I was there in 12/67-12/68. 14th Aerial Port SQ. OLAD #8 Da lat City. Cam Ly airfield.
Carp Driver, while you were Dalat I was flying C'7s out of Cam Ranh Bay. I was assigned to the 834th Air Division, 483rd Tactical Airlift Wing, 458th Tactical Airlift Squadron. I got on the ground at Dalat only a few times, and never for more than a quick lunch, and I loved the place.
Were you there when a NVA general was captured while visiting on R&R? I thought that was rather funny!
And maybe you were on the ramp the very cloudy day in August with - ahem - very low - overcast, when I came in over the city so low my flight engineer said we were going to get a ticket for running a redlight. Heh.
As I banked over the base with what seemed like the wingtip down amongst the tents, my copilot pointed out the line of vehicles racing for the ramp with flashing red lights. He figured we were going to be arrested for buzzing the base.
As we pull onto the ramp, the FE lowered the Caribou's rear ramp for cargo transfer and said over the intercom "'Tennent, you gotta see this."
"This" turned out to be a jeep with a USArmy general's flag flying. Even worse, there was a white cloth spread out over the hood. I figured he was just going to behead me right there and then.
The props hadn't even stopped when two MPs came up to the cockpit and asked if I was "the pilot." I admitted I was and told them I was the only one at fault. I stepped down and stuck my hands out for the cuffs. They gave me a funny look and one of them said "Just this way, lieutenant." They walked me over to the jeep where a general was standing by the hood. I had my filthy flight cap on, with beat up silver bar, but we otherwise kept our uniforms devoid of rank and insignia. He looked me over as I saluted and asked my name, which he then mispronounced, NOT that I was going to correct him . . .
A big smile broke out on his face as I noticed a bottle of champagne and a half-dozen paper cups on the hood. He said we were the first bird to make it in due to the weather and he had a "boy" who needed to get out on emergency leave. Plus, we had all the mail that had been held up by the weather.
I darn near peed my pants in relief and asked if I could get the rest of the crew. He said yes. As we're running back to the jeep my Copilot made some comment about the USAF rule of 8 hours bottle to throttle. I think I just said "Shut UP!"
I did write down the name of that general, but in all the years since, many of my notes have disappeared, including that one.
In September one of my engines blew up shortly after I crossed that ridge to the east and I made an interesting low-weather approach into Cam Ranh with number 2 on fire. Heh.
Second tour was in Thailand, making a mess of the landscape in northern South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.
