Anecdotes about Combat Crews and Operations at Takhli RTAFB 1965-1966

I've started to go through the B-66 accident papers from my long stored files. Looking at WB-66Ds 55-398 (Shaw), 55-400 (Lajes) and RB-66C, 54-455 (Norton AFB). In a way, maybe it's not a good idea to ressurect sone of these:

1. WB-66D, 55-398, Shaw AFB (1957). This was a "Murphy Day.". Pilot Gene Fridley was ready to taxi-out. Nose landing gear safety pit was pulled by crew chief. It was about this time that it was noted that the landing gear handle light was inoperative. Engines were shut down and a electrician called to replace the bulb. This was done, but in the process of changing the light bulb, the gear handle was left in the "down" position and the nose landing gear safety pin had not been reinstalled.
When one of the engines was restarted, the nose landing gear retracted.Somethings are better left unsaid.

2. WB-66D, 55-400, Lajes AB, Azores (July 1959). Pilot Willard Mattison and
Crew of 55-400 was returning to Lajes AB after completing a routine weather reconnaissance mission. Upon landing, pilot noted loss of directional control (Nose wheel steering inoperative) and aircraft went off runway to the left , toolkout a runway "footage" sign and ran up a bank. The ECM tail cone was torn off and both wings were badly damaged. The aircaft was declared Class 26 and "parted and scrapped" at Lajes.

Captain Earl Johns and I investigated this Major Accident. It was found that the engine 5 GPM hydraulic pump, which supplies fluid/pressure to the Nose Wheel Steering System, had a cracked housing which allowed the total loss of hydraulic fluid from that system.

3. RB-66C, 54-455, Norton AFB, CA (1 August 1959). Pilot, Jimmy Byram.
During landing at Norton AFB, the left MLG retracted. The pilot jettisoned the escape hatches and , by some "1 in a 1,000,000 chance, the pilot's hatch hit the LH engine pylon and penetrated the pylon on end like a "playing card." I have the picture of this one, as well as pictures od 55-398 and 55-400.

If I remember correctly, any damage over 100 M/Hrs was considered an accident vs incident. So far in 1959, the 363rd TRW (Gen Ford) had four (4) B-66 major accidents (16th TRS mid-air,455-00 at Lajes and Jim Jung at San Antonio). It was not a good Flight Safety year. In order to get 55-455 repaired, I had a repair team from Douglas-Long Beach go to Norton and repair the aircraft. It was subsequently functionally test flown and returned to Shaw AFB. It was not classified an accident, since repairs were under 100 M/Hrs. Right.

Frank Bloomcamp, John Luhr and this Tech Rep investigated the Jim Jung accident in the Bandera Hills north of Kelly AFB. The Navigator was McCasslin (not sure about spelling - from 43 yr memory.) Gunners name unknown. I have the pictures on this one also. Enough of this for now.

Postscript by Ned Colburn

Polly, do you remember a collision on the runway at Shaw in 1961 when Charlie Dodd and I believe Jesse Kendler started a formation take-off roll with 2 WB-66D aircraft?

I believe the Anti-Skid or Nose Wheel Steering failed on Kendler's aircraft and it veered into the side of Dodd's aircraft with enough sideways force that it collapsed the main landing gear on Dodd's aircraft.

Charlie Dodd walked into 9 TRS Operations with a grin and some comment about "Having just had a sinking feeling on the active runway". Tom Larimer was Dodd's navigator at the time.

The Back-End Crew egressed out the top hatch -- and had to wait awhile to retrieve their luggage from the aft electronics compartment due to temporary inaccessability.

The accident involving the two (2) WB-66Ds in 1961 happened while I was on a trip to Douglas-Long Beach. I remember that the accident was attributed to a nose wheel steering failure on Kendler's aircraft. Probably the 5 GPM hydraulic pump failed (Mattison, 55-400, Lajes AB 1959) or the nose wheel steering system itself failed. I don't remember the exact details.

I think it's a blessing to have a short memory. We probably remember too much for other peoples good (sometimes).
Kendler was a great guy. Regards, Cliff

"The EC-47 History Site" preserves the history of the EC-47 (‘electric goon’) missions flown in Vietnam and Southeast Asia mid-1966 to the last mission flown on May 15th, 1974. The EC-47's mission was "...day/night, all weather ARDF (Airborne Radio Direction Finding) operations against low-powered enemy operated tranmitters in the RVN, and other permissive areas of Southeast Asia in support of requirements established by COMUSMACV and the Commander, 7AF."

I thought your heart may be touched by reading "May I Salute You?" as was mine so I added a copy of it below. It brought a tear to my eyes and I'm sure many of you will be affected the same way. When I read the last paragraph in "May I Salute You?" (it starts with "The truth is, there are heroes in disguise everywhere. I used to wonder ...") it dawned on me that perhaps the real value and benefit of being part of our group (at least to me) is that finally, after 30+ years, I know someone cares,,, and I have a group of friends to share the memories with who understand what they are all about,,, and I finally feel that what I did while at Takhli (EB-66 Senior Electronic Warfare Officer - with 100 combat missions over North Vietnam) mattered and perhaps counted for something.

"I approached the entrance to Ft Belvoir's medical facility last year as an old veteran puttered towards me. Easily over 80 years old, stooped and slow, I barely gave him a second glance because right behind him, on his heels, was a full bird colonel. As they approached, I rendered a sharp salute and barked, "Good morning, Sir!" Because they were heel to toe, I began my salute as the old veteran was about two paces from me. He immediately came to life! Transformed by my greeting, he rose to his full height, returned my salute with pride, and exclaimed, "Good morning captain!"

I was startled, but the full bird behind him was flabbergasted. The colonel stopped mid-salute, smiled at me and quietly moved on. As I entered the clinic, the utter beauty of the encounter preoccupied me. What prompted the old man to assume that I was saluting him? Perhaps he just thought, "It's about time!" After all, doesn't a WWII vet outrank us all?

I turned my attention to the waiting room taking a moment to survey the veterans there. Service people rushed around, loudspeakers blared, the bell for the prescription window kept ringing. It was a whir of activity and the older veterans sat quietly on the outside seemingly out of step, patiently waiting to be seen.

My old friend stayed on my mind. I began to pay attention to the military's attitude towards its veterans. Predominately, I witnessed indifference: Impatient soldiers and airmen plowing over little old ladies at the commissary; I noticed my own agitation as an older couple cornered me at the Officer's Club and began reminiscing about their tour in Germany.

To our disgrace, I have also witnessed disdain: At Ramstein AB terminal, an airman was condescending and borderline cruel with a deaf veteran flying Space A; An ancient woman wearing a WACS button was shoved aside by a cadet at the Women's Memorial dedication in D.C; A member of the Color Guard turned away in disgust from a drunk Vietnam vet trying to talk to him before the Veterans Day Ceremony at the Vietnam Wall.

Have you been to a ceremony at the Wall lately? How about a Veteran's Day Parade in a small town? The crowds are growing faint. Why do we expect the general public to care if we don't? We are getting comfortable again. Not many of us around have been forced to consider making the ultimate sacrifice. Roughly 60% of today's active duty Air Force did not even participate in Desert Storm.

I always lament about the public's disregard for the military. I do not count all the days I stayed in bed instead of going to a ceremony or parade. It was my day to be honored and I deserved to sleep in. It's just like a 28-year-old, whose weapon was "Microsoft PowerPoint Slide Presentation" during the last conflict, to complain about recognition.

Sometimes I wonder who is going to come to our parades in 20 years; will anybody look me up in the Women's Memorial Registry? The answer lies in the present. We will be honored as we honor those who have gone before us. The next generation is watching. It is not my intention to minimize the selfless service of our modern military; my comrades are the greatest people I know (and frankly should be treated better).

But, lately I'm wondering if the public's attitude towards the military isn't just a reflection of the active duty military's attitude towards its own veterans. It's time to ask - do we regard them, do we consider them at all? How does our attitude change when the hero is no longer wearing a uniform?

I was proud to wear my uniform. Can I admit that I thought I was cool? There is no denying that there is something about our profession, combined with youth, that feeds the ego a little. We have all seen a young pilot strut into the Officer's Club with his flight suit on. He matters; he takes on the room; he knows he can take on the world.

But, one day he will leave his jet for a desk, and eventually he will have to hang up that flight suit. A super hero hanging up his cape. How will we measure his value then? He will no longer look like a pilot, an officer, a colonel. He'll just look like an old man coming out of the clinic with his prescription.

But, is he less of a hero? Will anybody remember or care about all the months he spent away from his newborn daughter while making peace a possibility in the Balkans? Probably not. Our society has a short memory. Maybe it is not for the protected to understand. Rather, it is my hope that when a young lieutenant walks by him they will each see themselves reflected in the other - one's future, the other's past. In that moment, perhaps, the lieutenant will also see the hero, now disguised as an old man, and thank him.

The truth is, there are heroes in disguise everywhere. I used to wonder why people would want to chat with me when I was in uniform-telling me about their four years as a radio operator in Korea. So what? I wasn't impressed relative to my own experiences. Now I understand that they were telling me because nobody else cared. Proud of their service, no matter how limited, and still in love with our country, they were trying to stay connected.

Their stories were code for: "I understand and appreciate you, can you appreciate me?" The answer is, yes. I separated from the Air Force in February. I'm out of the club. Still, I want you to know that I'll attend the parades, visit the memorials, and honor you. All this while my kids and your kids are watching. Then, maybe, someday when I'm an old woman riding the metro, a young airman will take a moment of her time to listen to one of my war stories.

I, in turn, will soak in her beauty and strength, and remember. Today as I reflect on my adventures in the Air Force, I'm thinking of that ancient warrior I collided with at Ft Belvoir. I'm wondering where he is, if he's still alive, if it's too late to thank him. I want to start a campaign in his honor - Salute A Veteran. What a great world this would be if all our elderly veterans wore recognition pins, and we would salute them even if we were out of uniform and saw them coming out of a Seven Eleven.

Yes, this started out as a misunderstanding on my part. But, now I get it. That day was the first time in my life that I really understood what it meant to salute someone.

Dear Veteran, I recognize and hail you! I do understand what I have and what you have given to make it possible. So I'm wondering if we meet on the street again-may I salute you?"