (FLIR) capability, would be flown by Bob Revolutionary Guard in November 1979. following the mission and got home in Brenci from the 8th SOS as Hurlburt’s Thom already had orders to the 8th SOS at May. Sue Sumida was a little upset, but lead crew. MC-130E 64-0564, was to Hurlburt, with a February 1980 DEROS. also very tough. She soon realized why be flown by Kadena’s Marty Jubelt as Mike had made the decision to separate her husband might be late and was proud the #2 aircraft. And, 63-7785, flown by from the Air Force as of April 1980. of what he had done. Ray Turczynski Kadena’s Steve Fleming would be #3. Ray Turczynski, the 1st SOS Squadron was severally chastised by the Personnel The 1st SOS’ fourth aircraft, 62-1843, commander, wanted both Thom and Center for his actions, but didn’t care. would serve as the spare for the Night Mike on Jubelt’s crew. Ray discussed Neither did Mike Sumida! One. the situation with both navigators, but Training for the mission and This “non-conventional” setup posed already knew their answers in advance. developing the new tactics that were two crew concerns. First, the Kadena Both said “Hell, Yes!” when asked if they required proved to be a challenge for families were placed into a “reverse- wanted to be on the mission. Turczynski 1st SOS crews. Turczynski was able to remote” scenario. Normally, a remote could legally hold them in his squadron travel to California in December 1979 assignment sends the military member until their respective DEROS months, while he was attending a Pacific Air www.aircommando.org Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 35 Force (PACAF) Squadron Commander’s training on December 26 in order to catch crew desired without making a single conference in Hawaii. Ray linked up up with the 8th SOS crews. Turczynski’s radio call. Once training was completed, with Bob Brenci’s crew at Norton AFB wife would receive several calls that after the last landing, the crew would and flew on a night vision goggle (NVG) afternoon, “It’s Christmas Eve, does your broadcast another code word and the training mission with Bob’s crew. The husband know what he’s doing?” lights would come back on. They would whole time, Ray was taking copious notes Turczynski assigned himself as then receive their clearance and return in a small notebook. At the time, neither Jubelt’s safety pilot so that he could to Kadena AB. The two 1st SOS crews NVG tactics nor training programs had oversee the initial training. One of the used this procedure all week, alternating been developed for the Combat Talon. challenges they had to overcome was nights. Both were both fully trained by That notebook would become the 1st finding an unlighted airfield where they New Year’s Day! SOS’ training manual. could practice. It was out of the question The only unusual, although perhaps Following his single night sortie to turn off the runway lights at Kadena not unexpected, thing that happened with Brenci, Turczynski quickly returned in order to conduct NVG training as it was that it snowed one night. The Talon to Hawaii to rejoin his conference. is a busy fighter base, but also a popular crew had some anxious moments looking More importantly, though, was that he transit point in the western Pacific region. through their NVGs into a snowstorm needed to catch get his return flight to Thom Beres called his contact, Terry and finding a snow covered runway. Okinawa. It was December 22 and Ray Mitchell, at the 314th Air Division in Of course, the situation solved itself thought it might be nice to get home for Korea to arrange for an airfield that could before too long as the snow melted on Christmas. In Hawaii he was given two be blacked-out and used for training the warmer runway and NVGs clearly A-3 bags containing 25 sets of NVGs, the entire Christmas week. Mitchell, a showed the darker runway surrounded by which he accepted on a hand receipt. former 1st SOS crewmember now on the snow covered grass. At approximately $20,000 per set, he staff at 314th AD, asked no questions. Since there were no prescribed had roughly a half million dollars of He selected Yechon AB, an isolated procedures for the use of NVGs, 1st equipment in his hands. It took some airfield in the southern part of the Korean SOS crews developed ones that were convincing, but finally the NCO at the peninsula with 10,000 feet of runway and not being used by the Hurlburt crews. Hickam AFB passenger terminal agreed in caretaker status. It proved ideal. During the NVG practice at Yechon AB, to let him hand-carry and not check the The procedure Terry Mitchell it became obvious that internal aircraft two large duffle bags of NVGs. arranged for the training was clever! lighting and controlling glare would be a Ray arrived back in Okinawa in the Crews would file an “out-and-back” major concern. The 1st SOS crews tried early hours on December 24. Almost flight plan from Kadena AB to Yechon many different configurations. The first immediately he realized that while the 8th AB. They would fly Instrument Flight problem was to isolate the light from the SOS crews would be off for the holiday, Rules (IFR) to Yechon AB, fly the left and right navigator stations coming his 1st SOS crews were way behind in prescribed instrument approach, and to the forward area of the cockpit. The training and preparation. He called for land. Once on the runway they would aircraft already had a black curtain a selective crew recall that afternoon to broadcast an assigned code word and a installed between the navigator and flight introduce his two crews to the NVGs controller would extinguish the runway engineer (FE) stations, but it proved to be and review his training notes with them. lights. The aircraft could then takeoff too thin to stop the light from illuminating The 1st SOS would have to begin NVG and land using NVGs for as long as the the pilots’ stations. By augmenting the curtain with standard-issue, Army woolen blankets, we could control the light in the cockpit. The more difficult problem was all the instrument lighting needed for normal night operations. The Kadena crews tried flying the approach and landing with all four crewmembers, the pilot, copilot, safety pilot, and FE, in front of the curtain wearing NVGs. The limitations of the first generation, PVS-5 NVGs made that tactic difficult and undesirable. The crews found that the best lighting configuration was to have all of the pilot and FE’s instrument lights off and for the copilot to not wear NVGs. He would turn his instrument lights as low as possible and fly the approach until the pilot and FE acquired the runway and were in a position to land.

36 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org During one of the first debriefings, the crews were doing the normal “what if” sessions and the scenario of mountain flying and go-around/missed approach came up. The objective was to have the Terrain Following (TF) Radar available at all times. This was accomplished by installing a blackout cover made from black cloth which Jubelt and Fleming had purchased at a yard goods store in Okinawa, taped to the pilot’s glare shield above the left-seat pilot’s instrument panel. This allowed the crew to immediately use TF radar scope and instruments simply by tearing an aircraft the size of an MC-130, if you signified clearance for engine start and off the cover. Later, more advanced are not aligned with the landing zone taxi. Visual Flight Rule takeoff clearance configurations attached the cloth cover with a reasonable degree of accuracy, the was issued by broadcasting “updated” with Velcro®. This method also allowed entire approach is for naught. For their winds. The Kadena Talon crews had the safety feature of having at least two consistent ability to bring the aircraft trained using no-communications and crewmembers observing each aspect of into position for landing, the skill of the minimum lighting air refueling, so no aircraft operation and configuration. Talon navigators is acknowledged—they further radio calls were made until the During the navigator-directed always got us to a point 300 feet on final squadron arrived at Diego Garcia. approaches, the copilot would fly the approach and in a position to land. At Diego Garcia, however, aircraft on instruments without NVGs In order for those outstanding we encountered another problem. down to the minimum altitude for the navigators to do what they did with the Coordination with the US Navy officials approach. The pilot in the left seat, aircraft configured as described above, and British customs agents at Diego wearing NVGs, would be looking for the the navigator station became extremely Garcia had not taken place so the Talons landing zone and/or traffic and threats warm. By the end of a flight, the arrived unannounced. The commander in the area. Once at minimums and in navigators’ flight suits would be wringing refused to provide quarters or workspace position to land, the pilot would take wet. So our amazing maintainers came for the maintainers until the mission control of the aircraft for landing and for up with a local modification and installed commander revealed the purpose of our ground operations. The FE, also wearing a fan on the aft cockpit bulkhead to presence—something we could not do. NVGs, would be focused inside the improve the situation. That modification But, after getting access to a secure, KY-3 aircraft and backup the crew by observing was formally approved for the fleet two telephone, a call from Turczynski to the desired airspeed. The safety pilot would years later! Pentagon alerted mission personnel there assist in looking for the landing zone One final item worth noting was of the difficulties at Diego Garcia. The and confirm any aircraft configuration how the 1st SOS departed from Kadena return call to the commanding officer changes, such as flap settings or landing for the actual mission while maintaining quickly resolved the situation. From that gear, by focusing his NVGs inside the operational security. The parent wing point on the officials at Diego Garcia cockpit to verify desired settings. at Kadena AB is the 18th Tactical could not have been more supportive! It is interesting to note that crews Fighter Wing. In order to not raise any While awaiting clearance to proceed from both the 8th SOS and 1st SOS came suspicions about our three MC-130s to Masirah Island, the 1st SOS crews flew up with almost identical procedures for and maintainers packing up and leaving sea surveillance missions for a couple approach and landing, even though there (64-0565, with one of the operational of days to reinforce their cover story. was no discussion between the two groups FLIRs, had remained at Hurlburt, on On 19 April, Turczynski and the first of who were half of a world apart. The one loan to the 8th SOS after the March three 1st SOS crews arrived at Masirah exception was the use of the blackout rehearsals), the wing commander held a Island. On the 20th, the remaining two cloth covering the left seat pilot’s practice Operational Readiness Exercise crews arrived. Turczynski and the 1st instrument panel. The 1st liked it and the that night. While the fighter squadrons SOS crews unpacked the crates holding 8th did not, so after some “professional practiced and trained to mobilize their the tents and cots that would form the negotiations,” it was decided that each F-15 equipment for deployment, the beginnings of a small tent city for the aircraft commander could decide his 1st SOS likewise mobilized, but they Eagle Claw crews. By 22 April, all seven internal lighting configuration as long departed for real. When the time came to C-130s, four MC-130s and three EC-130s as everyone used the same modified launch, a 1st SOS trusted agent was sent carrying fuel to refuel the helicopters, infiltration/exfiltration checklist. to the control tower. At the prescribed were in place, ready, and waiting for the One other thought. Much has been time, he had the controller broadcast launch order. written about NVG operations, but with an “updated” altimeter setting. This On 24 April, we launched. www.aircommando.org Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 37 By Col (Ret) George Ferkes

MC-130E night vision goggle (NVG) approach to landing.

Fate’s Cruel Choice Each crew formed up on a dusty, bone FROM US ALL, FOR HAVING THE It was mid November 1979, Lyn dry patch of earth. By crew, the names GUTS TO TRY.” We passed around the McIntosh and I worked in squadron were called out by the unit commander. beer for all to have a swig and ease our training together. Everyone was aware The replies were heard “here” “present” pain. I don’t think anyone there will ever of the hostage situation in Iran and we “OK” “I’m here”, etc. Capt Lewis, Capt forget the memorable words written on both knew that something was going on Lewis, no reply, Capt McIntosh, Capt that case of beer. These words epitomize in the squadron and most likely it had McIntosh, no reply, Capt Bakke, Capt the special operations mission and today to do with the hostages. We were both Bakke, no reply, Capt McMillan, Capt still serve as an inspiration to our Air combat vets from Vietnam, but new to McMillan, no reply, TSgt Mayo, TSgt Commando brethren. the 8th Special Operations Squadron Mayo, no reply. Those haunting “no (SOS) and Combat Talons. One thing replies” still echo in my head and in the Training Chaos we knew, newbies or not we wanted to minds of many others who were there. From the very beginning of the be included in whatever was going on. preparation for the mission, up until we Every day, without fail, Mac and I would Beer and Guts deployed, the planning and training were make up excuses to be in the Operations Little did we know at the time, but in a constant state of chaos. The basic Officer’s office to let him know we were news of the aborted rescue attempt and the elements of the plan changed numerous available for anything he needed us to loss of lives was being flashed around the times, but it was always viewed as a two do. As the crew force expanded we both world. The local British airmen there at night operation. The ground plan was were brought into the mission and as Masirah, quickly figured out that we had in continuous revision and the Navy fate would have it Mac ended up on Hal flown the mission. I remember looking helicopter crews were almost completely Lewis’s crew and he lost his life in the across the tent and seeing a commotion. replaced after it was deemed they were accident. I often wonder why Mac ended Through a gap in the tent I could see the not up to the task. Marine helicopter up on Lewis’s crew and I didn’t. It is wheels of a khaki British Land Rover, crews were brought in with some of the something that stays with me to this very two sets of legs, a couple boxes being Navy crew members staying on and one day. put on the ground, and the Land Rover Air Force helicopter pilot was also in the heading out in a small cloud of dust. In crew mix. The method of insertion of the Roll Call typical British fashion they wanted us Army element as well as the plan to refuel After all the aircraft returned to our to know they knew we were in pain and the helicopters once they were in country staging base on Masirah Island, and the quietly dropped off two cases of ice cold was constantly revised and revisited. The details of the accident were discussed beer. Scribbled on the side of one of the one constant for the fixed wing operation an official “roll call” was directed. cases was a message “TO YOU ALL, was that MC-130 Combat Talon aircrews

38 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org and C-130 aircraft would provide any long range infiltration and exfiltration of forces and fuel. For aircrews of the 8th SOS and the 1st SOS this was what they trained for every day. Coming Home As we gathered up our gear and started our return flights to the United States, our minds and hearts were filled with uncertainty and sorrow. We had no idea the world was so aware of the accident on the desert floor and the loss of eight of our warriors. We made our way west from Masirah Island, north thru Egypt into the Mediterranean, with an overnight stop in Italy, and then on to Hurlburt. As we crossed into US airspace an emotional thing happened. We checked in with the American traffic controller. There was a pause. Then the ultimately in the mission in Abbottabad missions. The fund has expanded in controller stated in a strong clear voice, that took down Osama Bin Laden. It recent years as the number of casualties words to this effect, “Thank you for (Desert One) would never happen again, has increased with the expanded use of trying, the whole nation stands with you and in fact it hasn’t and it won’t.” SOF. and grieves with you, God Bless.” To this The failed mission was not the end In 1995, the Special Operations day I still remember the rush of emotion or even the beginning of the end. In fact Warrior Foundation (SOWF) was and the lump in my throat as I heard this it was the beginning of a process that formed from portions of several other message from our nation. would ensure the US had forces trained organizations to ensure full scholarship and equipped to succeed in these high- grants, as well as educational and family So Much for risk, high-gain missions. To ensure future counseling, to the surviving children mission success, the US Congress passed of special operations personnel of all Operational Security legislation creating the United States Services who lose their lives in the line of Once we got home and the dust Special Operations Command, with the duty. It also provides immediate financial had settled, we had a chance to talk to USAF’s Air Force Special Operations assistance for severely wounded special our wives about the mission and their Command as a component. The events operations personnel and their families. emotions following news of the accident. of Desert One spawned a tremendous Today, this commitment covers nearly One of the things that several of the wives growth in special operations force 1000 surviving children, 220 of whom told us was that in spite of our efforts to strength and funding. have graduated from college. From this convince them that this TDY was just tragic loss of life of eight of our bravest another training exercise, they knew The Children Left Behind warriors in the hostile environs of a when we left that this was the real thing. When we returned from the mission faraway desert, a world class organization And how did they know this? It was what many of us wondered what was going to has arisen like a phoenix out of the we took with us. As one wife put it “when happen to the children affected by the loss smoldering ashes to provide a safety net you took the booze and the sunscreen we of their fathers. We knew the government when tragedy strikes. knew it was the real thing.” would provide some help, but other than that we were worried and, to say the Lives Lost not In Vain -- least, clueless about how these children About the Author: Col (Ret) George Ferkes The Beginning not the End would be taken care of. Through the spent over 21 years in Special Operations The lives of the eight brave men lost good graces of many people, to include a serving in command positions at the Sq while attempting to rescue the embassy significant donation by H Ross Perot, and and Gp level as well as staff positions at hostages on the early morning of 25 the hard work and dedication of others, HQ AFSOC and JSOC. He was the co-pilot on April 1980 were not in vain. As retired the “Bull Simons” Fund was created to the Desert One (Eagle Claw) lead MC-130E Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton provide college educations for the 17 aircraft and flew in Honey Badger (train up for second hostage rescue attempt). He children who survived the men killed or Schwartz so clearly put it, “The singular was involved in planning for Urgent Fury event that propelled my thinking and my incapacitated at Desert One. The Fund (Grenada), TWA 847 aircraft hijacking and orientation was the experience of Desert was named in honor of the legendary Achille Lauro ship hijacking responses One. That event propelled an effort in the Army Green Beret, Col Bull Simons, along with a number of other classified Department of Defense which resulted who repeatedly risked his life on rescue special operations. www.aircommando.org Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 39 By Col (Ret) Raymond Chapman

Aircrew from the 919th Special Operations Wing admire their aircraft, the MC-130E Combat Talon I. (USAF photo by TSgt Samuel King Jr.)

It will work. These three words were aircraft in three separate locations. few pieces missing from AFSOC’s plan the strategic guidance to the men and At the time of the General’s remarks, to reach the targeted net decrease of women of Air Force Special Operations both active duty and Reserve units at 433 manning billets. Maj Gen Holland Command from their commander, Maj Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field, and Duke knew that the CSAF’s goal was a Gen Charles Holland. It was September Field were operating MC-130E Combat daunting challenge and he called upon 1999 and the rumors had been flying Talon and MC-130P Combat Shadow his gunship crewmate from the Vietnam since March 5th, the day that the Chief aircraft. AFSOC’s plan was simple: War to assist him with it. Col Thomas of Staff of the Air Force announced the co-locate similar aircraft, crews and Stogsdill, the 919th Special Operations results of the 1998 budget initiatives that support teams in order to more efficiently Wing Commander, would forever change AFSOC’s force exploit SOF’s precious resources, while sat down with structure. conserving manpower and delivering a the General and The March announcement from the more combat capable force to our SOF together they Chief declared that the transformational customers. devised a bold “out adjustments levied on AFSOC were The major force structure changes of the box” plan necessary to prepare the command for the driven by the 1998 budget initiatives that required buy-in arrival of the CV-22 Osprey, projected to began with the deactivation of the 55th up and down the enter the Air Force’s inventory in 2003. Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt chain and, if executed flawlessly, would Gen Holland relayed to the command Field on Sep 16, 1999. The unit’s six prove itself the only way to reach the that the impending changes were vital MH-60G’s were transferred to Air targeted manpower reductions directed to the future of special operations and Combat Command (ACC) to bolster its by Headquarters Air Force. America’s Air Commandos must not conventional combat search and rescue The two commanders determined only be ready for the transition, but it forces. In addition, the MC-130P fleet that it was necessary for the active duty was imperative that the migration happen was reduced by four aircraft that were Air Commandos to team with AFSOC’s without any adverse impact to the unit’s plucked from the worldwide SOF fleet only Air Force Reserve wing to make mission and readiness. According to Maj and transferred to the Air National Guard those reductions happen. The agreement Gen Holland, the projected program at Moffett Field to further enhance ACC’s was to establish a traditional associate changes were fiscally essential, and neglected CSAR capability. unit at Eglin AFB, combining the SOF the logical action was to eliminate With the elimination of the 55th power of the 9th SOS’s five P-models the redundancies of maintaining and and the four P-models transferred to with the five MC-130Ps from the 919th operating a small number of unique SOF the National Guard, there were still a SOW’s 5th SOS. The plan was to

40 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org jointly operate the 10 MC-130P Combat With word on the streets at Duke Field on March 1, 1974, without personnel Shadows out of Eglin AFB, leveraging that the gunships were being retired by or aircraft, began its transition to the Reserve crews and maintenance. The the Air Force Reserve Command, there MC-130E Combat Talon. He affirmed Reserve aircrews and maintenance were a number of highly experienced Air that after 26 years at Hurlburt, and with teams were thus to relocate from Duke Commando citizen-airmen ready to pull an unprecedented record of supporting Field to Eglin AFB, coalescing the 5th’s chocks out of Duke Field and seek other wars, disasters, crumbling democracies, “Truth Shall Make Them Free” with bases where they could deliver USAF and humanitarian efforts, the 8th was the 9th’s “Night Wings”. This Reserve Reserve airpower to the global frontiers. now asked to embark on another mission. association, a new concept for AFSOC, Foreseeing this potential time-bomb, This 8th SOS mission, like several in the reflected what was happening throughout USSOCOM wisely decided to assign past, was an untested and untried concept Air Mobility Command’s C-141, C-5 and the Combat Talon I aircraft that were where the mighty Combat Talon would C-17 fleets. returning from Mildenhall and Kadena permanently park on a Reserve ramp to the 711th SOS and the 919th SOW at in Northwest Florida, the Air Force Duke Field. When the gunship mission Reserves would own the aircraft, and at Duke was officially terminated on Sep the active duty crews would be assigned 28, 1995, the 711th was well on its way to meet the demanding time-lines of the to becoming one of the Air Force’s finest national force, a constraint that by law Combat Talon squadrons. Over the next the Air Force Reserves could not meet. year, eight Talons were assigned to Duke Col David Scott, 16 SOW/CC and Field and the Reserve crews, support, Col Stogsdill, 919 SOW/CC, knew that The quandary was that merger and maintenance relentlessly trained and there would be efficiencies in “pure at Eglin AFB only solved part of the honed their skills, bringing their wartime fleeting” the two squadrons under one manpower reduction challenge facing readiness up to SOF standards in absolute wing’s flying and maintenance programs. Maj Gen Holland. Once again, he turned minimum time. They therefore decided to execute this to his long-time confidant Col Stogsdill, Five years later, the Air Force was plan and immediately positioned the and the two devised another plan to create looking at the aforementioned force forces for success. Active duty crews a “reverse association” where an active structure adjustments; the stars were and maintainers would remain under duty flying unit, combined with an active aligned, and the Air Force’s first-ever the operational control of the 16th SOW duty maintenance unit, would move active association was on the table. The for support and the veterans serving in to Duke Field and “reverse associate” question on everybody’s mind was how the Reserves would augment the young with the 919th SOW’s aircraft and could a unit with the motto “After Five active duty crew and maintenance support. This groundbreaking enterprise and Weekends” team with the 8 SOS to force, increasing the Talon’s readiness, between the active duty forces and Air deliver the Praetorian Starship on the improving MC rates and producing more Force Reserve Command was met with timelines demanded by our national training sorties. With a slap on the table, skepticism from all who were briefed forces. the two wing commanders agreed to on its concept. How could the laid back make it happen sooner rather than later attitude of a Reserve wing handle the and, with that decision, the wheels of lean-forward mind-set of two active transformation began to turn. duty SOF units? The answer was simple The remaining task for the 8th SOS for Gen Holland and Col Stogsdill; they was moving the final six MC-130Es to determined “it will work!” And with that, Duke Field, 26 miles away, (without the reverse association, later identified as affecting the unit’s commitment to the an “active association”, was conceived. Maj Gen Holland had requested an national force), while maintaining the For the first time in the history of the audience with the men and women of squadron’s mile-high esprit de corps, and USAF, the Reserves would own the 8th Special Operations Squadron at our simultaneously keeping the faith with all aircraft on a Reserve base and the active commander’s call to explain his vision. the Airmen and their families involved duty crews and maintainers would After opening up with the words “It will in the move. Over a beer at Connie’s team with their Reserve counterparts to work,” he briefed us on what he expected Hooch Bar, Col Scott approached me and prepare the aircraft and deliver them to from the 8th SOS as AFSOC prepared inquired how the 8th SOS would make the fight. to implement the monumental force this historic move a memorable event. The 919 SOW’s journey to “active structure changes ordered from above. He mentioned that running the 8th’s association” first began in 1994, when it He poignantly began by pointing out that guidon to Duke Field, allowing each of was determined that the AC-130A gunship this would be the first time an MC-130E the Blackbirds an opportunity to carry would be retired and the AC-130H, slated would not be assigned to Hurlburt Field the flag for a portion of the run, would to be transferred to the Reservists at Duke since the 8th itself was assigned there cement this untested relationship. After Field upon the retirement of the A-model in 1974. He told us of how the 8th SOS thinking about his recommendation for gunship, would remain on active duty. had departed Clark AB for Florida and about a second and a half, I made the

42 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org decision and with a pledge from all of the effective flying teams in the fight against men and women of the 8th we sat down terrorism and oppression. On August 9, and devised our “guidon run” CONOPs. 2006, the 8th SOS guidon was run back At H-hour on Feb 5, 2000 Lt Col Al to Hurlburt Field to represent the Air Vafidies, the 716 MXS/CC, and I trotted Force’s first CV-22 Osprey squadron. with the squadron guidons to the numbers In the words of Yogi Berra, it’s on runway 18 at Hurlburt Field and I then “déjà vu all over again,” and today passed the 8th’s flag to Col Scott, coining Lt Gen Fiel is dealing with the force him after he accepted the flag; by the structure changes that have arrived way, he didn’t have his coin and he still alongside a shrinking defense budget. owes me a beer. Col Scott, Command As the squadron commander of the 4th Chief Sanchez, Lt Col Vafidies, and I SOS and the Deputy Commander of the ran the squadron flags out the back gate 16th Operations Group, he witnessed An Airman from the 8th Special Operations displaying our bittersweet black t-shirts the success of blending the SOF active Squadron nears Hurlburt Field with the unit’s guidon. As part of the 8th SOS that read “From one auxiliary field to duty and Reserve forces and recently transition festivities, a team of Airmen ran another, gone but not forgotten.” came up with a new and innovative the guidon 26 miles back to Hurlburt Field There, we handed the squadron flags twist in order to take advantage of the the same way it was delivered to Duke to the next oldest person in the squadron, expertise the SOF Reserves offer. On Field years ago. (USAF photograph by Senior and the relay proceeded, from oldest Feb 11, 2013--nearly 13 years to the Airman Andy Kin) to youngest, until finally the 8th SOS’ day-- AFSOC stood up the Air Force youngest member planted the squadron Special Operations Air Warfare Center flag on the podium at Duke. After my run, (AFSOWAC), commanded by Brig I climbed aboard the last Talon and flew General Jon Weeks, a flag officer with it to Duke in time to personally receive a SOF Reserve pedigree. Their mission the guidon. I can still remember the is to organize, train, educate, and equip pride I felt as we made a low approach forces conducting special operations over a large crowd of Reservists and missions; lead major command irregular active duty Airmen that were running warfare activities; execute the special toward the Duke Field main gate with operations test, evaluation and lessons the 8 SOS’ streamer-laden flag (it must learned programs; and develop doctrine, have weighed about five pounds). As the tactics, techniques and procedures for Lt Col Joe Michalek, from Headquarters squadron’s blue and gold guidon waved AFSOC. The 919th SOW, in partnership Air Force Special Operations Command, in each runner’s wake, you could hear with the AFSOC Air Warfare Center, now carries the 6th SOS guidon from Hurlburt Field to Duke Field, May 28, 2013. (USAF it silently bragging about a history of provides operations and maintenance photo by Dan Neely) aviation excellence that began at Kelley personnel to support the Aviation Foreign Field, Texas, on May 31, 1917. Internal Defense and Combat Aviation effort, which synergistically blends the The stand-up ceremony took place Advisor programs for AFSOC by flying experience and stability of our Air Force at Hangar 3020 on Saturday, Febrary 5, and maintaining the C-145A aircraft. Reserve Components with the flexibility 2000, during an annual training weekend The 919th SOW also conducts U-28 and and perseverance of our active duty force at Duke Field. We were already getting C-145A formal training unit instruction to ensure that the greatest Air Force in into the weekend mode. There were now through a classic association with the the world is ready at moment’s notice to approximately 300 active duty airmen AFSOAWC. On May 28th , 2013, the fly, flight and win, Any Time - Any Place. assigned to Duke Field. The 716th 6th SOS, which coincidently resided in Maintenance Squadron, joined with the the old 8th SOS squadron building at About the Author: Col (Ret) Ray Chapman 8th SOS, augmented the 300 full-time one time, ran its guidon to Duke Field to began his 32 year Air Force career as a Reservists and civilians and the 1,200 cement a new chapter in AFSOC’s ever combat controller at Pope AFB, NC and traditional Reservists that were already increasing reliance on our Reserve and spent over 22 years in Special Operations assigned to that so-called sleepy hollow National Guard SOF citizen-airmen. serving in command positions at the 8 SOS in Eglin’s northeast range. This was the Since its inception, the active and 353 SOG as well as staff positions at first time that all 14 Talon Is were united association concept has crept its way into SOCPAC, USSOCOM, and HQ AFSOC. He was under one wing on one base. Twenty the fabric of the USAF’s Total Force, the navigator on one of the three MC-130E months later, after the attacks on Sep and has been responsible for keeping aircraft that simultaneously dropped three 15,000lbs BLU-82 daisy cutter bombs on 11, 2001, the active association proved precious National Guard and Reserve Failaka Island during Desert Storm. Col its mettle and for the next five and a half bases that were targeted for cuts open in Chapman led multiple deployments to years as the 8th and 711th flew side-by- this resource constrained environment. southwest Asia and was instrumental in the side on a myriad of combat missions and By leveraging manpower and aircraft, success of the Air Force’s first ever active emerged as one of the most potent and the nation has benefited by this teaming association. www.aircommando.org Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 43 By Col Bruce Taylor, Lt Col Chris Stegner, and CMSgt Tyler Outten

In April 2003, US special operations In 1998, after years of sanctions and in air refueling (HAR) to a 10-ship, rotary- forces raided Saddam Hussein’s order to avoid further air strikes as part wing assault package consisting of four Tharthar palace north-west of Baghdad. of Operation Southern Watch, the Iraqis MH-47E, four MH-60L troop transports, According to the Associated Press, the finally allowed the UN inspectors into and two MH-60K gunships, carrying Tharthar compound was one of eight the palaces, but only when escorted and a full complement of Special Forces palaces that had been an obstacle to if the Iraqis were given advance warning. soldiers. United Nations inspectors hunting Iraqi As part of a joint special operations Both the route to the palace and the weapons of mass destruction (WMD) task force (JSOTF), our mission was HAR track were well inside the Iraqi’s during the years leading up to the 2nd to support the seizure of a suspected integrated air defense network. This area Gulf War. In 1998, the Iraqis had refused WMD site and major intelligence node at consisted of at least 10 known strategic to allow the UN weapons inspection Tharthar Palace, located about 56 miles and tactical surface-to-air missile (SAM) teams to visit Tharthar to search for northwest of Baghdad. This stronghold systems, including SA-2, SA-6, SA-8, chemical and biological weapons that was one of the top five targets for the and an unknown number of shoulder- had been banned after the 1991 Gulf War. JSOTF. We were to provide helicopter fired SAMS and anti-aircraft artillery

44 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org “MC-130E and MH-47 Evading the Missile” Accession number 2004.194 by Artist base in Ar’ar, Saudi Arabia, as a three- the four MH-47E helicopters transporting Jack Lutzow. Courtesy USAF Art Collection ship formation of Combat Talons. Once the ground assault teams. Refueling For more information visit www.afapo.hq.af.mil at Ar’ar, the lead Talon developed a the helicopters from heavy, fuel-laden significant fuel leak during ground Talons at low level was a challenge as we refueling and had to abort. Down one were not very maneuverable and we were aircraft and at minimum force (2-ship) to flying very near our minimum operating complete the mission, both Talons took airspeed. We only had a 3-5 knot margin on as much fuel as we could hold and above power-off stall speed. then launched. Just prior to our takeoff, As the formation was refueling a fighter sweep was sent through our the first helicopters, the copilot of the planned route of flight to seek out and lead Talon called out, “Missile launch, suppress any SAM and AAA sites. As we 3 o’clock.” With two MH-60s plugged launched from Ar’ar, we were warned of into lead’s hoses and refueling, they an active Spoon Rest target acquisition were restricted in their options. We also radar 10 miles from the palace. saw the bright flash and glowing ball CMSgt Outten, the flight engineer of the missile launch at our 2 o’clock on the lead Talon observed, “The plan position. The lead Talon and the MH-60 was to refuel the formation at 500’ AGL element were about a mile in front of our and drag them north and then east after element. Chief Outten recalls making a 90 degree turn north of the Euphrates a conscious decision to not discharge River. The conditions were typical for any flares for fear of damaging the low-level flying in the AOR that night, helicopters still connected to our hoses. with little to no lunar illumination and a The MH-60s, meanwhile, disconnected lot of suspended particulate matter at the from lead’s refueling hoses, initiated refueling altitude. Cultural lighting was evasive maneuvers, and lit up the sky sparse to the left of track and villages in with their countermeasure flares. Once the distance on the right provided some the helicopters were clear, but with the needed ambient lighting for our NVGs. refueling hoses still extended, the aircraft In the distance, the Euphrates was clearly commander of the lead Talon began a defined with lights.” straight-ahead descent at the maximum The 2-ship formation of Talons speed allowed with extended hoses— entered enemy airspace at low-level 130 kts. With his hoses coming back with good Talon weather: dark, dusty, into the pods and the Talon at extremely poor visibility, and hardly any lunar low level, the years of training and illumination. During our planning we preparation took over. Between blacked- had anticipated not being able to see out, low-level flying, de-conflicting with many lights from cultural built-up all the helicopters, and avoiding the areas. To our surprise, as each few miles Iraqi threats, the crew of the lead Talon would come into view, the incredible ensured they would survive to complete number of lights illuminating the banks the mission. of the Euphrates River and gave us a With the hoses finally in, Lead broke welcome, short snapshot of our location. right and descended across our flight (AAA) pieces. The volume and diversity Lt Col Chris Stegner, the navigator on path, coming extremely close to the of the threats, the Iraqi’s extensive radar the second Talon remembered being ground. The MH-60s also descended and coverage, and the resulting requirement “thankful for the low altitude, dark scattered into the night. Our Electronic to fly low-level made detection by the grey paint, and hazy night, knowing our Warfare Officer had not gotten any radar enemy likely. Because of the route, chances of survival given the perceived guidance indications, meaning the SAM package size, target, and threats, this number of inhabitants in the area, were had been either Infrared (IR) guided or mission earned a ‘High Risk’ rating greatly enhanced, outside a little window had been visually launched. The missile on our risk assessment analysis and of opportunity to detect us.” To those on missed Lead but the countermeasure thus required the JSOTF commander’s the ground, the only thing indicating our flares dispensed by the Talon caused our endorsement to execute. This was also the presence was the momentary sound of night vision goggles (NVGs) to ‘wash only mission where the Combat Talons 16,000 horses passing overhead in the out’ and we quickly lost sight of lead and would plan to pass inside the detection dark. all six MH-60s. We still had an MH-47 ring and lethal radius of an SA-2 SAM. We made an uneventful rendezvous on one of our hoses and together we We launched from Ali Al Salem with the helicopter assault force. Lead began a slow turn away from the SAM AB in Kuwait to a forward staging took the six MH-60s, while we refueled launch site.

www.aircommando.org Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 45 The six MH-60s were still close-by and somewhere in beak-to-beak with the lead Talon. front of us when the right loadmaster spotted another bright By now, the visibility had significantly deteriorated. The flash and a smoke trail approaching our aircraft from the3 navigators were able to pick up the first element of other Talon o’clock position. Two of the four MH-47s also detected that and the MH-60s, and quickly directed an abrupt climbing left missile launch and immediately dispensed flares and broke turn as we got a visual with the lead helicopter—we came away. Standard defensive tactics would have had us also pretty close. The navs then picked up our MH-47 package and launch flares, break away from the MH-47s, accelerate and we completed a second refueling with them. As soon as that descend, but this was impossible in our situation. Extending refueling was complete, both Talons left the helicopters, broke away from the Chinooks would have put us at grave risk of up our own formation, and followed separate egress routes hitting one of the MH-60s that were somewhere close by and to a high altitude tanker track in Saudi Arabian airspace. We in front of us. Additionally, breaking formation integrity with then rejoined, refueled with a KC-135 element, and loitered our element would have left the remaining MH-47s without to provide on-call helicopter air refueling for the formation fuel and there was no guarantee we could have rejoined with egressing from the objective area. them if our element scattered into the night. This would have We had spent weeks planning this mission with the jeopardized the mission, not to mention the assault teams and helicopter assault force. But, other than refueling the the helicopters. We also elected not to launch flares because we helicopters, very little went as planned. It was the teamwork still had an MH-47 refueling on the hose and were concerned of the seasoned Combat Talon crews and the extraordinary our flares could cause damage to that aircraft. capabilities of the MC-130E Combat Talon that helped SOF The other two MH-47s had ejected flares, so we were put ‘boots on the ground’ that night at Tharthar palace. forced to rely on their countermeasures to decoy any IR threats to our element. We made a slow descending turn and watched as the missile passed overhead. We regrouped with all the About the Authors: Col Bruce Taylor is the Deputy Commander, MH-47s and began searching for the six MH-60s and the lead Air Force Special Operations Air Warfare Center. He directs formal Talon. Meanwhile, lead had been engaged by a third missile and specialized training and education programs to produce combat-ready Air Commandos. Lt Col Chris Stegner is the Deputy launch from a probable shoulder-fired SAM. We were able Commander, 919 Operations Group, He is responsible for group to acquire the 6-ship of MH-60s on track and just in front of resources and execution of the training budget. CMSgt Tyler us, but had to maneuver further to avoid them. We were now Outten is the 919 Operations Group Superintendent. He advises leading the entire formation, with the MH-47 package in front the Commander on Operations Group enlisted affairs. of the MH-60s. We refueled the last two MH-47s just after crossing the Euphrates River, a major line of communication with villages and roads, and continued down track to top off PRECISION, SERVICE, LOYALTY, DISCIPLINE. the four MH-47s just prior to the end of the air refueling track. Meanwhile, lead was attempting to gather the MH-60s ADD HOSPITALITY northwest of the planned refueling track, in the Al Jazirah and you’d have the Emerald Coast Convention Center. desert. As we approached the end of our route, we realized that our MH-47 package had drifted off course and were several miles left of the planned route, also in the Al Jazirah desert. By listening to inter-plane communications, we knew the lead Talon and the 6-ship of MH-60s had formed up somewhere behind us. The significance of this mission and the fuel state of the helicopter package drove us to reverse course and set up for a head-on offset rejoin to make the final HAR, putting us

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Consistently ranked among the top-rated charities in the nation by Charity Navigator. CFC # 11455 www.specialops.org The Beginning School, Chanute AFB, Rantoul, Illinois. normal cruising speed of 104 mph. Range Hilliard Almond Wilbanks was After completing this schooling, he was was 530 miles. With no armament or born in Cornelia, Georgia, on July 26, stationed at Eielson AFB, Alaska. While ordnance, it carried four 2.75 inch white 1933. He was born in his parents’ home stationed there, Wilbanks qualified on phosphorous smoke rockets for marking on Maple Street. He had two younger F-86 Sabre Jets as a test pilot. He was ground targets. Pilots usually flew alone. brothers and a sister, the youngest of assigned as an aircraft maintenance Although issued flak vests, some pilots the four children. As a boy growing up officer. On October 15, 1961, he was placed them on their seats and sat on in Cornelia, Hilliard played piano for promoted to Captain. He received them; flying low and slow, small arms the small country Baptist Church his orders in May of 1962 for Nellis AFB, fire could easily penetrate the underside family attended, delivered newspapers, Nevada, to fill the billet as Flight Line of the aircraft. and played football on his high school’s Maintenance Officer on F-105 “Thunder team. Hilliard graduated from Cornelia Chief” fighter-bombers. Vietnam High School in 1950 at the age of 17, Hilliard and his wife started their FAC pilots flew reconnaissance enlisting in the United States Air Force. family with two children, a boy and a girl, missions each day to observe activity After basic training he was schooled during his first two duty assignments. On in specifically assigned areas, making in the Air Police career field. He spent March 30, 1966, Hilliard was scheduled to them experts on both usual and unusual most of the next four years assigned to leave for his next assignment, Southeast activity in these areas of responsibility. Strategic Air Command bases. Asia. A few days before leaving, he and If any changes occurred, the FAC In 1954 Hilliard was accepted into his wife were told their soon-to-arrive would immediately be aware of it and the Aviation Cadets program, Laredo next child would actually be twins. They report the findings up the chain. FACs AFB, Texas. He made his first solo were born two weeks after he deployed. were based with the Army units they flight in a Piper Cub on July 19, 1954, The twins were a boy and a girl. supported, and this streamlined a lot of and received his commission and wings Before deploying to Southeast Asia, the communications and relationships at graduation in June of 1955. He was a Capt Willbanks was sent to Hurlburt necessary to both provide Close Air distinguished graduate from class 55-P. Field, (Eglin AFB, Aux. Field #9) Support (CAS) to ground units in contact His first duty station as an officer was Florida. There he was trained to be a and put bombs accurately on marked Greenville AFB, Mississippi, where he Forward Air Controller (FAC), checking targets. They were the “eyes on the battle was assigned to the 3506th Pilot Training out in the smaller Cessna O-1 Bird Dog. field,” orbiting soldiers and maintaining Squadron as a T-33 instructor pilot. He The O-1E aircraft (Cessna 305C) radio contact to advise them of enemy met and later married Rosemary Arnold Wilbanks would be flying was a light- locations and movement. of Glen Allan, MS, in 1956. He was weight, high-wing, tail-wheel landing, Stationed at Nha Trang, South promoted to 1st Lieutenant on Dec 15, single-engine, two-seat aircraft. The Vietnam, Capt Wilbanks was assigned to 1956. engine was a Continental 0-470-11, 213 the 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron In February of 1959 he was hp flat (opposed) six cylinder machine. (TASS). The squadron reported to Lt reassigned to Maintenance Officer Maximum speed was 150 mph with Col Norman Mueller, the air liaison

48 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org officer (ALO) for the Central Highlands. three reconnaissance sorties during the routes. He flew ahead of the Rangers, Mueller was also a FAC and his group afternoon to assist in the search. By the staying in constant radio contact with was attached to the US Army advisory later part of the day he had not seen any Army Capt R.J. Wooten, the senior team with the South Vietnamese 23rd signs of the missing unit or enemy forces. American advisor. Arriving in the area, Division, Ban Me Thuot. This group In support of the search mission, Lt Col Wilbanks recognized several changes of FACs covered the southern half of Mueller and Army Maj Robert Snell flew in the landscape, most noticeably the II Corps, the largest military region in from Ban Me Thout in Mueller’s O-1 camouflaged emplacements among the South Vietnam, an area consisting of plane. They met Capt Westby over Bao tea bushes. approximately 10,000 square miles. Of Loc and took over the search mission, Realizing that the Ranger companies the 30 FACs assigned, only 12 were on giving Westby time to rest. They soon were approaching the ambush, he radioed station in February of 1967. Open slots switched planes, as Mueller’s had Capt Wooten to advise him of the danger were slow to be filled. developed radio problems. looming ahead. The enemy forces, Capt Wilbanks spent most of his time When Mueller and Snell flew over realizing Wilbanks had spotted them, in Vietnam stationed at Bao Loc, about Di Linh they saw the Rangers and their opened fire on the Rangers. The two 100 miles north of Saigon, and the site advisors approaching the tea plantation, companies were pinned down and the of South Vietnam’s military academy. but no signs of the enemy. There were forward positions took heavy casualties He had been the senior sector FAC. An two flights of F-4 Phantoms in an orbiting from 60 mm mortars, Czech 12.7 mm opening developed at Da Lat, higher in pattern overhead awaiting instructions, machine guns, .30 caliber machine guns, the mountains, during the eleventh month but they were now low on fuel and had and countless shoulder-fired weapons. of his twelve month tour in Vietnam. Wilbanks was reassigned to that location. The weather in that region was ideal for vegetable farming and growing tea bushes that were approximately five feet high. The Viet Cong routinely attacked the railway and road traffic in the area, as it was an infiltration point from the Ho Chi Minh Trail. On February 22, 1967, North Vietnamese soldiers of battalion strength (approximately 560 men) joined forces with local Viet Cong near Di Linh, approximately 15 miles away from Bao Loc. The following day they captured a large tea plantation and forced the owners and laborers to build ambush sites on surrounding hills overlooking Hilliard Wilbanks O-1E. (Photo courtesy of Wilbanks family) the road from Saigon to Da lat. The next day, February 24, a South Vietnamese to return to Cam Ranh Bay. Before Lt Col Mueller had been circling army company (approximately 180 men) leaving the area Mueller instructed them above Wilbanks, observing the ground stationed at Di Linh started its morning to expend their ordnance into a wooded movements. Within a few seconds his patrol of the area. They proceeded section of the plantation that seemed like plane became a target for enemy .50 directly into the ambush. Among those a possible hiding place for the enemy. caliber guns, with tracers streaming past killed were the officers and NCOs. The Two flights of fighters were en route to as he made evasive maneuvers flying remaining survivors were captured. No replace the departing Phantoms. from the danger zone. radio transmissions had been made to Capt Wilbanks brought in three report the situation. The area was cleared Wilbanks Joins the Search helicopter gunships to respond to of all signs of the battle, setting the stage Capt Wilbanks (call sign Walt 51) Mueller’s call for help. Wilbanks flew for another ambush. had already flown 487 combat missions into the center of the VC concentration About mid-day, having received by February 24, 1967. On that day he was and fired one white phosphorous smoke no communications from the unit, two flying in the area of Da Lat, when Lt Col rocket to mark the location of the enemy Ranger companies of the ARVN (Army- Mueller radioed him to request assistance forces for the Rangers and the gunships. Republic of Vietnam) and their US in the search mission. Since Wilbanks As the gunships approached the area, Ranger advisers from Boa Loc proceeded had previously flown over 400 missions enemy forces opened fire from the to the general area to search for the in the general area, he was familiar with surrounding hillsides. One helicopter missing soldiers. Capt Darrell Westby, the trails, jungles, streams, communities, was hit and lost its hydraulic system. The Wilbanks replacement at Bao Loc, flew plantations, daily activities, and travel pilot regained control and withdrew from www.aircommando.org Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 49 enemy’s attention while a medevac “Dustoff” helicopter successfully picked up the US Rangers and Wilbanks. Just as the gunships were running out of ammunition, fighter planes arrived and made attacks on the enemy into the night. Capt Hilliard A. Wilbanks died on February 24, 1967, while en route to the medical station at Bao Loc. His actions that day saved the lives of over 130 US and Vietnamese soldiers. He was returned to his family and funeral services were held on Friday, March 3, 1967, at Glen Allan Methodist Church, Glen Allan, Mississippi. Interment took place at the Fayette Methodist Cemetery, Fayette, Mississippi. He was 33 years old. He never saw his twin son and daughter.

Wilbanks’ O-1, shown here after the crash, was a total wreck. With its pilot mortally The Medal of Honor wounded and unable to exert control, the Bird Dog flew into the tea bushes and flipped On January 24, 1968, the Medal of on its back. (Photo courtesy of Wilbanks family) Honor was posthumously awarded to Hilliard Almond Wilbanks, Capt, US Air the area. Capt Wilbanks allowed the two rifle in one hand and the O-1’s controls Force, for his actions and sacrifice in the remaining gunships to escort the disabled in the other, Wilbanks made three low service of the United States of America. helicopter back to their base. After passes over the NVA positions, firing the The presentation was held in Washington flying only a few kilometers, Warrant assault rifle on full automatic from the D.C,. at the Pentagon. Rosemary Officer John Grow, Sr., the gunship side window. This act of bravery (the O-1 Wilbanks, his widow, received the Medal team leader, received another request for aircraft had no armament or mounted of Honor and its citation from Secretary assistancefrom Meuller. weapons) slowed the enemy advance of the Air Force Harold Brown and When the NVA realized the gunships and allowed the Rangers time to regroup Air Force Chief of Staff, General G.P. had left the area the enemy renewed his and to find safe cover. In later interviews, McConnell. With Mrs. Wilbanks were attack on the Rangers, who were now many of the Rangers stated they could their two oldest children, Tommy and alone in the fight, with no airpower to hear bullets impacting the plane. Paula, and Hilliard’s mother and father. cover them or attack enemy positions. After his third “gun run” on the Also attending were his two brothers, his The situation was disastrous. Vastly enemy positions, (1804 hours, 6:04 sister, and their spouses. In the audience outnumbered, the Ranger companies p.m.), Wilbanks seemed to lose control sat Col Norman Mueller, Hilliard’s were in dire need of help. That help of his aircraft. Flying erratically, the O-1 commanding officer, and many of the would present itself in the most unlikely crash-landed in the area between the eyewitnesses to his action alongside form. Rangers and the enemy, the propeller several of Capt Wilbanks’s comrades. Capt Hilliard Wilbanks, flying in still spinning, and quickly flipped onto The final sentence of the Medal of his O-1 Bird Dog, was fully aware of its back. Army Capt Gary F. Vote, Army Honor Citation reads: the situation. He knew the lead elements Capt Joseph Mucelli, and Army Sgt 1st “His unparalleled concern for his of the Ranger company were heavily Class Clifton Tanksley made their way to fellowman and his extraordinary heroism outnumbered and in danger of being the crash site and pulled the unconscious were in the highest traditions of the overrun. Wilbanks flew directly toward Wilbanks from the wreckage. They could military service, and have reflected great the enemy force and fired his remaining not, however, return to their defensive credit upon himself and the United States three white phosphorous smoke rockets position as they were quickly pinned by Air Force.” into their positions. Seeing this, Lt Col NVA fire. Mueller radioed him, informing him of During the time of the O-1 attack, Dedicated, Named in His Honor heavy ground fire in the area. Wilbanks Lt Col Mueller recalled the departing 1984- Reproduction of his Medal acknowledged the warning, but continued gunships, which returned accompanied of Honor portrait that is displayed in to press his attack. The NVA immediately by a Slick (unarmed helicopter). Heavy the Pentagon presented to the Town of responded. The only weapon on his plane enemy ground fire, however, prevented Cornelia, GA, by the US Air Force. was the M-16 rifle that Wilbanks carried them from rescuing Wilbanks and the American Legion Post 201 is the for protection if evading the enemy in Rangers. Mueller was able to fly his home of the North Georgia Chapter the event of being shot down. With the O-1 close to the area and to draw the 576, Military Order of the Purple Heart

50 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │Fall 2013 www.aircommando.org Hilliard A. Wilbanks Chapter, of the congressionally chartered Wilbanks, the Habersham County Board of Education voted group of “Combat Wounded Veterans”. unanimously to name their new school in Demorest, GA in his 2000- FAC Memorial dedicated at Hurlburt Field, in honor name. The dedication took place on Saturday, August 13, 2011. of the 219 FAC pilots KIA in Vietnam. Wilbanks is recognized The keynote speaker for the dedication was another Georgia by a bronze plaque on a pedestal near the O-1 Bird Dog display. native, Medal of Honor recipient, Col Joe M. Jackson, USAF 2001- 17th Air Support Operations Squadron Building, retired. Fort Benning, GA, dedicated in his honor. His widow was presented the Vietnamese Ranger Badge on behalf of the US Lesser Known Facts Ranger advisors. Hilliard Wilbanks had several uncles serving in the Army 2001- He was inducted into the Georgia Aviation Hall of while he was youngster. This had a solid influence on him and Fame, Warner Robins, GA. Lt Col Mueller was present and contributed to his interest in the armed forces. spoke at the banquet, sharing Wilbanks’ story. Both of his brothers served in the military, one in the Army, and the youngest a career Air Force member. While traveling to Alaska, he was interested in learning to ski. When he arrived there, he learned that another officer had broken a leg while skiing. Hilliard never attempted to ski, putting his pilot status ahead of all other activities. He liked to hunt and was an avid outdoorsman. While in Alaska he harvested a moose, and in Nevada he took a desert mountain sheep. Playing golf and bowling were also sport activities he liked, but bowling was his favorite as it easily fit into his schedule. His nickname (from his Air Force friends) was “Willie”. He loved to fly. The tail number his O-1 Bird Dog was 515078. In addition to the Medal of Honor, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, Air Medal with 19 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Air Force Commendation Medal. He also received the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Silver Star, along with nine other unit and citation medals. In 2012, the first 4-year ($1,000 per year) Hilliard A. Wilbanks Foundation Scholarship was awarded to Dylan Haynes, AFJROTC senior at Habersham Central High School. Haynes is currently attending North Georgia College and State University. In 2013, The Hilliard A. Wilbanks Foundation awarded two scholarships to: AFJROTC Cadet Alex Ezuka, Habersham Central High School, attending North Georgia College; Cadet Skyler Toney, Riverside Military Academy, who is attending Virginia Military Institute. The Hilliard A. Wilbanks Middle School has several areas Hilliard Wilbanks (Photo courtesy of Wilbanks family) dedicated to his memory. A display case in the atrium, given by his Aviation Cadet Class 55-P, holds his medals, including 2001, July 29- Habersham County, GA, Community erected the Medal of Honor, along with many of his personal items. a six-foot-tall, two sided, black granite memorial marker on A half-scale model of the O-1 Bird Dog is suspended from the the grounds of the Cornelia Community House honoring the atrium’s ceiling. county’s only Medal of Honor recipient. 2003- USAF Pilot Training Class 55-P (his class) sponsored Sources of information for this article: a granite bench with his name at the National Museum of the The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Mt. Pleasant, SC US Air Force, Dayton, Ohio. The Hilliard A. Wilbanks Foundation, Cornelia, GA, a non- 2008- Joseph Habersham Chapter, Sons of the American profit, 501(c)3, public charity, established to honor the life Revolution, started an annual remembrance for Capt Wilbanks. of Capt Hilliard A. Wilbanks, USAF, by providing college 2011- The Hilliard A. Wilbanks Foundation was established scholarships to high school seniors and promoting the heritage to honor his life, to perpetuate his legacy of courage, sacrifice, of the Medal of Honor in schools and colleges. and patriotism, and to promote the advancement of higher Mrs. Hilliard A. Wilbanks education though scholarships. Mrs. Patricia DeWitt, sister of Capt Wilbanks 2011- To honor the memory and actions of Hilliard A. Mr. Alan DeWitt, brother-in-law of Capt Wilbanks www.aircommando.org Fall 2013 │ AIR COMMANDO JOURNAL │ 51 MC-130E Combat Talons roll down the taxiway at Duke Field April 15 for their final sorties before retirement. (USAF photo/TSgt. Samuel King Jr.)