When I was a Coastie on Guam in 1972 (or 73), a Marine C-130 taxied up to our CG nose hanger for C-123s. If memory serves me right,I was told he was the last enlisted pilot in the Marine Corps. Is this correct and if so who was he?

Chances are it was WO Henry Wildfang, the timeframe sounds about right. Check the Marine Air Transport Association website, the newsletters have some info on him, The Gunner rates some "no ****" legend status in Marine 130's.

In 1966/67 in MAG12 Chu Lai, we had one of the last enlisted pilots.... I just can't remember his name but he was of Native American heritage....

He drove the R4D...I never knew any qualified for the C130...

S/F

Thanks a lot for the info. My dates are a little off. It was late 71 or early 72.
I was an E4 avonics tech and air crewman. Being in the Coast Guard we had a lot of different jobs and I was on the line crew that day when they taxied up and I remember I chocked the wheeels. I could hardy wait for him to get off of the air craft just to see what he looked like. I was actually in awe of the guy.

quote:

Originally posted by B2RRG:
I was actually in awe of the guy.

The Marine I remember was impressive in size and stature... he was an E8..maybe E9...salty and chewed on an unlit cigar....

That may be the same Marine. He was a big chested man, salty, and it seems he was an E9 at the time. I don't remeber the cigar but that was a 1 hour event 30 plus years ago.

My dad flew with Wildfang.

I have some photos at home of him and several others back inthe 60's..will get themm scanned and posted.....

SF.....GyB

I was a Rigger attached to H&MS 13, at Chu Lai, during 1966/67

I remember meeting an enlisted pilot, that was going to fly an old jet trainer that we had (if I remember correctly). I only met him briefly while he was suiting up, but I also remember being in awe of him. It was quite apparent that he had the respect of our pilots.

For some reason, I want to think he was the last enlisted pilot on active duty, at that time. An enlisted pilot was also mentioned in the Iwakuni thread, and I would have to assume that he is the same person.

As far as I know, I was the last enlisted to fly a KC-130 in combat.

During Desert Storm, I asked to go along for a mission. During the flight, The pilot asked me to check out the radar indicator. So we swapped places, and he went back to talk to the Navigator or something. While I was in the pilot's seat checking the indicator, I noticed that the plane was banking to the left. When it reached 45 degrees and still going, I took the yoke and turned it to the right. As the plane leveled, I said "Hey, anybody flying this thing?" The startled co-pilot then took the controls. I don't remember the co-pilot's name, but the pilot was then Capt. King. He's a LtCol now, last I saw. He told me never to tell anyone about the incident. Tough.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: <SSgtRobertMorris>,

I met WO Henry Wildfang in the admin building across from H&MS 13 when he was checking out of El Toro and retiring in April or May of 1973. I had no idea who he was, but one of the staff told me, a young LCpl know-it-all knucklehead at the time, that I needed to speak with him, as he was a walking piece of history. He went on and on about his adventures for 20 minutes or more. I was just too much of knuck at the time to take down any notes... I wonder who else he talked to...

JB

Went R&R from NAS Atsugi in an R4Q in 1956. We had a 2nd Lt pilot in command and a Master Sgt in the right seat. You could always tell which one was landing the aircraft. When the Sarge landed you couldn't even feel the wheels touch.
We also had an enlisted pilot flying F9F in H&MS-11 Mag-11 at the time.

In 1968 I was an Aerial Observer with the Ist Mar. Div flying with the USMC, US Army, USAF, RokMC and VNAF at Marble Mtn. If memory serves me correctly MGYSGT Robert Lurie was flying a PuffMagicDrag in I Corps in the Arizona, Charlie Ridge etc. As a matter of fact his son Bob Jr. was KIA while flying a UHIE, if I recall correctly, in 1968 some where over Charlie Ridge. Also I flew AO missions with MSgt. Baker in 1966 at MCAS New River while attending AO School.
As for the Mishaps, Crashes, Bumps and Scrapes I have a sack full of two and three beer sea stories from my 11 years of flying with the best pilots in the world i.e. Moriarity, Farber, Norton, Burin, Lepo, Key, Sieja, Ross, Kimmel, both Pete and Gene, just to name a few. Semper Fidelis. Blackcoat.

Probably good. Suspended.

Morris is suspicious in me.

.......

Wildfang !! The only 'Member "Emeritus"' of US of the MCATA Transporters. He has so many flight hours. Been there, done everything, him.

Good stock, North Dakota, he. He is currently 90 years young. He buried his Mother a couple of months back. She was 110.

According to my limited memory, he is one of the CWOs of us.. Yup, started out as one of our "flying sergeants".

I never flew "wits" him.

MGySgt Tippie? Yes. He was a Plane Commander at El Toro, flying KC130Fs in my little 3 year stint, there.

Sf,
--Erl, VMGR-352, '68-'71

quote:

Originally posted by __Raven__:
Morris is suspicious in me.

Hey, LtCol James King is a member of military.com. Why don't you ask him about it?

Ask him about the f#@king coffe cup too, while you're at it. You probably wouldn't believe that one if I told it to you either.

http://unitpages.military.com/community/MemberProfile/M...jsp?member_id=277354

quote:

Originally posted by __Raven__:
Probably good. Suspended.

Morris is suspicious in me.

.......

Wildfang !! The only 'Member "Emeritus"' of US of the MCATA Transporters. He has so many flight hours. Been there, done everything, him.

Good stock, North Dakota, he. He is currently 90 years young. He buried his Mother a couple of months back. She was 110.

According to my limited memory, he is one of the CWOs of us.. Yup, started out as one of our "flying sergeants".

I never flew "wits" him.

MGySgt Tippie? Yes. He was a Plane Commander at El Toro, flying KC130Fs in my little 3 year stint, there.

Sf,
--Erl, VMGR-352, '68-'71

Raven....

The old post above by GunnyBrown1775 is me....changed the name for the MOD job...

anyway.....

If you knew Wildfang...and were at 352 during that time...you probably knew my dad and my uncle....

MGySgt Billy Ray Brown....

and MSgt Charles Goulet...( Guuulay)

Ranks were probably different back then....Dad and Charles retired in 72 and 73....

Also...Do you recognize the name Tom Hundly..

Gyb

quote:

Originally posted by 61151312:

quote:

Originally posted by __Raven__:
Probably good. Suspended.

Morris is suspicious in me.

.......

Wildfang !! The only 'Member "Emeritus"' of US of the MCATA Transporters. He has so many flight hours. Been there, done everything, him.

Good stock, North Dakota, he. He is currently 90 years young. He buried his Mother a couple of months back. She was 110.

According to my limited memory, he is one of the CWOs of us.. Yup, started out as one of our "flying sergeants".

I never flew "wits" him.

MGySgt Tippie? Yes. He was a Plane Commander at El Toro, flying KC130Fs in my little 3 year stint, there.

Sf,
--Erl, VMGR-352, '68-'71

Raven....

The old post above by GunnyBrown1775 is me....changed the name for the MOD job...

anyway.....

If you knew Wildfang...and were at 352 during that time...you probably knew my dad and my uncle....

MGySgt Billy Ray Brown....

and MSgt Charles Goulet...( Guuulay)

Ranks were probably different back then....Dad and Charles retired in 72 and 73....

Also...Do you recognize the name Tom Hundly..

Gyb

Nine months to put up the photo's. Damn fine job there Gy.

Semper Fi

John Boy

wait one.....the photo of them is the same one I posted on another thread here....

Chest thumping, cont'd.. (geesh !!)

quote:

Originally posted by SSgtRobertMorris:
As far as I know, I was the last enlisted to fly a KC-130 in combat.

During Desert Storm, I asked to go along for a mission. During the flight, The pilot asked me to check out the radar indicator. So we swapped places, and he went back to talk to the Navigator or something. While I was in the pilot's seat checking the indicator, I noticed that the plane was banking to the left. When it reached 45 degrees and still going, I took the yoke and turned it to the right. As the plane leveled, I said "Hey, anybody flying this thing?" The startled co-pilot then took the controls. I don't remember the co-pilot's name, but the pilot was then Capt. King. He's a LtCol now, last I saw. He told me never to tell anyone about the incident. Tough.

..and most likely, as the craft was banked 45 degrees to port, it probably was descending too.

Not hard to believe what you say. O/W, figure me as yust another yoker.

I "flew" a KC130F once, in level flight. It was kinda tricky developing a feel.. just imagine steering an old Ford van with totally worn out idler and pitman arms.. kinda like that. It takes awhile for the control surfaces to catch up with orders from the yoke.. or in my case, the temporary "yoker" in the PC's seat.

Needless to say, I wasn't recommended for pilot school.



Originally posted by __Raven__:

"Morris is suspicious in me."

Originally posted by SSgtRobertMorris:

"Hey, LtCol James King is a member of military.com. Why don't you ask him about it?

Ask him about the f#@king coffe cup too, while you're at it. You probably wouldn't believe that one if I told it to you either.

LtCol King profile

I don't know about your coffee cup story: I'll take yer word that it's a good one.

Speaking of coffee, did you know that my coffee was ranked best in 3MAW school building. Yup, an' it only cost a nickel..

Not much of typer, me.. when the big rewrite the C-130 refresher course study guides project was running, who did the typing? Not me.

Coffee mess profits paid for a typer from off base.

So, lessee: because King's profile indicates he's still active, why not wait until he's retired before not honoring his request that you "never to tell anyone about the incident. Tough>"?

break, break

"6115":

Don't remember those you mention, except (almost) "Tom Hundly".

FEs I remember: Corley, Davis, Joiner, Strohmeyer, Posey, Beal, Dunlap, Kachelein, Scott.. and a mech named McDermott.

Sf,
--Syverstad, coffeemaker*

* Yah, I was born with an S stamped on my chest, same as Starbucks! Whose that guy in your profile pic, Morris?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: __Raven__,

quote:

Originally posted by __Raven__:
So, lessee: because King's profile indicates he's still active, why not wait until he's retired before not honoring his request that you "never to tell anyone about the incident. Tough>"?

Yah, I was born with an S stamped on my chest, same as Starbucks! Whose that guy in your profile pic, Morris?

Because of the chickens#!t things he said and did to me. One of which was the f#@king coffee cup.

The guy in my profile? The thing said to put our picture in there... Did someone change it?