FAC Bird: 67-21393
At the bone-yard at Davis
Monthan AFB, Arizona, Don Neiser inspects a previously mothballed bird,
67-21393, which he has purchased before trucking it back to Oklahoma City.
In July 1997, he sent me a note to see what I might know of 393 since
it’s history indicated it had been a 23rd TASS bird during the
War in Southeast Asia.
Obviously 393 had been a night
bird as I find it six times in my log book during November 1967 when I flew
nights over the Ho Chi Minh Trail. I
logged 27 hours and fifty-five minutes in 393.
On those six missions in 393, I
directed 22 flights of fighters. At
night most attack flights were single-ship although the F-4s came in in pairs.
Those 22 strike flights were 12 T-28s (Zorros), 6 A-26s (Nimrods), 6
F-4Cs, and 1 B-57 (Yellowbird or Redbird).
I kept abbreviated notes in a diary.
My note for the night of 12 November 1967 when I flew 393
says Nearly hit by 37mm
My final flight in 393 was 23
November. The diary entry is:
Thanksgiving Day
Put three flights on the gunners
with the asbestos Buddha; -- it
also wards off CBU-24 and HE rockets. Took
about 700 rounds of fire from him during the strikes.
Don Neiser was lucky to get 393.
Those who attended the first TLCB gathering at Wright Patterson AFB in
the fall of 1998 met Don after he and 23rd TASS FAC Don Brown had
flown up to Greene County Airport near Xenia, Ohio from Oklahoma City.
The highlight of the reunion for former 23rd TASS aircraft
maintainers Dick Anderson, Paul Lee, and two or three others was a ride on Don
Neiser’s O-2. Those guys
couldn’t get the smiles off their faces after they arrived about an hour
late to the Saturday evening TLCB dinner.
In response to my query for more
information, Dick Anderson sent this response:
We
all rode in Don's O-2 that day. Including
my wife, Cheryl. Paul and his
brother Steve rode together, then Kermit and Jim Young, then Cheryl and me.
I think Jim's wife Linda was the only one who didn't go up.
Don also pulled a switch between the front seat and back seat during
the flight, so that the person in back ended up in the front seat when we
landed. He let each of us take
the controls for a brief flight.
And you're
right, even though we landed back at the airport we didn't come down for quite
awhile. It was a great thrill
