(LogOut/ Ninety-three of these were enlisted with the US Army, with the remaining three being from South Vietnam. Despite the approved conditions, the Constellation came down more than 300 feet short of the runway, tearing off the landing gear and sending the aircraft skittering across the runway for about 2,000 feet. My tours were 67 to 68 and 68 to 69, My second tour i was stationed in Saigon , my unit had a small crew break room where the transit crews rested between flights. Thank you! But the flight attendants realized that many were understandably scared. That flight SUCKED., but at least I got out of that chit hole. Here we are, 60 years later, Kevin Woodward, remembrance coordinator at Wreaths Across America, said Wednesday during the ceremony. I do remember the door opening and it was like a blast furnace! I remember the Tiger flights and their wonderful crews. Adding their names to the Vietnam wall alongside their 58,318 brothers and sisters who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War is a fitting tribute to these men and a reminder to all of us that our freedom is oftentimes secured by men and women who serve in silence, said Joe Reagan, director of military and veteran outreach for Wreaths Across America. I salute you all ladies!! However, these were not military aircraft, but commercial airliners under contract by the U.S. Air Force Military Airlift Command (MAC) and served by civilian crews and flight attendants. I know there were bad times but your article brought back memories I forgot I had. She then asked me Why of all the Corpsmen/servicemen on this plane was I the only one that didnt ask for her address and telephone number? I told her that (1. They recalled that a vapor trail, or some phenomenon resembling one, was first observed overhead and slightly to the north of the tanker and moving in an east to west direction, the ICAO report said. Knowing the outcome of the war - and how the US Congress of that era abandoned the people of Cambodia and South Vietnam - helps take the sting away, if only a little. I was so wrapped up in my own personal trauma that I thought they were being so nice because they were paid to, not because they wanted to. I do not dwell on the negatives of that war , but there will always be a part of those of us that served in Vietnam that we would prefer to live without. Top Rated Seller Top Rated Seller. And welcome home. . Answer (1 of 28): There is a guy who claimed that when he landed at Bien Hoa Airbase in May of 1970 that they came under rocket an mortar fire, and that two of his comrades were wounded. ATDB.aero shows that it spent most of its career at Flying Tiger Line, but did also serve Lufthansa on a leased basis. Not Flying Tigers but nevertheless an unforgettable flight. C $142.86. this a definitive journey Kimberly is managing editor of FLYING digital. Three Vietnam service members were also among the passengers. December 31st, 1968 at the age of 20 we flew from Travis AFB to Anchorage Alaska. Margi has been a Member of the Flying Tigers Club Board of Directors, and served as Club Secretary since May 2007. Top Rated Plus. Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retains the 707 fuselage width and six abreast seating with two underwing turbofans. (1966-1969), The Douglas DC-8-63F was a new breed of aircraft that had a far reaching effect on the continuing growth for the airfreight industry. Flying may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. The Secretary of the Army has asked me to express his deep regret that your son Specialist Donald A Sargent was a passenger aboard a chartered aircraft that was reported missing while in flight over the Pacific Ocean on 15 March 1962, the telegram read. The estimated duration of its westbound flight to the Philippines was reportedly around eight hours, although the aircraft had enough fuel onboard to fly for another hour on top of that. Eventually, in 1988, FedEx bought the airlines parent company, absorbing its routes and bringing the rough-and-tumble era of cargo aviation to a close. Read about what they talk about at their reunions. I remember the flights to and from, but what really sticks in my mind was the blast of hot, humid air that swept through the plane when they opened the doors. The first two of these saw delays due to engine maintenance having to be carried out. Its a way to look back, said one woman planning to attend, Ann Price Montgomery, who joined Flying Tigers in 1968. I was a Flying Tiger Flight Attendant for 5 years, and those many experiences flying into Tan Son Nhut. These men and their flight crew perished in what would become one of the biggest aviation. Despite its modest size, Vietnam attracts tourists from all over the world with plenty to offer: expansive paddy fields, white-sand beaches, modern cities, hundred-year-old temples, limestone islands rising dramatically from under the ocean, magnificent natural caves, and minority communities with fascinating cultural traits. Circa 1968-1972 Vietnam War CASI Continental Air Services Inc Shirt Type 1st Officer Wing RARE Item: aircw60001sw. Capable of lifting 7,000 pounds over a version of the famed DC-3. Dont remember who flew me over my second trip in Dec. 71. Not one of us said a word. Their service to our military was so much more than just being a flight attendant on their way over or coming home. Sign up | Sign in. An aspect of nowhere, These laddies were tops, in my book. He was pulled back in on a special mission, handpicked by [President] John F. Kennedy, Kirk said. What Was It Like To Hump The Boonies in Vietnam? In transit to Viet Nam via Alaska, Japan and Okinawa. This is what I wrote when I had set up my home page on geocities which is now archived: The airline initially launched with 14 Navy surplus Budd RB Conestoga cargo aircraft. With Tigers, they said, OK, make sure your hair isnt longer than your shoulders, and get on the plane.. With the DC-8, Flying Tigers was able to inaugurate daily international schedules on routes linking the major markets of the U.S. and Asia. I remember the silence upon arrival and cheering when wheels went up leaving. This was a great story. When you went to school for Pan Am, they showed you how to do your makeup and your hair. Reply 29th Aug 2010, 11:32 or Best Offer. Freedom Bird. A group of ex-AVG and CNAC pilots, some still flying in China, took advantage of this opportunity, and on June 25, 1945 started an airfreight company that in less than two years would formally adopt the name the Flying Tiger Line. From there the plane, often a stretch DC-8, would fly west to Anchorage, then to Japan, then to the Philippines or Vietnam, dropping the troops off at military bases. Looking back, I owe them my deep thanks for doing their job so splendidly despite the emotional roller-coaster they must have been on. A keen amateur photographer, he also recently reached the milestone of flying his 100th sector as a passenger. I didnt use Flying Tigers going to and from my two tours in Vietnam, but I DID fly with them in 1963 going home from a two-year stint in Korea. . (1946-1951), C-46 Gen. -- The Curtis C-46 "Commando" that Flying Tigers flew on supply missions over the Hump during World War II came home for civilian duty, joining Flying Tigers' fleet in 1949. Theyre being pushed aside to be forgotten, Kirk said. Really hurt thinking about that after I was out in the field for a couple of weeks on c-rations. Im still trying to figure out how to coordinate one of our own with one of theirs. As Flying Tiger Line flight attendant Andee Wright recalled, There was no special training by the airlines or the military about how to handle it. Welcome Home with many thank you for all your support of the Vietnam veterans!! Daniel Dattpla IIFFV Original Party. Very nice ,brings back feeling that are mostly good ones.Thank you ladies.I flew into DANANG twice the 2nd fight was with the Flying Tigars and a year later they flew me back to the states. Wonderful memories. $375.00. (1947 -- 1957), The acquisition of seven DC-6s represented the largest single purchase the airline industry had ever seen. Notable among the Tigers' achievements were their participation in both the Korean and Vietnam airlifts. I recall the flight I took into Vietnam and even more than the flight I took home. A Lockheed Constellation L-1049, similar to the aircraft that disappeared. . That was not us, recalled Andee Reingold Wright, a San Francisco native who was 21 when she started with Flying Tigers in 1967. /stilI could not talk or say a word, still stunned that in one day went from war to out of Army and nowback in the house at home. Flight 739/14), from Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, California, to Saigon, Republic of Vietnam, with scheduled refueling stops at Honolulu, Hawaii; Wake Island; Naval Air Station Agana, Guam; and Clark Air Force Base, Luzon, As Captain Dwight Small, a pilot for Flying Tiger Line, recalls, It was pretty hairy, especially in the early days. from United States. I went to Vietnam on a ship so we had 21 days to prepare our minds unlike the guys traveling by plane that had only a few hours to prepare! I remember we had trouble on departure from Travis and then landed at Hickham and had to spend the night awaiting a replacement aircraft. I have just relived a very important part of my young life, thru these articles and the loving responses. Ninety-three of these were enlisted with the US Army, with the remaining three being from South Vietnam. We were goin up and up , the war down below, falling away now far behind us. The flight had originated at Travis AFB, Ca. After I got wounded and my things taken from me in triage, I never saw that slip of paper again. As their deaths did not occur in the Vietnam combat zone, their names were . It was her name, address and telephone number with the instructions that if it didnt work out between me and my fiance after I came back to give her a call because she saw something in me that she had been looking for. Flying Tigers Line Flight 739, a Lockheed L-1049H, was chartered by the United States military. I just stood there in my bedroom looking out the window for a very long time,saying to myself Did that really happen??? In one of the seats was Army Specialist Donald Sargent, who had joined the Army and became a Ranger as a way to escape a life of near certain poverty in his hometown of Cornish, Maine. Prices were available within the past 7 days and start at $363 for one-way flights and $690 for round trip, for the period specified. $35.00. In this decade the company developed an extensive global network, directly servicing all continents except for Africa, which was served through interlining. Click on Links for More information About Each Plane. There are two main mo She has more than 20 years reporting experience, much of it covering aviation and defense issues. Indeed, having begun in November 1955, it wouldn't come to an end until almost two decades later, in April 1975. Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 went missing on March 16, 1962, with 93 U.S. Army soldiers on board. Great Read, I was a 26 year old man when I went to that war, I remember not sleeping on the flying tiger flight back home, and the stewardess, sat and talked to me as everyone else was sleeping, I thought the stewardess was a nice person that was concerned about my not sleeping and ask why. Flying Tigers continued to fly military troops and cargo into Vietnam during the war years. Real Aviation Photos & Videos; Upload New File; Discussion. Great article; Thanks. Departed Bien Hoa (21 Apr 69)) on Flying Tiger (Stretch 8) with fuel stop in Japan. Tiger Air Flights To Vietnam Tiger Air is one of the few low-cost airlines currently operating in Vietnam. Great article with great info, I remember in 1968 when I went. It brought back a lot of memories. Available to pre-order at Flying Tigers. This Is Your Captain by Reyne OShaughnessy, Flying Tiger Memories by Guy Van Herbruggen & Charles Kennedy, Tiger 747 by Guy Van Herbruggen/Charles Kennedy, DC-8 & The Flying Tiger Line by Guy Van Herbruggen & Charles Kennedy. Flying Tiger Line 747-200 In April of '75, with the collapse of the South Vietnamese government, Flying Tigers evacuated its own personnel and other refugees from Saigon. Thank you and God Bless you all!!!! (it was the only one on the tarmac) Leaving Bien Hoa at 9:00 P.M on June 25th 1969 and arriving in Oakland CA on June 25th at 9:30 P.M. AU $157.06. No one was home, but a neighbor walked up to the car. Carrying 50% more cargo than the DC-4 and carrying it 70 miles per hour faster, the company's gross revenues quickly reached the $25-million mark in 1953. Opens in a new window or tab. The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Renton Factory in Washington. The "Flying Tigers" (formally known as the American Volunteer Group or AVG) were famous for being in the fight very early in World War II. When a positive story about the Vietnam experience shows up it helps the healing that many of us need. Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests. But my goal in life is that they will not be forgotten.. I was Infantry so I knew I had reason to be worried, but these ladies put us all at ease, as much as was possible .. one of the truly great memories Im thankful to have .. We went out to the airstripvery early in the morning in a vehicle. She laughed. The flight attendants learned not to wake them, knowing the men might leap up with a start, imagining they were still back in the war. Almost all US scheduled and charter carriers with appropriate equipment operated to Vietnam. March 15, 1962, marked the first day of the Vietnam War Campaign, according to U.S. Army historians. The women say its what helped them keep their sanity, a support network that allowed them to face the heartbreak of the job as the true cost of the war emerged. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War? Sixty years later, theres still little trace that the lives of the servicemembers were even lost to the Vietnam War. Sellers with highest buyer ratings; However, despite an eight-day search covering hundreds of thousands of square miles of the Pacific Ocean, no trace of the aircraft or its 107 occupants could ever be found. The plane very quiet, It wasnt my style to go asking every woman that I met to get her address and telephone number, besides I had more important things on my mind. Thank you for taking care of us. Flying Tiger Line flight 739 was a multi-leg charter service that originated at Travis Air Force Base in the US state of California. These flights were also a powerful and moving experience for a generation of young women who served aboard these aircraft as flight attendants. During a ceremony at the California Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the women, many now in their 70s, will also mark the disappearance of Flying Tigers Flight 739, which vanished over the Pacific in 1962 along with 107 passengers and crew, including four flight attendants. On December 22nd, 1968, a man-eating tiger stalked an American team - part of the 3rd Marine Recon Battalion performing a patrol near Quang Tri, Vietnam. . Jason Fagone is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. between heaven and hell. In the hours after the Constellations takeoff from Guam, witnesses on a ship offered potential clues. The driver honked his horn but didnt get out. These were to take place in Honolulu, Wake Island, Guam, and the Philippines (Clark Air Base). Theres nothing, no trace of anything, said Jennifer Kirk, niece of an Army Ranger who was on board Flight 739. I would have been on Flying Tigers returning to the states. Last year, Wreaths Across America founder Morrill Worcester erected a monument at the site bearing the names of those lost on the flight, creating the only memorial to the incident in existence. More on this later). Sources: ATDB.aero, Aviation Safety Network, The Free Lance-Star. With only six thousand employees around the world, the Flying Tiger Line carried cargo and people to all corners of the planet. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is an American long-haul, mid-size widebody, twin-engine jet airliner made by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. (1974 -1989) After 1989 Mr Narita 806 in Polar Colors HISTORY We finally got off the ground several hours later but out over the Pacific, the aircraft had mechanical problems again that diverted us to Kadena AFB in Okinawa where we were on the ground for over 48 hours waiting for parts and repair crew to be flown in from mainland Japan. He settled into a niche with the "Flying Tiger Line", an airline started by pilots that gained fame by trouncing superior, in number, forces of Japanese warplanes. FLYING TIGER AIRLINES TIGER MEN & THEIR MACHINES CIRCA 1968 ADVERTISING. My birthday is January 1st. Its ultimate destination was the Vietnamese city of Saigon, to which it was transporting 96 soldiers. These men and their flight crew perished in what would become one of the biggest aviation mysteries out of the Vietnam War era. Phnom Penh, against a background of advancing NVA troops in Vietnam, it describes the relations among the crew and their motivation and features a pet cockroach named Hiram and a 'mother' to the crew aged 13. That sounded good to Linda Greenwalt Foster, who had just dropped out of college and was looking for an adventure. Several of these commercial flights left daily from military air bases on the west coast, ferrying newly trained soldiers across the Pacific Ocean to war - replacements not only for those injured and killed soldiers, but also for those young men who survived their twelve month war and were now going home. . Prices and availability are subject to change. ! No lights on the plane in the dark. I too was older at 25 and remember them well. Check out our flying tigers airlines selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. The airline industry is always full of new developments! 2023 CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website. Many flight attendants struggled at first to contain their own emotions. All deals. This Is Your Captain by Reyne OShaughnessy, Flying Tiger Memories by Guy Van Herbruggen & Charles Kennedy, Tiger 747 by Guy Van Herbruggen/Charles Kennedy, DC-8 & The Flying Tiger Line by Guy Van Herbruggen & Charles Kennedy. May 23, 2016 by Flight 12 - Flying Tigers DC-8 Incident in Bien Hoa Vietnam Dan was kind enough to share a fascinating story from the Vietnam war involving a Flying Tigers DC-8. After just under two hours on the ground, The Free Lance-Star reported that the flight departed Guam just before 21:00. Having climbed to a cruising altitude of 18,000 feet, the aircraft reported its position as being 1340N 1400E just under an hour and a half into the flight. Thank you ladies, Im one of those boys. They were cordial but standoffish. We of course did not get his and flew on to Bangkok where we transferred to a military aircraft and flew down to U-T a B-52 base. View Product. Thats incomprehensible. The picture below shows a full plane of troops heading to Vietnam on a Flying Tiger Flight. Until now, I mostly ignored the efforts of these people (especially the attendants they saw, heard & felt all of it). The company said it needed flight attendants. Feb.3-8, 1968. The former stewardesses of Tiger Airlines still reminisce about their experiences with those brave soldiers, coming and going to Vietnam a long time ago. We were there to take care of our passengers, Foster said, and have the best time we could. As it turned out, they excelled at both. English. (Pinterest) 15 March 1962: Flying Tiger Line Flight 7815/13 was a chartered flight for the Military Air Transport Service (M.A.T.S. But some homeward-bound passengers were belligerent, unpredictable. Nearly two hours into the flight, the pilot radioed Guam with the aircrafts position, notifying air traffic control that it was on track to land in the Philippines shortly after 3 a.m. . Flying Tigers was a mechanism of the war she opposed. 302/3 Kim Ma Street, Ngoc Khanh Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Vietnam. On Wednesday, families of those lost on Flight 739 gathered in Columbia Falls, Maine, for a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the loss of Tiger Flight 739. C-47-Flying Tiger relied heavily on the Douglas C-47, the cargo version of the famed DC-3. In 1962, the Vietnam War was far from over. Very good article. $27.95. This presumed death toll made it the worst accident involving the Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation. Remember the pungent fish smell and heat as we deplaned. From 1979 to 1980 the Flying Tiger Line passed Pan Am to become the world's number one air cargo carrier. The training had little to do with hospitality, focusing instead on emergency procedures, like how to ditch a plane after a crash or what to do if the plane drew gunfire. While it may not hold the same weight to some as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, it will forever be a special place to remember their loved ones service and sacrifice., The inscription on the monument reads: Missing in action; Presumed dead. We crossed over the international dateline and it became the 2nd of January. She very quickly wrote down something and gave it to me. MAAG THAILAND . God bless you all! In March 1962, one such personnel-carrying flight went missing en route to Vietnam. It hooked up with the Pentagon to carry troops during the Korean War, and by the mid-1960s the airline was flying tens of thousands of soldiers into Vietnam at a time before the U.S. public was paying much attention to the conflict unfolding there. By 1949, the Flying Tiger Line had won approval for the first commercial all-cargo route in the U.S., according to an organization devoted to its history. His 93 U.S. military passengers, three South Vietnamese soldiers and the 11 civilian crew members aboard Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 disappeared on their way from Guam to the Philippines.. Arrived Travis in daylight and was struck by the absence of bomb craters from my aerial view. The cabbie just handed out this yellow paper and drove off, Kirk said. meets a very pale blue, Top 50 best listed companies in Vietnam. You have my deepest sympathy during this trying time. It was signed by Maj. Gen. J.C. Lambert, The Adjutant General of the U.S. Army. From Singapore, there are three daily direct flights that arrive in Ho Chi Minh City. I flew on Trans Carribiean twice from Travis and experienced the feelings described in the piece. I for one of many of us flew Tiger Airlines going and coming. Very interesting. The aircraft was transporting 93 U.S. soldiers and three South Vietnamese from Travis Air Force Base, California to Saigon, Vietnam. They cant be forgotten.. Wheels up lots of cheering and hope. Not a good way to start the year! As I was sitting down one of my friends who considered himself a ladies man, smarted off to me Oh, you struck out too, didnt you? I told him that I had not asked for her address that she gave it to me. The jet went faster, higher, finally the landing gear came up into the plane. Perhaps, I dont remember them because they were doing such a great job of quietly supporting each of us, letting us deal with our personal feelings in our own way. Operated primarily on transpacific military contract routes, the planes carried 73,000 pounds of freight at 550 miles per hour over a 3,000 range. If you've . During the last minutes of each flight, the women remember, the cabin would become eerily quiet. Flying Tigers Airlines 24k Cocktail Glass Vtg 1980s VHTF NOS Norma Jean Wright . It was a time when the U.S. was quietly increasing its presence in Vietnam, sending advisers and equipment, such as those on Flight 739, to bolster the government of the Republic of Vietnam against the VietCong insurgency. And after the fall of Saigon in 1975, when the war ended, they remained connected. Another theory is that they landed and that theyre still alive. Nothing about lithium batteries in here, but tigers did fly about every type of ammunition and explosives back in the day and it never caused an accident. These ladies were great listeners and very supportive. Its variants seat 242 to 335 passengers in typical three-class seating configurations. $18.00. Pre-Owned. The six man recon team was on an observation mission near Fire Support Base Alpine, about six miles east of the Laotian Border. C $52.00. Great article, spot on! Was I really in a real war??? In January 1953 Flying Tiger intended to lease a 049 from Intercontinental . I flew over to Vietnam out of Travis October 3, 1970 on Airlift International. +C $19.78 shipping estimate. The first of the "stretched" airfreights, it carried a payload of 110,000 pounds at 550 miles per hour over a 3,000 mile range. thanks for the ride over and putting up with some of us. Flying Tiger Line Country United States of America Operator Image Crash of a Douglas DC-8-63AF off Naha: 4 killed Date & Time: Jul 27, 1970 at 1136 LT Type of aircraft: Douglas DC-8 Operator: Registration: N785FT Flight Phase: Landing (descent or approach) Flight Type: Cargo Survivors: No Site: Lake, Sea, Ocean, River Schedule: All the ladies on all the flights were outstanding, especially the ones on the flight home that handled some of the rude guys in isle seats. Quickview. Shared with Public Cleaning up today and found this binder. Later that day, in a small town pegged to a secondary road in southern Maine near the New Hampshire state line, a cab pulled up in front of the Sargent home. 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