While John did not leave a lot of information, he did say he was a Pilot with the 362nd Tactical Electronics Warfare Squadron at Pleiku and NKP in 1969.

Email Address: johnhpilot (at) aol.com

Postal Address:

Bob says, Somehow I've just re-discovered that the EC-47s had an association. I ran into you at an FTVA reunion in San Antonio a few years back and bought (and read with great interest) your book, but somehow never joined your association I guess. I just finished completing and submitting the membership form.

I was a wirebender in the 94th at Tan Son Nhut from Jul 67 through Jul 68 (I was on CQ the night TET started - only time I ever did anything other than take msgs when I was on CQ).

We've recently organized an Airborne Maintenance Technician Association for all current and previous airborne techs from USAFSS and it's successor commands. This obviously includes all the back end maintenance troops from the 94th and it's Dets in country.

I would like to know if there is some way you could mention us in your web site for all interested ex-airborne USAFFSS maint. troops. We are in the process of establishing a web site, which should be on-line in the next couple weeks. In the mean time anyone interested in finding out more about our assoc. can contact me. Your help in getting the word out to all ex-USAFSS airbrone maint. trooops (all previous 94th and Dets) would be greatly appreciated.

Email Address: milleb (at) gat.com

Postal Address:

Russell was a Morse Intercept Operator with Det. 2, 6994th Security Squadron at Pleiku in 1969/70.

I flew 77 combat support missions. I roomed with Ed Limpus of Shelbyville, Indiana. Lee Nelson (Fat Albert) of Kernersville, North Carolina, was a close friend.

Email Address: r.belljr(at)mchsi.com

Postal Address: 3705 Evergreen Lane, Columbia, MO 65205

Phone: (573) 474-6535

Francis was a Morse Intercept Operator with Det. 2, 6994th Security Squadron at Pleiku and Danang 1969/70.

Email Address: dmaybury(at)tampabay.rr.com

Postal Address: 4622 Country Hills Norht Plant City, FL 33566

Phone: (813) 757-6835

Walter was a Pilot/Aircraft Commander with the 362nd Tactical Electronics Warfare Squadron at Pleiku from April 1968 to March 1969.

Email Address: prosser757(at)rcn.com

Postal Address: 4373 Island Park Road Easton, PA 18042

Kenneth was assigned to Dets. 2 and 3, 6994th Security Squadrons in 1969/70.

Email Address: None

Postal Address: 719 E. Pine Ave. Wiggins, MS 39577

Phone: (601) 528-0572

Gene was a Morse Intercept Operator with the 6994th Security Squadron at Phu Cat in 1969/70.

Email Address: gknights(at)nc.rr.com

Postal Address: 658 Buck Swamp Road, Goldsboro, NC 27530

George was a Flight Mechanic with the 361st Tactical Electronics Warfare Squadron at Nha Trang in 1966/67.

Email Address: None

Postal Address: Unknown today??

Phone: (270) 705-7366 (Cell)

Bob says he was assigned to the 6994th Security Squadron at Tan Son Nhut and served as back end equipment installation and maintenance between Feb 27 1969 and Feb 27 1970 . I provide airborne support when required to support the mission.

Email Address: [email protected]

Postal Address: 1601 Trout Trail Soddy Daisy, TN 37379

Phone: (423) 332-4242

Paul says he was a Morse Intercept Operator with Det. 1, 6994th Security Squadron at Nha Trang in 1967/68.

Just returned from Clark in early '67; got assigned to a desk on Scty Hill (SCO-2) and couldn't take the boredom.. Vol for SEA, and after all the schools, arrived at Nha Trang in Dec'67.. Wow; "Wake up call!!" The four-day cycle was "fly 2, squadron duty 1, off 1.." Somehow that "squadron duty" always turned into "standby", so it might as well have been "fly 3"...

But that was always okay, because at 12.5K, the air was cooler, you had C-rats which trumped the dining hall any day, and there was something important to do! Never mind those lil "popcorn balls" that appeared outside the window now and then, or the occasional hole in an elevator or wing surface; it just felt better up there than it did on the ground...

Then, along came "Tet".. I still marvel at the fact that none of us shot others of us.. There is a memory of crouching down beside one of the vehicles in the cantonment area, .38 cocked and pointed up the road and NOT firing on a group of "Mike Force" guys who were E&E'ng down the sides of the road toward us... That scared me!

All in all; good times were had, good friends were made, and lasting relationships were formed.

Was MedEvaced out in Aug of 68 after an operation for a burst appendix, and wound up back at Scty Hill, in the same SCO-2 office. This time, the paperwork didn't seem quite as boring...

Email Address: paulnbarb64(at)hughes.net

Postal Address: 5141 Plagens Road, Bryan TX 77808

Phone: (979) 589-2843

Bud says he was an A20751, Radio Opperator with Detachment 2, 6994th Security Squadron at Danang in 1973.

Says he ran across The EC-47 History Site by accident and never imagined there would be anything like this on the web.

Email Address: budandlindawv(at)aol.com

Postal Address: RR3 Box 20 Fayetteville, WV 25804

Phone: (304) 574-0636

Bob was an AMT Bravo Maintenance with Det. 1, 6994th Security Squadron at Nha Trang in 1968.

Email Address: not available

Postal Address: 410 Traceway Road - High Point, NC - 27265-1363

Steve was a Radio Operator with the 6994th Security Squadron at Tan Son Nhut from October, 1968 to October 1969.

Steve's Email Address: steveunderdahl (at) hotmail.com

Postal Address: 104 Butter Churn Ct. Fountain, CO 80817

My name is Lars G. Ritola; A1C/SGT I was a ro/iro/ams in Vietnam in 71-72 flew numerious mission out both Phu Cat and Danang when we closed down Phu Cat we sent our planes to Da Nang,TSN,NKP, depending on type of plane type . ie q bird z bird etc. I have my flight print outs which have plane numbers mission type and length of mission. and i also have a few orders for assignmemts sefe checks etc also I would like to know how to send some of those to you I would have to make copies . do you want me to scan them into my computer and then email them or copy them and send them via snail mail if I would need a address. if you wnat them emailed what address do i send them to. also here a brief history of myself, I entered the air force in 1968 went to ditty bop school in keesler mississippi and then went to lkaramasel air station in turkey . while there i volintired to go flying status and was accepted. went to classes in goodfellow texas to learn the ardf part and then to the various servivel shchools. the on to vietnam landed on camron bay and then took a flight to phucat where i would be stationed . there are a few stiories there. after my year in vietnam was sent back to sanantio where i spent a few months and then got out of the air force. after i got out of the air force I got a letter from NSA asking if i would like to take a goverment job as a morse op, i jumped at it and worked for the NSA for 39 plus years. I have just retired and moved back to traverse city michigan. found your page while looking at something else, what a good accident. while working at NSA ran into a few people who were in vietnam. after checking your roster i saw most of there names. i see you dont have anything for clint bradshaw he also works for NSA at fort meade and wont be able to retire for a couple more years. he lives in maryland but dont have his address. well thats all for now i well try to remember some of the past later.

Added July 4th, 2006. J.C

As a backend crew member I part of the USAFSS at the time. I was assigned to the 6994 security squad. But I was also assigned to the 360/361 TEWS tac warfare squad. AS far as I am concerened I am and always shall be associated with the EC-47 GOONEYS. We were all one and the same without the front end crew there was no mission and without the backend crew there was no mission. So there is the answer to the whole thing we are always both front end crew and manitence people and ground crew and backend crew nav and all our maintence people and support for all of us part of the EC-47 family . enough said the Gooney is part of all of us.

Sgt. Lars Ritola

Backender/ Airborne mission sup

Morse Op/DF Op etc etc etc

Email Address: [email protected]

Postal Address:

Tom was an AMS/IRO with the 6994th Security Squadron at Danang and Ubon in 1971-73.

Arrived DaNang in late 1971 with Ron Myott; we had been at Misawa together. Worked with Nate Brown in Training, succeeded him as top training guy where I worked closely with Jim Luther who was top flight examiner. Moved to Ubon, and went on 30 day free leave with Todd Melton; we had only been back a couple of weeks when Baron 52 went down. Ralph Jasper, Ron Myott and I flew together on the next morning's flight, conducting that day's (Feb 6, I think) mission and looking for Baron 52. We had volunteered (Ralph insisted) to Captain Blau; have always been glad that I went that day. Separated in the Fall of '73, went to college on the GI bill. Finished as E5 Staff Sgt, 288 missions. The time as part of the 6994th has truly helped shape my life. Worked and had fun with too many outstanding people to list here. Today, I work as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of NYK Logistics, a worldwide transportation and distribution services company. I very much appreciate the web site, and am glad to have discovered it. Wishing the best to all.

I recently discovered the web site and very much appreciate this valuable history. Scrolling through the directories stimulated many fond and proud memories of the guys I served with. Ron Myott and I left Misawa together in '71 for training, then went to DaNang. I worked in Training for Nate Brown;Ron went to work in Awards & Decorations. I bunked with Jerry Baker, first at Camp Swampy, then Gunfighter Village. Ron and I roomed together at the K.T. Hotel in Ubon after we moved there. Gosh, so many good guys: Butch Brownlow, J J Pitzeruse, John Cordova, Jim Luther, Tim Michaud, Bob Wilhelm, Steve Michael, Juan Burgos-Ortiz, Ralph Jasper, Pat Pillsbury, Brad Howell, John Price, Capt Shea, Capt Blau, Todd Melton.... So many, many more. I left Ubon in the Fall of '73 having flown 288 missions, and returned to civilian life three days later after separating at Travis. Ron Myott and I wrote to each other during and after my college years; I was saddened to learn of his passing a few years ago.

I have a number of old pictures that I will try to scan and forward to you in the future.

Again, Thank you for this great service, Tom Perdue

Email Address: tom.perdue (at) visionlogisticscorp.com

Postal Address: 1385 Lakewood Lane, Orange Park, FL 32203

Tom was a Voice Intercept operator with Det. 2, 6994th Security Squadron at Danang in 1971-72. Took the usual path of the Presidio at Monterey, Goodfellow, TSN for 6 weeks, then DaNang. Was proud then and now of what we did while in country. Great site, though voice guys seem under-represented. Hope that some of them may see my post and drop me a note. Like others, I think I have forgotten more names than I remember

Email Address: tlbirkholz(at)msn.com

Postal Address: Dallas, OR 97338

Gary was a Crew Chief with the 361st Tactical Electronics Warfare Squadron at Nha Trang from October, 1966 to August, 1968.

Email Address: ironhorse45 (at) hotmail.com

Postal Address: 2261 Lee Court Fontuna, CA 95540

Email Address: heimbuej (at) k12.or.us

Postal Address: 1876 NE 21st Ave. Hillsboro, OR 97124-1984

Phone: (503) 648-2038

Albert was a Crew Chief with the 362nd Tactical Electronics Warfare Squadron at Pleiku from Jan. 1969-70.

Email Address: apscism (at) cox.net

Postal Address: 2824 Smiling Hills Blvd. Edmond, OK 73013-6402

Phone: (405) 642-8414

Bob was a Pilot with the 361st and 362nd Tactical Electronics Warfare Squadrons at Danang and NKP from August, 1972 until April, 1973.

Email Address: Bsniffen (at) optonline.net

Postal Address: 3 Westwood Ave. Stony Brook, NY 11790

Del was a Pilot with the 361st Tactical Electronics Warfare Squadron at NKP from June, 1973 to June, 1974.

Email Address: [email protected]

Postal Address: 108 E. Militia Rd. Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889

Ed was a Pilot with the 361st and 362nd Tactical Electronics Warfare Squadrons at Phu Cat and Danang from April,1971 until March, 1972.

Email Address: thunder1 (at) pacbell.net

Postal Address: 314 Ceasar Ave. Clovis, CA 03612

Robert has been added here because he was very instrumental in the Crash Recover of Baron 56 and can add to the history.

Robert was the Fire Chief with thh3 56 CES an NKP in 1972 and has this to add to the history of Baron 56.

I gave a brief account of the EC-47 that crashed in 1972. When I got to NKP all i wanted to do was be an Assistant Fire Chief. I had already served 2 tours in Vietnam an had been the Fire Chief at Tuy Hoa and Assistant Chief at Phann Rang. I had been in 14 years and this was my 3rd time to volunteer for Vietnam.

At NKP the Fire Chief was an E-8 slot. As soon as an E-7 or E-8 got an assignment for SEA, they retired. That's how I wound up as the Fire Chief (again) at NKP. My first 2 tours I had seen a lot. After my first tour, when I got back to my family (wife and 3 kids) I knew I had to go back.

I was stationed at Norton AFB. The civilians ran the Fire Dept. and could care less about Vietnam or the GI's that were there. None of them had seen the action that I had seen in one day in Vietnam. The second tour was more intense then the first and so I wound up at NKP. For the people that were there, they will remember we supported Special Operations and the CIA. So here I am with 50 air force firefighters and 20 Thai Firefighters.

I know it's hard to say , but when linebacker II started, every aircraft that could not make it out of North Vietnam came to NKP! Including 3 B-52's.

Now for the EC-47 crash late at night. As i was on one end of the runway, taking care of the battle damaged F-4, the tower calls me and says the EC-47 had went down. I took 2 crash trucks, a rescue truck and myself out the main gate to the site while our Pedro Chopper was in route. I had been out in the jungle before, so I knew it was noy going to be easy. We got to a Thai Village and under dense jungle, paid them to take us to the crash. Enroute my crash trucks tore off all the doors and lights. We finally got there to find Pedro loading up the injured. My trucks put out the big fires,but the heat had ignited the magnesimum wheels. So you would think with all we had done, someone would say thank you. There was! The Lt. Col. who was the pilot, was at our Fire Dept. roll call the next morning, with a broken arm. He thanked us and was very emotional.

To anyone in your group i offer the pictures of the crash. I have them with all of the others i have. You must remember, i have memories of NKP of the Jolly Greens, OV-10,s, A-1e,s ,and PEDRO.

Email Address: rwRAF2543 (at) cox.net

Postal Address: 103 Seminole Circle Niceville, FL 32578

Charles says, I recently learned of the EC-47 Military Reunion Group. I served two tours of duty in Vietnam flying the EC-47s. The first was at Det 2, 6994th SS, Pleiku AB, Oct '66 - Oct '67 and the second was at HQ 6994th SS, Tan Son Nhut AB, Aug '71 - May '72.

Email Address: c-bonham (at) sbcglobal.net

Postal Address:

Richard was a Pilot with the 362nd TEWS Det. 1 at NKP in 1970/71

Email Address: skypilot49618 (at) aol.com

Postal Address: 2900 NE 51st Street Lighthousepoint, FL 33064