Flare
Kickers
94962 USAF – FLARES OVER
VIETNAM
Air Force SSgt Paul E. Gwinnup,
left of Morristown, Indiana, member of the 315th Air Commando
Group, and A1C Larry J. McComb, of Dallas Texas, from the 8th
Aerial Port Squadron, prepare flares in excess of one million candlepower
aboard a U.S. Air Force C-123 aircraft for a night’s flare dropping
activity. The flares are used to
light up suspected Viet Cong hiding places, or government outposts under
attack by the Viet Cong. The
flare aircraft are constantly on runway and airborne alert from dust to dawn
to provide instant response to requests from beleaguered friendly forces.
This mission took place in late December near Saigon.
OFFICIAL U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO
RELEASED BY DEPT. OF DEFENSE, WASH., D.C.
January 10, 1966.
Bringing light to the darkness over the Trail or over a
friendly base under siege required considerable effort and teamwork.
Activities similar to this went on during every Candlestick mission.
Fred Thompson, and perhaps some other TLCB members assigned to NKP, served sometimes as
volunteer flare kickers on the Candlestick Missions.
More
information is on the Mark-24 Flare is available in the PACAF Bulletins
section of SEA Documents.
