71st SOS Ferry Crew Assignments and Aircraft Delivery Route

By November 1968, 71st SOS flight crews had progressed through the 4413th Combat Crew Training Squadron's program at Lockbourne AFB and were considered ready for the combat theater. On 27 Nov 1968, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul H. Nitze approved the deployment of the 71st SOS to South Vietnam. The AC-119G aircraft were being rotated through the Fairchild-Hiller Facility at St. Augustine, FL in preparation for the ferry missions to South Vietnam. The most significant modification was the removal of the four minigun pods and mounts, and the installation of a 500 gallon auxiliary fuel tank.

Ferry crew members had been selected and assigned, and the first two ferry crews departed Lockbourne AFB, OH on 4 Dec 1968 for St. Augustine, FL. A ferry route was established that would require about 72 flight hours, approximately 9,800 air miles, and eleven stops. Following aircraft pick up at the Fairchild-Hiller Facility at St. Augustine, FL, most crews made the following overnight(or longer) stops for rest, fuel, aircraft maintenance, and weather delays.

 England AFB, Alexandria, LA

 March AFB, Riverside, CA

 McClellan AFB, Sacramento, CA

 McChord AFB, Tacoma, WA

 Elmendorf AFB, Ankorage, AK

 Naval Air Station, Adak Island

 Midway Island

 Wake Island

 Andersen AFB, Guam

 Clark AB, Luzon Island, PI

 Nha Trang AB, South Vietnam

 
Crew #2
Crew #3
Crew #4
 Pilot  Knie, Richard E. (LtCol)  Shinnick, Lawrence (LtCol)  Sobieski, Thomas J. (LtCol)
 Copilot  Peterson, Tommy C. (Maj.)  Miller, Loman E. (LtCol)  Pollock, George W. (Maj)
 Navigator  Scott, William R. (Capt.)  Nichols, Spencer L. (Maj)  Rice, Jerome J. (Maj)
 Flight Engineer  Andreen, Albert (SSgt)  Strubbe, John W. (SSgt)  Thomas, Byron K. (TSgt)
 Crew Chief  Wiedenhaupt, Wm A. (Sgt)  Wall, Earl W. (SSgt)  Bauer, Thomas W. (Sgt)
 Departure Date  24 Jan 1969  29 Jan 1969  22 Jan 1969
 Arrival Date  27 Feb 1969  2 Mar 1969  18 Feb 1969
 Aircraft No.  53-3170  52-5892  53-3205

 
Crew #5
Crew #6
Crew #8
 Pilot  Morgan, Jack (Maj)  Blake, Charles E. (Maj)  Rupe, Roxy R. (Maj)
 Copilot  Ray, Maurice E. (Maj)  Callaghan, Wm S. (Capt)  Rudkin, Richard E. (Capt)
 Navigator  Wood, Thomas W. (Capt)  Walters, Ronald J. (Capt)  Schmucker, Franz (Maj)
 Flight Engineer  Byler, Buddy R. (MSgt)  Turner, Michael P. (SSgt)  McDaniel, Earl (SSgt)
 Crew Chief  Miller, Donald J. (A1c)  Dobbs, Charles J. (SSgt)  Cross, Ronald (Sgt)
 Departure Date  29 Jan 1969  13 Jan 1969  4 Dec 1968
 Arrival Date  2 Mar 1969  13 Feb 1969  26 Jan 1969
 Aircraft No.  53-7848  52-5938  53-7852

 
Crew #9
Crew #11
Crew #15
 Pilot  McPherson, Ben R. (Maj)  Morris, William H. (Maj)  Lewis, John W. (LtCol)
 Copilot  Evens, Marvin A. (Capt)  Dague, Joseph W. (Maj)  Tucker, Edmon G. (Maj)
 Navigator  Kiely, Michael R. (Capt)  Withun, William (Capt)  Jones, Kyle (Maj)
 Flight Engineer  Eddington, Ron N. (SSgt)  McNeeley, Wm V. (SSgt)  Westendorf, Bernie (SSgt)
 Crew Chief  Burks, John M. (SSgt)  Price, Sidney W. (Sgt)  Antle, David A. (Sgt)
 Departure Date  6 Dec 1968  13 Jan 1969  5 Dec 1968
 Arrival Date  30 Dec 1968  27 Feb 1969  25 Jan 1969
 Aircraft No.  53-3178  53-7851  53-3192

 
Crew #16
Crew #17
Crew #18
 Pilot  Long, William E. (LtCol)  Horak, Donald R. (Maj)  Sherrill, Clyde (Maj)
 Copilot  Harrell, Ralph V. (Maj)  O'Brien, William R. (Maj)  Mangin, Howard (Capt)
 Navigator  Cox, Vaiden Q. (Maj)  Martin, John L. (Capt)  Feather, Byron D. (Maj)
 Flight Engineer  Hupp, Richard L. (SSgt)  Young, Henry J. (SSgt)  Loveless, Herb (SSgt)
 Crew Chief  Finkel, Robert R. (Sgt)  Alvis, James R. (Sgt)  Hinton, Warren (Sgt)
 Departure Date  18 Dec 1968  6 Jan 1969  5 Dec 1968
 Arrival Date  8 Jan 1969  22 Jan 1969  27 Dec 1968
 Aircraft No.  52-5927  52-5925  53-3189

 
Crew #19
Crew #20
Crew #21
 Pilot  Scott, Earl W. (LtCol)  Zumhingst, Herbert (Maj)  Reid, Norman D. (Maj)
 Copilot  Johnson, Warren L. (LtCol)  Tippy, Gene R. (Maj)  Hoehn, Vernon L. (Maj)
 Navigator  Beaty, Robert N. (Maj)  Derscavage, Joseph (Maj)  Halsey, Jack L. (Maj)
 Flight Engineer  Stickles, Owen D. (MSgt)  Penrose, Ronald D. (SSgt)  Olmstead, Paul L. (SSgt)
 Crew Chief  Garrett, Archie (SSgt)  Farmer, David (Sgt)  Gaddie, Thomas (SSgt)
 Departure Date  29 Dec 1968  6 Dec 1968  18 Dec 1968
 Arrival Date  12 Jan 1969  27 Dec 1968  11 Jan 1969
 Aircraft No.  53-8155  53-8069  52-5907

 
Crew #22
Crew #23
Crew #24
 Pilot  Morgan, Richard E. (Maj)  Campbell, Burl G. (LtCol)  Conley, Robert L. (LtCol)
 Copilot  Casey, William R. (Capt)  Horrell, Wm L. (LtCol)  Rhodes, Richard (Maj)
 Navigator  Woolard, Wm H. (LtCol)  Crawford, Harold R. (Maj)  Ubinger, Wm (Maj)
 Flight Engineer  Riley, Squire (SSgt)  Wheeler, Ronald E. (MSgt)  Hobbs, Lloyd I. (TSgt)
 Crew Chief  Goen, Paul T. (SSgt)  Lawson, Roy L. (Sgt)  Evans, Wm E. (SSgt)
 Departure Date  26 Dec 1968  10 Dec 1968  10 Dec 1968
 Arrival Date  20 Jan 1969  30 Dec 1968   21 Jan 1969
 Aircraft No.  52-5942  53-5905  53-3136

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