The new Flying Tiger airline had its own military role; carrying cargo and troops back and forth to the war in Vietnam. These men and their flight crew perished in what would become one of the biggest aviation. For military personnel, it was a deeply emotional journey in both directions. (1953-1958), Constellation Gen. -- The Lockheed Super H Constellation, airlifting 43,000 pounds of freight at 300 miles per hour over a 2,500-miles range, helped Flying Tigers revolutionize the marketing map of the United States with the first nonstop, transcontinental airfreight schedules. Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 went missing on March 16, 1962, with 93 U.S. Army soldiers on board. She learned then that the Flying Tiger Line, also known as Flying Tigers, specialized in troop transports. However, radio operators in Guam were unable to contact the flight at this time. In the Vietnam airlift, Flying Tigers provided strategic flights from the US to numerous military bases throughout the Pacific and Southeast Asia geographic region. I extended in Vietnam so that I could get out early. 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. After I got wounded and my things taken from me in triage, I never saw that slip of paper again. I know there were bad times but your article brought back memories I forgot I had. 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. The flights depart at 7:35 (SIN time), 13:10 (SIN time) and 15:15 (SIN time). 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. . MAAG THAILAND . Touching essay. Top Rated Seller. . Sixty years later, theres still little trace that the lives of the servicemembers were even lost to the Vietnam War. Their service to our military was so much more than just being a flight attendant on their way over or coming home. Her reporting has taken her from an international airport terminal under construction to foot patrols with U.S. Marines outside combat outposts in Iraq and Afghanistan. We all knew that some going would not make it back alive. For the government not to recognize them is heartbreaking, she said. 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. The team had completed its assigned mission and was waiting to . The part Ill always remember is the wonderful round eyes that tolerated us nervous troops as we headed for the unknown going both over to Vietnam and returning to the US. CAT was an airline formed in China after World War II by Gen. Claire Chennault, leader of the Flying Tigers and Whiting Willauer of CDS. 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. 60 Years Missing: The Mystery Of Flying Tiger Line Flight 739, marked the first day of the Vietnam War Campaign, USAF Shot Down 3 Unidentified Objects That Posed Threat To Civilian Aircraft, U.S. Military Collecting Debris From Downed Spy Balloon. The pilot is believed to have misjudged distance and altitude while making the final approach, a report would later conclude. 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. meets a very pale blue, With four Rolls Royce engines that developed 5,700 horsepower, it cruised at 375 miles per hour, carrying up to 60,000 pounds of cargo over a range of 3,000 miles. The soldiers onboard were flying there not to fight, but to help train South Vietnamese forces. The airline industry is always full of new developments! Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 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. 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. Shamu the whale took a first ride on Flying Tigers. En route to Saigon, the flight was set to make several refueling stops. I remember how kind and understanding these ladies were to we soldiers going to a war zone. 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. It began on Christmas Day, 1950, with Operation STEM, America's Special Technical & Economic Mission, the cover for . I sat looking out the window the whole flight home, never said a word. Now going to the USA which I had forgotten about. She very quickly wrote down something and gave it to me. Its a way to look back, said one woman planning to attend, Ann Price Montgomery, who joined Flying Tigers in 1968. Flying Tiger was my airline of choice. Thank you so much angels. THe girls (attendants) were great cant saw much for the people of California . Indeed, having begun in November 1955, it wouldn't come to an end until almost two decades later, in April 1975. The Stewardess came back after about 10-15 minutes and asked me Do you mind if I ask you a personal question? I told her No, not really.. No lights on the plane in the dark. He wouldnt believe me until I showed him the slip of paper. It brought back a lot of memories. Each of the awesome giants flies more than 200,000 pounds of cargo at 575 miles per hour over a 3,500-mile range. Carrying 32,000 pounds of cargo at 275 miles per hour with a 2,000 mile range, the DC-6A carried more, cheaper and faster than any other aircraft flying at the time. Not certain but I believe Delta may have been one exception. Tiger Air Flights To Vietnam Tiger Air is one of the few low-cost airlines currently operating in Vietnam. 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. Travel the world, the ad said. A total of 141 lives were lost on board the four aircraft and three lives were lost of people on the ground. (1957 - 1967), Flying Tigers acquired the first turbine-powered air-freighter placed in service when it purchased a $55-million fleet of Canadair CL-44s in 1961. Email:jason.fagone@sfchronicle.comTwitter:@jfagone, Link to the actual article: https://bit.ly/2PbitdY. 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. And there were parties every single day and every single night, Foster remembered. Today. 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. Marine leaving from Da Nang Jan 31, 1971 to Okinawa Japan, 3 days later back to the World by way of Alaska to Nortin AFB. Another theory is that they landed and that theyre still alive. There was no indication in this message or in any other of difficulties, ICAO said. This allowed for more extensive geographic capability and cargo capacity. All four were Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellations. As in Korea, these flights carried both cargo as well as military personnel and their dependents. Not only told to leave, but not to come back. On Wednesday morning in Sacramento, as many as 30 former flight attendants for the airline are reuniting to honor servicemen killed in the war. The Flying Tiger Line lost four airplanes to crashes with fatalities in 1962. Opens in a new window or tab. 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. The jet went faster, higher, finally the landing gear came up into the plane. I flew over on Continental..We had a flight attendant come to one of our VVA Chapter meeting and tell us about her time. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The flight attendant standing at the top said see you in a year, Ill be wearing the same dress. JW, beautiful poem. $375.00. Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 went missing on March 16, 1962, with 93 U.S. Army soldiers on board. English. I know the feelings, having done the flights in 68 & 70. I flew over to Vietnam out of Travis October 3, 1970 on Airlift International. 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. In March 1962, one such personnel-carrying flight went missing en route to Vietnam. Know now that I was stunned , medical shock, at suddenly the war down below, behind me , was gone. He graduated high school and he could have gone to work in the woods, or he could have joined the military, Kirk, his niece, told FLYING. We were eventually invited to leave the club and told to not come back Welcome Home from the USAF in Kadena. The flight attendants, although very young themselves, couldnt believe how young the troops were just 17 and 18 in some cases. Flying Tigers on Airline History JP Airline Fleets 87/88 . 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. When I went back in 1970 out of McCord it was on World Airlines. I remember one of the attendants wishing my a HAPPY BIRTHDAY. 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. McCord was doing maintenance on the runway. $375.00. This article is an important read. Click on Links for More information About Each Plane. Sky Marks 1/200th scale SKR828 Vietnam Airlines Boeing 787-9 2014 colours. Antique Airlines Vietnam Flying Tiger Vintage Pin Gold Tone Enamel Metal. . To this day, I send emails to friends who are Vets, and the young people in the airports who are recognizable by their uniforms and sincerely Thank them for thier Service. (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. Pre-Owned. Flying Tigers continued to fly military troops and cargo into Vietnam during the war years. The flight went missing while en route to Vietnam. The flight had originated at Travis AFB, Ca. Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon Detected Over the U.S. DARPA Narrows Down Liberty Lifter Design Competition, USAF Awards Electra $85M Contract for eSTOL Aircraft, Navy Awards Textron Aviation $113M Contract for Multiengine Trainers, AOPA Names Regional Flight School, Instructor Award Winners, Biden Makes Unprecedented Surprise Trip To Ukraine, NTSB Launches Investigation Into 777s Sudden Loss of Altitude. 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. Top 50 best listed companies in Vietnam. The picture below shows a full plane of troops heading to Vietnam on a Flying Tiger Flight. If you've . No one was home, but a neighbor walked up to the car. Originating at Travis Air Force Base, California, the Military Transport was scheduled for fueling stops at Honolulu, Wake Island, Guam, Clark AFB and was to terminate in Saigon. or Best Offer. 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. Although the fledgling Flying Tiger Line was in a precarious financial situation during its early years, it enjoyed extraordinary growth throughout most of the 60's, and eventually emerged as the industry's foremost all-cargo carrier. As Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Flying Tiger Line the world's largest all-cargo airline, I had the direct responsibility for our operations in South Vietnam. 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. Their names have been excluded from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., a wrong their families are trying to right. Gotoff the jet and was greated by relatives. There were also 11 crew members onboard, giving a total occupancy of 107 people. Owing to the complex geopolitical circumstances of the mid to late 20th century, it was also involved in military charters, flying both cargo and troops to conflict zones. While Flight 739s final destination was known, the reason behind the secret mission of those on board still remains a mystery to their families. . With only six thousand employees around the world, the Flying Tiger Line carried cargo and people to all corners of the planet. Afraid that at any moment a rocket or mortor could could take the jet down. Those ladies had a very important part in the war and they are to be commended for their service. All reports of debris sighted were investigated, but nothing was found that could be remotely associated with the plane, Lambert wrote to Sargents parents in a letter more than a month later. Fosters opposition to the war only intensified; she attended anti-war meetings and demonstrations on her days off. I stopped a stewardess to inquire if they had any other reading material on board. She laughed. All reactions: 38 11 comments 4 shares Like Comment +C $19.78 shipping estimate. Its ultimate destination was the Vietnamese city of Saigon, to which it was transporting 96 soldiers. Great article .. enjoyed it more than my flight to Vietnam,but, what a wonderful sight when I walked out to the plane to return home. C $142.86. Shared with Public Cleaning up today and found this binder. On the paper were words that Donald Sargents motherKirks grandmotherfound too incomprehensible to believe. they developed an air delivery system that has become the standard by almost 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. Crossing the international date line was my experience in time travel. 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. {Photo: Ruth As]. https://open.spotify.com/show/5Th7BCpIKDE1hVTqNL3u0Q. Sponsored. From Singapore, there are three daily direct flights that arrive in Ho Chi Minh City. Freedom Bird. Opens in a new window or tab. The next stop was Saigon where we left off troops. 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. (LogOut/ All rights reserved. Flying around the world over the North and South Poles, the Pole Cat set eight speed and distance records. SOLD!!! Thanks for the ride! Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 went missing on March 16, 1962, with 93 U.S. Army soldiers on board. 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. A true airfreighted with a unique swing-tail design, the CL-44 permitted the straight-in loading of freight no other plane could carry. Here we are, 60 years later, Kevin Woodward, remembrance coordinator at Wreaths Across America, said Wednesday during the ceremony. Thank you and God Bless you all!!!! . The company said it needed flight attendants. In 1962, the Vietnam War was far from over. Wish I still knew a few of these darlings. The aircraft was transporting 93 U.S. soldiers and three South Vietnamese from Travis Air Force Base, California to Saigon, Vietnam. I came back on a USAF flight as I was in a 1-1/2 hip spika cast they called it. The plane very quiet, Flying Tiger Line flight 739 was a multi-leg charter service that originated at Travis Air Force Base in the US state of California. I remember we had trouble on departure from Travis and then landed at Hickham and had to spend the night awaiting a replacement aircraft. Outstanding article! During the Vietnam years the Flying Tiger Line also worked overtime for the US Postal Service. Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 was a Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation propliner chartered by the United States military that disappeared on March 16, 1962, over the Western Pacific Ocean. Patch , 45th TRANSPORTATION Company FLYING TIGER AIRLINES Vietnam War Patch , s4 | Collectibles, Militaria, Militaria (Date Unknown) | eBay! 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. By this time the airline's personnel had gained such expertise in shipping challenging pieces of freight that the attitude in the industry was, "if Tigers can't move it, nobody can." I only wish that I could stand before these wonderful ladies. I would have been on Flying Tigers returning to the states. Breen went from being gung ho about the war to suspecting the government was lying and thinking the war was a mistake. What I do remember is that the plane had a very unpleasant odor and the food was cold. Out of rocket range. 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. After the aircraft failed to arrive at Clark Air Base in the Philippines, the flight was declared as having gone missing on the morning of March 16th, 1962. 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.. My The big, glamorous airline back then was Pan Am. The cabbie just handed out this yellow paper and drove off, Kirk said. 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. For the Vietnam generation of U.S. military veterans, this phrase meant only one thing; the aircraft that brought them home at the end of their tours. I have always appreciated the kindness that was shown by the stewardesses on our trip home, if only the rest could have been as kind! The airliners were not just used to bring the soldiers home, but to fly them into the war zone as well. 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