Thats funny. He tried to grab it but I told him If she had wanted him to have it she would have given it to him. With that I went back to reading. War touches more people than the veterans who fought in it. There was no indication in this message or in any other of difficulties, ICAO said. Breen went from being gung ho about the war to suspecting the government was lying and thinking the war was a mistake. Family members, like Kirk, continue to lobby for adding the soldiers names to the Vietnam Memorial, and this past summer, a bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate that would pave the way for their inclusion. Thanks for the wonderful article. And there were parties every single day and every single night, Foster remembered. from United States Departed Bien Hoa (21 Apr 69)) on Flying Tiger (Stretch 8) with fuel stop in Japan. The year 1962, however, would be a particularly bad year for the airline started by former military pilots. Email:jason.fagone@sfchronicle.comTwitter:@jfagone, Link to the actual article: https://bit.ly/2PbitdY. Wonderful article and I went to Vietnam on Flying Tiger Airlines in 1966. Sometimes, when the wheels pulled up on takeoff, the whole plane would burst out in yells and clapping. I went to Nam not on a Flying Tiger plane, and made it back home in one piece with no PTSD, only a parasite from the veggies. Add to Cart. It flew at 200 miles per hour, carried 13,000 pounds of cargo and had a range of 900 miles. Thanks so much to all the people that participated in this adventure and thanks for helping us all get there and back. From 1945 to 1989 Flying Tigers management, mechanics, office staff, flight attendants, pilots and crew members worked together to build an airline that became a legend. No lights on the plane in the dark. Breen wanted to travel and supported the war she believed then that it was about fighting communism and after she saw a Flying Tigers want ad in The Chronicle, she soon found herself in flight attendant school, wearing the Tigers uniform of a grayish-blue skirt suit with black pumps and white gloves. I made that trip also in Jan,1967. Never again! Change). Each of the awesome giants flies more than 200,000 pounds of cargo at 575 miles per hour over a 3,500-mile range. Not Flying Tigers but nevertheless an unforgettable flight. Today. Flugzeugfotos und Luftfahrtfotos - Fotos ansehen, suchen oder hochladen! SOLD!!! The captain and crew of the S.S. T. L. Lenzen, a Standard Oil Company tanker, reported that at around 1:30 a.m. (1530 GMT) on the morning of March 16, they saw what looked to be a midair explosion near the position and at the time that had been estimated by the aircrafts pilot. The Army did pay out life insurance for Donald, but it was only $264. 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. 60 Years Missing: The Mystery Of Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 In the opening days of the Vietnam War, an aircraft carrying 107 people went missing as it was en route to Saigon on a secret. What I do remember is that the plane had a very unpleasant odor and the food was cold. After all the things i remember about my viet nam year , i never remembered about the flight to or from . The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) charter flight was operating under Flying Tiger Line Flight 739, and was headed to Saigon, leapfrogging across the South Pacific by way of Honolulu, Wake Island, and Guam. Top Rated Seller Top Rated Seller. 2023 CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website. 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. The search for Flight 739 sparked one of the largest searches recorded at the time, covering more than 200,000 square miles. We were goin up and up , the war down below, falling away now far behind us. Was I really in a real war??? Tiger Air Flights To Vietnam Tiger Air is one of the few low-cost airlines currently operating in Vietnam. The. I flew over to Vietnam out of Travis October 3, 1970 on Airlift International. Air sorties searching for clues racked up more than 3,417 flying hours. return home flight in July 69 was on a Flying Tigers stretch-8. The flight went missing while en route to Vietnam. Late 1940s PAA Pan American Airways 5 Years of Service Lapel Pin in 10K Gold by Balfour Item: airpi30006b-CON. These men and their flight crew perished in what would become one of the biggest aviation mysteries out of the Vietnam War era. 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. Some say it was sabotage, she said. I wouldnt trade the experience for a million dollars, stated Julie Kane, a flight attendant for Seaboard World Airlines. I went over in February 1970. According to the Aviation Safety Network, it first flew in 1957, and had amassed a total of 17,224 hours. The aircraft was transporting 93 U.S. soldiers and three South Vietnamese from Travis Air Force Base, California to Saigon, Vietnam. The decent angle brought the entire plane to silence while they considered the reason for that radical decent. I have no comment for this person, He/she is beyond help. The Flying Tigers were reactivated as the Marine Corps' second CH-53A squadron and re-designated Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361 at New River North Carolina as part of Marine Aircraft Group 26, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing. Wonderful memories. And this aricle brought back many memories, both sad & scared, and delighted and full of joy! or Best Offer. It broke my heart the way they were treated a few years later, especially knowing I had been in attendance on their flight into a war zone, and wondered how they had faired in the return to the USA. I remember well my Flying Tiger trips. High over the Pacific, Available to pre-order at Flying Tigers. In 1969, during the Vietnam War, a 21-year-old Seattle woman saw a job ad for a California cargo airline called the Flying Tiger Line that had a large presence in San Francisco. In transit to Viet Nam via Alaska, Japan and Okinawa. Arrived Travis in daylight and was struck by the absence of bomb craters from my aerial view. Reach further with Vietnam Airlines flights, a Skyteam member and a global leading 4-Star Skytrax and awarded airline. I flew over on Continental..We had a flight attendant come to one of our VVA Chapter meeting and tell us about her time. All deals. Prices and availability are subject to change. If I remember correctly I went over on Continental and came back on United. 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. In the 1980's, the B747-200F series was introduced to the fleet. The women working the cabin on those flights were still known as stewardesses, not flight attendants, and they walked like fashion models down the aisles. Photo: Unsolved Disappearance: The Story Of Flying Tiger Line Flight 739, USAF/Mike Andriacco via Wikimedia Commons, The Asiana-Korean Air Merger Has Been Green Lighted By The UK, Up Close & Personal: Lufthansa's New Double First Class Suite, Why Ryanair Isn't Following Wizz Air To The Wider Middle East & Asia, Quadjet Prospects: Switzerland's Edelweiss Set To Receive Another Airbus A340, Engine Failure Onboard Thai Smile Airbus A320 Followed By Tail Strike, Japan Airlines Serves A Banana As Vegan Meal. This was a great story. They were recruited to fly for the Republic of China with the quiet approval of the United States government. The pilot is believed to have misjudged distance and altitude while making the final approach, a report would later conclude. If you've . And yes, we had a flight load of pucker factor and apprehension. Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 Flying Media. It was important to stay upbeat, to act like every one of the men was coming home. 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. I was USAF and made that stop in Alaska. Those ladies had a very important part in the war and they are to be commended for their service. That was not us, recalled Andee Reingold Wright, a San Francisco native who was 21 when she started with Flying Tigers in 1967. (1974 -1989) After 1989 Mr Narita 806 in Polar Colors HISTORY Free shipping for many products! The search by sea and air was of such an intensity and thoroughness that it can be conclusively stated that debris and survivors from the plane did not exist Consequently, after a full review and consideration of all available evidence, it has been concluded that for an unknown reason the plane plunged into the sea with all its passengers.. It was a move that would make FedEx the worlds largest, full-service cargo airline. 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 went and returned on a Flying Tiger plane and remember very well the sensitive and kind treatment from the stewardesses both directions. Pre 1965 - MAAG GUTS AIRLINE - Vietnam - CIA - Z.017. On the paper were words that Donald Sargents motherKirks grandmotherfound too incomprehensible to believe. The food on the airplane had to be thrown away because there was no refrigeration on the aircraft for over 48 hours. From 1979 to 1980 the Flying Tiger Line passed Pan Am to become the world's number one air cargo carrier. Afraid that at any moment a rocket or mortor could could take the jet down. On Wednesday morning in Sacramento, as many as 30 former flight attendants for the airline are reuniting to honor servicemen killed in the war. 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. The airline had its humble beginnings in Long Beach California with the Budd Conestoga, but by 1969 had upgraded its propeller-driven, piston engine fleet to one consisting entirely of jet freighters. It began on Christmas Day, 1950, with Operation STEM, America's Special Technical & Economic Mission, the cover for . God bless you all! 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. I think it is great! With only six thousand employees around the world, the Flying Tiger Line carried cargo and people to all corners of the planet. Despite her personal beliefs, Foster reasoned that nobody needed better care than men heading to a war or coming back from one, and she decided to sign on. 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. A true airfreighted with a unique swing-tail design, the CL-44 permitted the straight-in loading of freight no other plane could carry. I recall the flight I took into Vietnam and even more than the flight I took home. 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. Her sentiments are echoed by Judy Meyer, who flew for United Air Lines, It was some of the best flying I ever did. Although these women were an integral part of the Vietnam War experience, their contributions are largely unknown outside of the veteran community. They saw so much in those soldiers eyes and dealt with some truly emotional issues. I went back and was thumbing through all of the books there trying to find something that would keep me preoccupied from thinking about Viet Nam. or Best Offer. In 1962, the Vietnam War was far from over. In January 1953 Flying Tiger intended to lease a 049 from Intercontinental . $18.00. I was a different person. Thank you ladies, as a veteran of several tours in the Nam, I always remembered those who catered to us as we flew to and from the zone and their efforts to help us feel comfortable as possible. Six decades later, and the families of those onboard Flight 739 still dont know what happened. I was lucky enough to have regular contact with the flight crews as they came and went in and out of Tan San Nhut AB . and flew to Portland ,Oregon. In the hours after the Constellations takeoff from Guam, witnesses on a ship offered potential clues. Mr. Fagones article is very touching and reminds us that many more people than just we former service men and women are veterans of the Vietnam War. What Was It Like To Hump The Boonies in Vietnam? (1974 -1989). A very vulnerable feeling with out a weapon. Very interesting. Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 went missing on March 16, 1962, with 93 U.S. Army soldiers on board. When I went over in 66, it was courtesy of the USAF on a C-141no flight attendants there, just jump seats and the infantry TOE and basic load down the center of the aircraft. On board the Constellation were 11 crew members and 96 passengers, 93 of whom were U.S. Army soldiers specialized in electronics, communications, and sharpshooting. Margi Falk. Crossing the international date line was my experience in time travel. The men were superstitious that the plane would crash it would be just their luck to die in a dumb accident on the verge of getting home. At 8:22 a.m. on March 16the time when FTL 739s fuel would have officially run outthe flight was declared lost. Flying Tiger Line was ramping up operations in Vietnam, too, and it's believed maintenance standards dropped as a result of increased demand. Real Aviation Photos & Videos; Upload New File; Discussion. Their service to our military was so much more than just being a flight attendant on their way over or coming home. In 1969, during the Vietnam War, a 21-year-old Seattle woman saw a job ad for a California cargo airline called the Flying Tiger Line that had a large presence in San Francisco. I was one of those Men that you brought back to the World. She very quickly wrote down something and gave it to me. 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. C $52.00. Flying Tigers Line Flight 739, a Lockheed L-1049H, was chartered by the United States military. With this plane's nose-loading capabilities, Flying Tigers accommodated even more challenging air freight combinations in size, shape and quantity. But nothing could have prepared her for what it was like to be a flight attendant at Flying Tigers during the golden era of aviation a job so fabulous and exciting on the one hand and emotionally brutal on the other that it transformed the lives of hundreds of young women like her who were hired during the war, forcing them to confront the realities of Vietnam in ways they never expected, and bonding them to each other for decades to come. Thank you Jason for a story well told. That year, Flying Tiger Line lost four aircraft in incidents, the bulk of which while operating charters for the U.S. military. During the Vietnam years the Flying Tiger Line also worked overtime for the US Postal Service. No one was home, but a neighbor walked up to the car. (LogOut/ When we got ready to land at Bien Hoa airbase the pilot said there would be a slight delay because they were shelling the airfield. . As a grunt and a company commander from the 1st ID, who had left a few week old daughter and now was headed home to see her and the rest of the finally, I didnt cry but I damn sure slept well on that plane for the first time in 18 months. Thank you so much angels. Read about what they talk about at their reunions. 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. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for FLYING TIGER AIRLINES - Patch - MAAG - 45th Transport - Early Vietnam War, #.561 at the best online prices at eBay! For military personnel, it was a deeply emotional journey in both directions. Pre-Owned. I have just relived a very important part of my young life, thru these articles and the loving responses. Sweet Jesus, I was back in the USA ; These laddies were tops, in my book. Why Were Vietnam War Vets Treated Poorly When TheyReturned? The airliners were not just used to bring the soldiers home, but to fly them into the war zone as well. The picture below shows a full plane of troops heading to Vietnam on a Flying Tiger Flight. Thank you! Landed in Saigon. Thank You For Your Service, and It was my honor to help make your trip a little better. View Product. All rights reserved. Available now to pre-order at Flying Tigers. Thank you ladies. 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