Decorated Vietnam vet back at war

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Ryan Hansen
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) --  It may be surprising to hear that the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing has a Vietnam era Purple Heart recipient working at the wing.

It is even more surprising to hear that the combat veteran is actually a C-130 Hercules deployed from Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

On the flight deck of aircraft 63-7865 is a plaque telling the story of one of the hardest working aircraft in the Air Force inventory.

According to the certificate, on June 1, 1972, the aircraft was assigned to the 21st Tactical Airlift Squadron at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, Taiwan, when it took a mortar round through engine No. 3 while sitting on the flightline on Kontum Air Base, Vietnam.

After a maintenance recovery team replaced the engine, the aircraft was once again ready to fly. But just as the pilot Lt. Col. Lyn Mulkey taxied the C-130 for takeoff, the new engine failed to start, forcing a three-engine takeoff. Despite taking even more incoming mortar rounds that punctured the wings and inflicted heavy damage to its other engines, the colonel got the aircraft airborne.

The war-torn C-130 could only reach 1,000 feet due to its damage and had to make an emergency landing at Plieku Air Base, Vietnam, where it was determined that the combat aircraft would need two new wings and four engines replaced.

To many in the air mobility community, it is stories like this that verify why the C-130 is known as the workhorse of tactical airlift. It has proven itself for years and continues to be leaned upon heavily in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

"It's just an awesome aircraft," said Chief Master Sgt. Clement McGrath, superintendent of the 386th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, who is deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. "It can go anywhere at any time, and it's been everywhere around the world."

The aircraft's crew chief here wasn't surprised when he saw the plaque.

"This just shows the reliability of these aircraft," said Staff Sgt. Tim Stahn, who is deployed from Ramstein AB. "Three quarters of the C-130s we have here are from the early '60s and served in Vietnam, and they're still going strong today."

Although it is probably not the only one in existence, no one in the squadron can recall seeing another Purple Heart for an aircraft.

"It's the only one I've ever seen," said Chief McGrath, who has been a maintainer for 29 years. "It's very impressive for sure."

The aircraft's history is not limited to the Vietnam era either. It once again proved its meddle a few years ago when it flew through an ice storm over Europe, according to Sergeant Stahn.

"There are some dents up front, but that's all you can really see from it," said the six-year Air Force crew chief, who is familiar with the aircraft from his home station. "It sure is a tough one."

The decoration is also a tribute to the maintenance crews who continually get the aircraft ready to go on a daily basis in 120-plus degree heat.

"Sure it's hard to keep aircraft that are 40-plus years old flying," Sergeant Stahn said, "but it sure beats working on a computer."