EC-47 Crewmembers, Front and Back, Roster

Received February 19, 1999 from Mike Hornbrook

Mike writes, Just wanted to say thanks for the memories. I was stationed in I corp with the 6994th (HUE-PHU-BAI). There wasn't many of us then, and most likely fewer now. I was a ditty chaser and without doubt HUE was the most rewarding job ever. I was there throughout 1967, and left just before the TET offensive started. If anyone has any knowledge of the guys who flew out of HUE, it would be nice hearing from you.

Received February 21, 1999 Hi JC Good hearing from you. I was indeed a part of the 94th. I was a Morse Operator and like I said in my first message, never had a job that was so rewarding and I know I never will again. If my memorie serves me correctly, we had the only two EC-47s in the 6994th designed for collection only. I've heard conflicting reports over the years as to the number of aircraft the 6994th lost in SEA, can you give me the correct figure?

I'll look forward to hearing more about the reunion, please keep me posted.

Mike Hornbrook

Received 1, March, 1999 from John M. McBride

Was at TSN 1968-69, Hello to all crewmembers. Prior to Nam, 6921st Sec. Misawa, Japan. Trick 3.

Received 28, February, 1999 from John M. McBride

In response to a question on John's Guestbook entry,

John writes, To begin with, I received my VFW magazine today. Once after reading the interesting stories etc, I usually turn to the reunion section in the back of the magazine. I noticed EC-47 right off and then 6994th SS which I was a part of. I have a friend in New York state that served with me in Misawa, Japan and at Ton Son Nhut. When we converse we usually talk about the things we did as well as the people we met and to this day can't find. The field that we were in, doesn,t command a lot of advertisement or national noteriety. Only to ourselves. I noticed your e-mail address and decided to give it a shot. From reading your history, I assume you were a flight mechanic. Sorry if I'm wrong. Your name sounds familiar but as you know there wasn't alot of contact among crews because they were always different and not a chance to get to know someone serving in a different capacity. I think your site is a great idea and a good chance for old friends to link up again.

May I make a suggestion? On your guest book, have a party give their name, what unit, when and any questions they might ask to locate someone. Just an idea. I have looked through old records and out of the scores of names, the people I knew haved relocated. The internet is a great device for searching for names and a chance to talk to an old friend or buddy. They are hard to find.

Anyway I got to Nam in Sept 68 and left in Aug 69. I flew 132 missions. I thought it was a better tour than the one I had in Japan. I got the DFC after one year of being out of the service. My final rank was E-4 Sgt. Although compared to nowdays I think that would be equivalent to a chief the way they hand out rank now.

This is in short my history of "what I did in the war daddy." I am bookmarking your site to refer to often and tell others of its whereabouts. Thanks for having the initiative to start it. Oh yeah congradulations on your retirement and a job well done for us all.

Sincerely, John M. McBride

John's Email Address is: mjwmcbride (at) sbcglobal.net

Received 1 March, 1999 from Gary Gardsy Newfoundland PA

Gary says, I was a crewchief with the 362nd TEWS at Pleiku from January 69 to January 70 and was assigned to aircraft 730 a Q model.

Gary's Email Address is: gardsy(at)verizon.net

Received a phone call 1 March, 1999 from Craig Hinton

Craig was needing information on the upcoming reunion and we had a good visit on the phone. He was Navigator on one of the early ferry flight crews, taking the 4th EC-47 from New Hampshire to Tan Son Nhut in 1966. He spent his tour with the 360th TEWS at Tan Son Nhut August 1966 to August 1967..

During our conversation, I ask him if he recalled a flight mechanic by the name of Mike Mineau and this brought the comment that his flight mechanic was Bill Pigg. I jumped in here and said I remember Bill, he was also from Arkansas and I had forgotten about him.

Email Address: c.hinton(at)hotmail.com

US Postal address is: 2668 N. Reviera Dr. White Bear Lane, MN 55110

1 March, 1999

After the phone conversation with Craig Hinton, I got on the internet searching for Bill Pigg. Bingo, first try by phone to Ft. Smith Arkansas just 50 miles west of me, Bill answered the phone.

Bill was in the same group as I as we prepared for our tour in Vietnam. We went through Swamp Rat and Water Survival School at Hurlburt together. He was flight mechanic on the 4th EC-47 ferry flight crew taking a bird from New Hampshire to Tan Son Nhut in 1966 and completed his tour there in 1966/67 with the 360th TEWS.

Bill also requested reunion information, so hopefully he too will be at the reunion. Bill has no E-mail address, but if you need to contact him, I will send you his postal address. J.C.

Received 2 March, 1999 from Joe Freedman, of Ithica New York

Joe says he was informed about the EC-47 History Site by a friend, John M. (Mike) McBride. Says that he and Mike served together in the 6994th Security Squadron at Tan Son Nhut in 1968/69.

Received 2 March, 1999 from Ted Hedrick, Tabernacle, NJ

Responding to the Reunion Notice in the VFW magazine Ted writes, Saw the latest VFW magazine and thought I'd write for some info. My name is Ted Hedrick and I was with the 361st TEWS from Aug 71 to Oct 71 (Phu Cat) and the 362nd TEWS from Oct 71 to Apr 72 (DaNang). I was in maintenance and worked the phase inspection docks at both locations. I've only seen two guys I was with since then. They were MSgt Richard Garbett and MSgt Hultz. If you have Garbett's location, please let me know. Thanks!

Received via Phone call 2 March, 1999 from Silas W. Smith

Silas was requesting information on the reunion and offered the following, He was with the 362nd TEWS at Danang and worked in aircraft maintenance. He has no email address but said I could list his postal address on this page should any old friends come accross this.

Silas's Email Address: silasair(at)sbcglobal.net

Silas W. Smith 96 Coppermill Road, Wethersfield, CT 06109

Received 3 March, 1999 from Joe Steingasser, Austin Texas

Joe says, I was a pilot and aircraft commander with the 360th TEWS at Tan Son Nhut in 1967.

Received via Phone call 3 March, 1999 from David Lott

David called requesting reunion information. Turns out he is just down the road from me about 100 miles in Jacksonville, Arkansas.

David was a flight mechanic with the 361st TEWS at Nha Trang from November 1967 to November 1968. David also has the distinction of being among the lucky ones. He was flight mechanic on the crew of Robert Dobbins on March 11, 1968 and was shot down and the entire crew was rescued by helicopter. This was Brew 41, the story is elsewhere on the site.

David does not have an Email address but his US Postal address is: 25 Del Tara Jacksonville, AR 72076

Received via Phone call 3 March, 1999 from John R. Holland

Like David, John was inquiring about the reunion. He was on the EC47 History Site as we were speaking.(And I failed to get his Email address.) Maybe he will leave it on the site for me.

John was a 20 year old flight mechanic, that arrived at Nha Trang before they had any aircraft. He flew with the cy-war birds for a short time until the 361st got a few planes. He arrived at Nha Trang in Sept. 1966 and left in December for Pleiku and the 362nd. He was given his check-ride in the EC-47 by SSgt Prentice F. Brenton, the flight mechanic on the first EC-47 to be shot down and all the crew lost on 9 March, 1967, Tide-86.

John's US Postal address is: 230 Raleigh Dr. Vacaville, CA 95687 Should have an E-mail address soon.

Received 4 March, 1999 from Ed Miller

Ed writes, I was stationed at Tan Son Nhut AB with the 6994th SS from August 1970 to August 1971. My primary duty was as Operations Officer.

Received via Phone call 4 March, 1999 from Warren Kreger, Lebanon, Illinois

Warren was seeking more information on the reunion and says he was stationed at Nha Trang with the 361st TEWS as a Crew Chief on the aircraft know as "Henrietta Hog". He was there from July 1968 to July 1969.

Warren has no email address, but his US Postal address is: 10332 Short Street Lebanon, Illinois 62254

Received Email 4 March, 1999 from Charles Kelly

Charles was a Flight Mechanic with the 361st TEWS at Nha Trang in 1966/67. Don't have an email address as yet for Charles.

Received via Phone call 5 March, 1999 from Stan Schloesser, Belleville, Illinois

Stan was seeking more information on the reunion and says he was stationed at Pleiku with the 362nd TEWS as a Maintenance Officer in 1969/70

Stan has no email address, but his US Postal address is: 33 Sir Lawrence Drive, Illinois 62221

Received 5 March, 1999 from James M. Coffman

James was seeking more information on the reunion and says he was stationed at Nha Trang with the 361st TEWS as Flight Mechanic on Major Jacobson's crew. He shared a Villa with George Cupp, John T.B. Doss and James Cavin. James was there from Feburary 1967 to November 1967.

Jim's Email Address: jc30(at)woh.rr.com

Received via Phone call 6 March, 1999 from Ron Aungst of Altoona PA.

Ron was seeking more information on the reunion and says he was stationed at Tan Son Nhut with the 6994th SS a backend specialist in 1968/69

Ron has no email address, but his US Postal address is: 5416 Colclesser Altoona, PA 16601-1034

Received 7 March, 1999 from Yates W. White

Yates says, I was a TSgt stationed at Tan Son Nhut with the 6994th Security Squadron in 1967/68.

Received 7 March, 1999 from Joe Einig

Joe says, I was a stationed at Tan Son Nhut with the 6994th Security Squadron in 1971/72 and with Det. 2 at DaNang in 1972. Was a backend FE. I loved that airplane. It saved my backside once. Thanks for a wonderful site.

Email Address: jeinig42(at)hotmail.com

Address: 4595 Shamrock Dr. Frisco, TX 75034

Phone: (972) 668-5857

Joe is an Amateur Radio Operator: Callsign is WA5QAF

Received 7 March, 1999 from Orvin T. Copeland

Orvin says, I was a Flight Mechanic, stationed at Tan Son Nhut with the 360th TEWS from July 1967 to July 1968

Orvin has no E-mail address but his US Postal address is: Rt. 3 Box 26A Headland, Alabama 36345

Received 5 March, 1999 from Alan H. Strauss

Alan says, I was a crewchief in the 360th TEWS from December 1966 to Jyly of 1968, at Tan Son Nhut.

Received 7 March, 1999 from Keith Enstad

Some information on when I was there and some memories; I was with the 362nd TEWS maintenance crew from Nov. 1968 to Nov. 1969 at Pleiku Air Base. I was an A1C and worked the flight line, mostly on the swing shift. We recovered the Goonies and got them ready for the next days. mission.

I remember flying into Pleiku the first time and seeing an EC-47 in the ditch on the base side just off the runway. When I reported to the Squadron, they said it was my aircraft. I think they said that to all the Crew Chiefs when they signed in. I did help move that aircraft to the line and helped the Lockheed crew from Georgia get that aircraft up and flying.

Also, I remember the hoppy shot got blown up. It was across the lot from our barracks.

One of the best C-47 mechanics I ever meet was SMSgt Weatherall. He stuttered, but when you got him mad, he talked very well.

The only other mechanic I met after Pleiku, was Doug Pell. I saw him at Mather AFB, CA. in 1992. He retired from the Air Force and was working for the Postal system in Sacramento, CA. I also ran into Jim Hatfield in 1971 at Ellsworth AFB, SD. He was a 1st Lt. and maintence officer for the 362nd TEWS.

In all my years as an aircraft mechanic, the 362nd TEWS had the best maintenance people I ever saw in the Air Force -- Bar None. The Flight Crews were very lucky to have them.

Keith Enstad

Received 7 March, 1999 from Kenneth "Ken" Slagle

Ken was a Flight Mechanic with the 361st TEWS at Nha Trang in 1966-69. Ken was there at the time I was there, J.C.

Received 7 March, 1999 from James C. Temple

James says he was stationed at Tan Son Nhut in 1967/68 with the 360th TEWS. Says he worked flightline maintenance.

James does not have an E-mail address but his US Postal address is: RD#2 Box 1055 Milton, PA 17847

Received 17 March 1999 from Ken Mire

Ken says I served with DET 2, 6994th Security Squadron out of Da Nang from August, 1970 to July 1971. I was a Sgt in the Air Force when I got out in 1971. I was a Airborne Radio Directional Finding Specialist and Radio Intercept Operator (29251) We did mostly directional finding of the enemy and intelligence gathering. We flew to the DMZ and over to Laos and Cambodia. We flew into Thailand from time to time and I was able to visit there 3 or 4 times myself . I flew over 100 missions in the EC-47 out of Da Nang.

Received 8 March, 1999 from Bob Iguo, Florida City, Florida.

Bob says, I was stationed at Pleiku with the Det. 2, 6994th SS from Feburary 1968 to Feburary 1969 as an Airborne Mission Supervisor, (RO)

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