The Lucky Loadmaster: Autobiography of an Elite U.S. Air Force Loadmaster

By Thomas F. Stalvey

The Lucky Loadmaster is an action packed book. It does not matter whether you are with the airmen in Vietnam, the first night of TET or just reading about the authors hair raising childhood adventures. Sometimes growing up and learning defensive moves in a small middle North Carolina town can be interesting.
For the first time, a book written that is about the honest daily occurrences and multiple battles of a real airman in Vietnam. These were battles like others, in which people died and others became heroes. Battles in which crews looked death in the face multiple times each day, flying into places without the security of arms or cover ,the stress of actual war.
Tom Stalveys wishes to enlist and study at the great Air Force electronics schools at the time, did not come to pass, instead he was assigned to the very lite and extremely dangerous rolls of an enlisted aircrew member. The courses these young men completed were at the considered complete college courses equal to obtaining a degree in a matter of months. The duty aboard the Lockheed C-130 Hercules as a Weight and balance Technician or Loadmaster was and still is essential. He was destined to end up in Vietnam.
after two and a half years of training and protocol Only a slight recess was given these airmen as these young men were handed the keys to three fourths of a C-130 aircraft. Most of them averaged 22 years of age. Trained at doing their jobs by the book they soon learned that doing so in Vietnam could cost time and lives. Great at modifying plans on the run, many were awarded our nations highest war time decorations.
Laugh out loud as you follow a young boy into what must have been The start of The Lucky Loadmasters ironic heavenly inspired protection and cry for the pain of his broken body!

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 15, 2012
• ISBN: 9781468539639

Thomas F. Stalvey

Thomas (Tom) F. Stalvey, CAPS, CAM, HCCP a retired Property Management Vice President, specialized in asset management for over thirty years. During his career Tom was employed by several of the nation’s largest property management companies. Tom and his wife were named “Manager of the Year” nationally by Clark Financial Corporation. Tom retired from his position as a Vice President of SunTrust Bank in Atlanta during 2010. An outstanding athlete, Tom wrestled in high school and started competitive weight lifting at 15 years of age winning many southeastern championships. In 1998 The Natural Athlete Strength Association named Tom number three in the nation. As planned before retirement, Tom is continuing his love affair with cars, restoring Chevrolets from the ‘60s. In October of 1966 Tom and his crew from Sewart AFB Tennessee set a new world record drop weight from a C-130E of 35,000 pounds after a near crash two days prior with 30,000 pounds. Flying as a C-130B Loadmaster, during the Vietnam war, the author received The Distinguished Flying Cross, six Air Metals, two Presidential Unit Citation’s, and The Vietnam Gallantry Cross with “V” for valor in combat. Wandering for many years after the Vietnam War Tom renewed his faith in Christ and was blessed with two healthy children and a more positive lifestyle.

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© 2012 by Thomas F. Stalvey. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 03/09/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4685-3965-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4685-3964-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4685-3963-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012900149

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

HARD DAY’S NIGHT

THE LOCKHEED

C-130 A/B/E AIRCRAFT

THE LITTLE

HAPPY SCRAPPY ONE

DROP ’TIL YOU DROP

GRADUATION DAY

NASHVILLE CATS

CLASSROOM ANTICS

ROY AND TROY/FAMILY

UH OH! WATCH

YOUR CHILDREN

WEIGHT LIFTING—

OLYMPIC STYLE

PUPPY LOVE

KHE SANH

THE A SHAU VALLEY

AND A LUOI

ON DUTY LOADMASTER

A REAL VACATION

THE BLUE EAGLE

GOT MAIL—DEAR JOHN

NASHVILLE NUMBER TWO

NASHVILLE NUMBER THREE

TRAGEDY STRIKES

IN NASHVILLE

BACK TO NASHVILLE

ALONE AGAIN

CHOLON

SOUL MATE

PAY DAY AND

THE GREEN THING

RUNNING OUT OF TIME

RUN TO THE RIVER

RUN TO THE DESERT

COMING HOME

THE WALL

APPENDIX A

APPENDIX B

APPENDIX C

GLOSSARY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

SOURCES

INTRODUCTION

The Lucky Loadmaster is a narrated autobiography of Thomas F. Stalvey, former Sergeant and C-130 crewmember with the U.S. Air Force. This is the true stories of an Elite Air Force C-130 Loadmaster and his personal Vietnam War. The dates of my active service are October 10th 1965 through July 20th 1969.

Let me say first, it has been many years since the occurrences you will read here. I do not claim to be current on what’s up in the Air Force nor is this book a who’s who of personnel in the Air Force and C-130 aircraft. I will leave that to my friend, the Author Sam McGowan our historian and Secretary of the Troop Carrier/Tactical Airlift Association. All extraneous material has been researched to the best effort possible.

Only one percent (1%) of the enlisted men and women in the Air Force are privileged to be trained and receive their wings to become flying crewmembers on U.S. Air Force aircraft. As most of its users believe, and I for certain, the C-130 aircraft is the best aircraft ever built. I cannot take you into a combat landing at night to Hue with its 175 MM guns firing right beside the runway or a LAPES drop at Khe Sahn with mortars all around. I can however tell you of my personal experiences which included the above.

This is also the story of an airplane that wins the hearts of those who fly it and those who were supplied, protected, and airlifted to safety by the plane. This is a plane the crew could punish beyond belief all day, all night long or sometimes a 24 hour day, in terrain which would tear the wings off many others. The Lockheed C-130, was a real lifesaver in Vietnam! Truly a Herculean piece of workmanship.

My friends and I are members of the Troop Carrier/ Tactical Airlift Association (TCTAA), a war time veteran’s non-profit organization whose goal is to promote the understanding and importance of the Air Force and the Tactical missions they have flown with cargo planes. I personally was attached, to only two squadrons while in the Air Force and both relied on the venerable Lockheed C-130 (B) and (E) models.

The enlisted airmen, the Loadmaster’s and Flight Engineer’s which crewed these planes wore a hat few could fit in. Most had not attended a college yet. Many were Already Lifers (men that had reenlisted). These students would go from no knowledge of an airplane to an expert on APG (Airplane General Information and knowledge) within eighteen months of enlistment.

After more stringent training, developing mathematical skills than most would attempt. Their jobs, when qualified, would require a high level of knowledge and a complete understanding of the plane they flew.

The United States Air Force training has little to compare itself to in the world. In a little over one year from walking down the street in my hometown I was an Air Force elite, I had Wings. Getting your wings as Loadmasters is a unique opportunity for a young person. With each new mission would come new challenges, the next mission, being exactly opposite of the one before it an hour ago or the last one of their lives for that matter! They lived in Vietnam for extended periods of time.

Many of my friends are decorated war hero’s, they all deserved much better respect, when they returned home. Yet if one looks back at their history, seldom do you hear them cry, that they are victims. Many gave their lives for the freedom Americans enjoy in the States (The World). Most were from middle income families of the early 50’s with a trust in our political establishment that would prove unwarranted this time. To the last I knew, they were true blue America, all they wanted was to end the war militarily and worked very hard to toward that goal, and they did so in an honorable fashion. Won by those there, not lost, but given away by our President Lyndon B. Johnson and derelict college students will be the honest legacy of the Vietnam War in the future!

I know men, who fought the Vietnam War for America; the same men came home with ailments unknown and had to fight the Veterans Administration for service connected disabilities. If the United States government had been truthful about what Agent Orange was, many of us would have started a battle against the effect years before they surfaced. These disabilities many times are based on health concerns which are no longer arguable. After the war there was very poor documentation and with the advent of the computer age most non-copied hardcopies were simply stored in the Air Force achieves, or containers languishing somewhere today.

Vietnam Veterans of the Air Force must be able to prove to the VA they actually put their feet on the ground in Vietnam, in order to start the qualification for benefits. No, I said to one VA rep interviewing me, No we never landed, we all just flew non-stop over Vietnam, for 18 months! A couple of years ago I called in to a local talk radio show. The show was The Kim Peterson Show, and that day, they were talking about how much Vietnam veterans were such drug users in Vietnam. When Kim asked what branch I was in, I replied the Air Force. He said, Were you on the ground? I started to say, I flew in Vietnam. Just as I said, I flew—, he hung up on me and went to the next caller, as though I did not know what I was talking about. I would say to Kim, like Neal Young A southern man, don’t need him around". He should be better educated about what roles people played in Vietnam before acting as an expert in the field and treating his fellow warriors rudely. How do people think all the soldiers, tanks and even airplanes get to where they end up. Most are transported on an Air Force plane in many cases. Hey, maybe Kim Peterson’s attitude is why he isn’t in Atlanta on the radio anymore, who knows?

For all those that simply accept any rumor about Vietnam Veterans as factual, I say this! I have American friends who have said to me, Everyone in Vietnam was a druggie". During my service and combat years I not once saw anyone light up anything on my planes or in the barracks other than Winston’s or Marlboro’s. By the time I left Southeast Asia my total flying hours were over 2100 with 221 combat missions. We carried literally thousands of personnel while in Vietnam, including Americans, Vietnamese, French, Korean, you name it.

None of my friends smoked pot nor did they ever use heroine. We had no idea what pot was. Maybe it was just that we stayed so busy, I don’t know? I did not discover pot until I was almost 28 years old and in Georgia, not Vietnam. What I have now found to be the truth of the matter is, during the last couple of years of the war, 1974 and 1975, many of the draft dodgers and hippies had finally received their draft notice, after running the gamut of trying to stay away from the service to our country. They were the new group of people mostly to this point they were people that had been in the states until the early 1970’s, long after pot and hard drugs were in the mainstream of America. They were the drug users from the World (America) and when they came to Vietnam they brought their drugs with them finding much more in Asia. Some were college misfits with no more options except to be drafted. In those years in America, it was a hard find to discover someone that did not at least smoke pot.

Sadly, due to poor record keeping by the armed services, some veterans cannot verify their existence in the country and are therefore declined benefits they deserve. If not for the help of my sisters and brothers and the fact I had stressers (Decorations during war time) and a few flight records, I too would not have been able to prove I actually, stepped on the ground, in Vietnam. The vast majority of Air Force personnel actually in Vietnam, had as their PDS (permanent duty station) in places like, Naha, Clark, Kadena, Udorn or Mactan Air Base’s, which are not in Vietnam. C-130 squadrons had permanent status in Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and Thailand. They were TDY (temporary duty assignment) in Vietnam. In most cases with the exception of Mactan, this gave the Air Force the opportunity to use an 18 month rotation for their personnel. Keeping the PDS (permanent duty station) out of the war zone also allowed the married crewmembers to bring their families with them, where the Army, Marines personnel only had a normal rotation of 12 months or less. Many of my friends who were in those services only stayed 6 months or so?

Becoming civilians, many others withstood an assault on their worth and merit. Even denied by former employers their jobs back home and denied by their own countrymen, John Kerry, Jane Fonda and others like them, most assuredly have blood on their hands, because of their actions, each time the protesters got to the politicians we were ordered into only a defensive mode. This only extended the War allowing the NVA and Viet Cong to resupply from North Vietnam and start shooting at us again, while others fought for them! No, we did not fight for them to act stupidly in America. These same draft dodging, low lives, now run our country. In the end, all they wanted was personal gain toward a Senate position or fame, even lying about their intentions, service and citations.

The Loadmaster position on the C-130 aircraft is generally, the most active position on a cargo aircraft and this is especially true when you are talking about the Tactical Air Command (TAC) Tactical Airlift Squadrons, in all but normal flight. These men, the C-130 Loadmasters, from all walks of life in America have proven to be irreplaceable and vital crewmembers, in the logistical movement and missions of the Tactical and Logistical Airlift Squadrons they represent. Currently there are only three positions on a C-130, two Pilots and a Loadmaster.

Never before or after the Vietnam War have loadmasters played such a pivotal role in the delivery of the mission under more adverse conditions, in such large numbers. The C-130 aircraft in that theater, due to its versatile adaptations carried a huge portion of the overall load for most all the campaigns during the war. The C-123 and Caribou crews did their part as well heroically, but nothing in Vietnam could get the job done as well as the C-130. Involved in every major battle and most all smaller ones, not just one or two but all those battles won by our service men in Vietnam.

During my eighteen months in Vietnam starting with the TET offensive in January 1968. One would be hard pressed to name one battle the 463rd Tactical Airlift Wing, comprised of the 29th, 772nd, 773rd and 774th Tactical Airlift Squadrons or 834th Airlift Division and its crews were not involved. These squadrons and other C-130, C-123 and Caribou squadrons based throughout the theater flew into combat in support of the Army and Marines units from the DMZ to the Mekong Delta.

After all, isn’t loading, dropping troops, rigging, and carrying, off loading and dropping of supplies, what the Lockheed C-130 airplane is all about? Well we gave her a test in the jungle covered countries of Southeast Asia and it was superb!

I hear other service men talk about the battle they were in and normally in a room of twenty Army and Marines, a C-130 crewmember during the war can say, I was there too to each individual represented, when in many cases that one battle may have been the one they were in.

My story is about a group of clean cut young men, good men, who fought for a belief that the communist socialist governments are at their roots evil. And now we see that America is most assuredly the last bastion of freedom left. The story also tells a very sad one of a young man without direction, learning life, as they say, by On the Job training (OJT), using a trial and error journey back to my faith.

About the cover photo;

Some discussion has been made about the tail lettering on the 463rd Tactical Airlift Wing planes stationed at Clark Air Base in the Philippines during the Vietnam War, specifically the large (Q-) squadron identifiers. In early January these letter were starting to show up on the squadron planes after I got to Clark Air Base. I arrived on December 27, 1967. The famous photo, taken by Air Force photographer Marion C. Ray, on the front cover is that of a 463rd plane. The C-130 at Khe Sanh with the QB on the tail was specific to the planes in the 29th TAS, my squadron. All the planes were painted in different camouflaged schemes. This plane was always the easiest to find on the flight line because of the Camo Duck on it rear. It is my firm belief that the photo was taken in 1968 during the TET offensive, not late 1967. I know of accounts that say they showed up later than June, which is certainly incorrect. The reason I chose the photo is, for many years I knew of the photo and promised myself that if I ever wrote a book it would have that photo on the cover, that simple, it shows in one photo the conditions the crews of these planes flew into, sometimes for weeks at a time. Only the Lord knows why we survived?

I hope you enjoy the book!

HARD DAY’S NIGHT

January 29th 1968       Chapter 1

Somewhere in the crew lounge Elvis sang over a small plug in radio, Are You Lonesome Tonight. Hell yes, was heard from some. The screaming wale of the deafening sirens at 6:10 PM startled everyone, this was the first warning. Tan Son Nhut Airbase was on yellow alert for possible attack. I wasn’t too worried about it at the time. It took several minutes for even the older more experienced crewmembers sitting around base ops to realize this was not good! Anyway the Army guys were covering our backs around the base which sprawled approximately 10 square miles, right?

Most of the crewmembers went on playing cards. They were playing a game I was not familiar with, pinochle. At 8 PM we were all told that we would not be going down town but staying behind base ops in Quonset huts. Great! I was tired due to the fact we left Clark in the early morning hours, flew to Cebu the Navy airbase where we would pick up a load bound for Vietnam. From there we flew across the South China Sea to our destination at Tan Son Nhut airbase which bordered the city limits of Saigon, later to be changed to Ho Chi Minh City!

"As a combat crewmember we not only got our regular few hundred dollars pay each month but, we also received flight pay, combat pay and separate rations. Separate rations were paid those in the military, like aircrew members who seldom had the chance to have regular meals as other airmen on base would.

In those days for a 15 to 18 day trip in-country, most people got paychecks based on per diem alone of as much as $500 to $700 for each in-country two week period paid on a per diem basis. Although the fighting had been going on for several years with many casualties, it was somewhat quiet around Ton Son Nhut that afternoon. This evening started the most horrific fighting of the war the 1968 and 1969 years!

Air Force crewmembers whether in country or at their home bases such as at Clark Airfield in the Philippines, crewmembers had to have at least 10 hours of uninterrupted crew rest (good luck on that) due to regulations. During work hours we had responsibilities for logistics, bomb drops, troop drops, CDS drops, LAPES missions, medical evacuations (Med-Evac) and to bring home our governments multi-million dollar aircraft in one piece, if it came home so did we!

The Mighty Lockheed C-130 Hercules affectionately known by those that crewed her as the Herky Bird, Herky Turd, and a number of other nick names and acronyms like, The Flying Pig derived from the bulbous look of the front nose cone housing the radar for the aircraft., and another I never quite liked (No offense) is trash haulers, I never did that in my experience Do not assume from the aforementioned that these planes were pigs, however. It may look frumpy on the ground, but these planes fly like eagles run once airborne. Each of the pilots like different things and each plane will handle differently from another, like automobiles only better. From experience I have been on JATO (jet assisted takeoff) takeoffs from dirt and concrete. This plane will literally leap into the air from forward base runway much like an eagle taking flight. The JATO takeoffs were one of the top experiences for me in the Air Force during my time spent there, but there were much more experiences to be had, much more. The C-130 could go over 40,000 feet altitude and going from California to the east coast, I’ve seen the ground speed indicator pegged, using the jet stream to push us home. At those times everyone is smiling, like old mules we would be headed toward Sewart and home.

In the Air Force you are among the best America has to offer. Each person you meet had to go through some pretty difficult levels to get to a point of superior performance at their vocations. There is an American competitiveness and they share the need to achieve long term goals. And all your fellow airmen are in it with you. There is no color in a foxhole. Of my most dear friends many still are those I met while in the service of our country and I would trust my life in their hands today. Strangely, it was only over a 16 per cent (16%) period of our life. People join the Air Force because they are the cream of the crop beforehand!"

Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones blasted from the corner table transistor (early 60s radio) in the small 25 foot by 20 foot crew lounge. I did not like the song. It was morbid. Some sat and talked and some just snoozed in waiting. Some were standby crews; they were on call 24 hours and had to stay in the area for 24 hours in case we had emergency missions. Around 1700 hrs (5:00 p.m. SEA time) more sirens interrupted our visiting with friends. These lasted 30 minutes! Most of the crewmembers in the lounge unlike me had already been in-country a few days, months or over a year. My buddy, Al Hoeft from Mactan was there. This time it was Red Alert meaning attack is imminent was announced! I asked another older crewmember Staff Sergeant Blaylock if he had seen this before, Staff Sergeant Beryl Blaylock was an Engineer I had flown had with before. No, he said, I have not, but it doesn’t sound good. I became concerned as I had no weapon tonight.

Our crew unloaded our personal gear from the Herky-Bird and went over to the chow hall. As it turned out the chow-hall was about 200 feet from our enlisted huts. After eating we went back to the huts and just sat around talking, doing nothing and hit the sack about 2300 hrs (11:00 pm). This was my first trip in Vietnam except for the in-country orientation ride.

Crewmembers are always afforded the opportunity to see their new surroundings with a crew that has been around the block so to speak. The flight on the 23rd of January was just an in and out indoctrination and back to Clark Air Base. My first trip in-country was January 29th, 1968. It was about 1500 hours (3:00 a.m.). when we arrived. First off was to unload the cargo we picked up in Cebu, checked in at base ops and sat around waiting for the crew transport to go downtown to Saigon and the Merlin hotel.

Tan Son Nhut was constructed by the French the 1920’s and was used by the Japanese during the Second World War. The 29th Tactical Airlift Squadron’s home base was Clark Airfield on the island of Luzon, in the Philippines. However while in-country, the crews and planes of the 772nd and the 29th were assigned to the 834th Air Division at Tan Son Nhut. While our sister C-130 squadron crews with