Rumsfeld and flying

Stephen Harding wrote:
George Z. Bush wrote:
Stephen Harding wrote:


We ended up being stationed in Tachikawa, Japan with him for
3 years and got there via SS President Roosevelt, a President
lines luxury cruise ship (without Dad since he had to fly the
plane there)! My mother should have spoken up much earlier!]


Just out of curiosity, when were you there? I spent amost 4 years in Japan,
the last three of which were at Tachikawa.

Yeah I remember you said you were there.

We were in Tachi from ? 1962 through August 1965. My Dad was
LtCol with the 22nd TCS flying the C-124. He retired on coming
home.

After my time. I was there from '51 through '55. I was with the 344th TCS, a
tenant outfit flying C-46s. The rest of my outfit were at Brady, down near
Fukuoka (Kyushu). We moved up to Tachi in Dec. '51, when the 124s were all
grounded due to inflight generator fires. For a while, our 46s and the 54
squadron were all there was available for intra-theater traffic in and out of
Tachi. The 344th deactivated in '55 and became a Flying Training Squadron which
eventually turned our aircraft over to the Japan Air Self Defense Force. We had
the distinction of being among the very few AF people in the world who ever flew
airplanes with the Rising Sun insignia on them.

Sorry if I've rambled.....thought you might be interested in some of the stuff
that happened before your time there.

George Z.


SMH

George Z. Bush wrote:

Stephen Harding wrote:

George Z. Bush wrote:

Stephen Harding wrote:



We ended up being stationed in Tachikawa, Japan with him for
3 years and got there via SS President Roosevelt, a President
lines luxury cruise ship (without Dad since he had to fly the
plane there)! My mother should have spoken up much earlier!]


Just out of curiosity, when were you there? I spent amost 4 years in Japan,
the last three of which were at Tachikawa.

Yeah I remember you said you were there.

We were in Tachi from ? 1962 through August 1965. My Dad was
LtCol with the 22nd TCS flying the C-124. He retired on coming
home.


After my time. I was there from '51 through '55. I was with the 344th TCS, a
tenant outfit flying C-46s. The rest of my outfit were at Brady, down near
Fukuoka (Kyushu). We moved up to Tachi in Dec. '51, when the 124s were all
grounded due to inflight generator fires. For a while, our 46s and the 54
squadron were all there was available for intra-theater traffic in and out of
Tachi. The 344th deactivated in '55 and became a Flying Training Squadron which
eventually turned our aircraft over to the Japan Air Self Defense Force. We had
the distinction of being among the very few AF people in the world who ever flew
airplanes with the Rising Sun insignia on them.

Sorry if I've rambled.....thought you might be interested in some of the stuff
that happened before your time there.

Not rambling at all! Much appreciated George.

In fact, my Dad flew out of Japan for a while during and after the
Korean War in the time frame you were in and about Tachi. Didn't
know the 124's were around in 1951.

Were there guys flying in the squadron who flew against the Japanese?
I'd presume at least some since this was only 10 years after the war.
Must have been a weird experience for them flying aircraft with the
hinomaru markings.

I'll ask my mother for info as to where my father might have been
flying during the 51-55 time frame. Could be another "small world"
episode in the making!


SMH

Stephen Harding wrote:
George Z. Bush wrote:

Stephen Harding wrote:

George Z. Bush wrote:

Stephen Harding wrote:



We ended up being stationed in Tachikawa, Japan with him for
3 years and got there via SS President Roosevelt, a President
lines luxury cruise ship (without Dad since he had to fly the
plane there)! My mother should have spoken up much earlier!]


Just out of curiosity, when were you there? I spent amost 4 years in
Japan, the last three of which were at Tachikawa.

Yeah I remember you said you were there.

We were in Tachi from ? 1962 through August 1965. My Dad was
LtCol with the 22nd TCS flying the C-124. He retired on coming
home.


After my time. I was there from '51 through '55. I was with the 344th TCS,
a tenant outfit flying C-46s. The rest of my outfit were at Brady, down near
Fukuoka (Kyushu). We moved up to Tachi in Dec. '51, when the 124s were all
grounded due to inflight generator fires. For a while, our 46s and the 54
squadron were all there was available for intra-theater traffic in and out of
Tachi. The 344th deactivated in '55 and became a Flying Training Squadron
which eventually turned our aircraft over to the Japan Air Self Defense
Force. We had the distinction of being among the very few AF people in the
world who ever flew airplanes with the Rising Sun insignia on them.

Sorry if I've rambled.....thought you might be interested in some of the
stuff that happened before your time there.

Not rambling at all! Much appreciated George.

In fact, my Dad flew out of Japan for a while during and after the
Korean War in the time frame you were in and about Tachi. Didn't
know the 124's were around in 1951.

They certainly were. Originally (before my time), the entire TCWg at Tachi was
a C-54 unit. I think they replaced three 54 squadrons with two 124 units,
obviously with no loss of airlift capability.

I was on base at the time one of the 124s crashed on the outskirts of the base,
with a loss of 129 souls. It was the worst air disaster in Japanese history up
till then. Did you ever hear anything about that one?

Were there guys flying in the squadron who flew against the Japanese?
I'd presume at least some since this was only 10 years after the war.
Must have been a weird experience for them flying aircraft with the
hinomaru markings.

It was weird, whether or not you flew against the Japanese. I know that it felt
awfully strange to me even though I had flown in Italy during WWII. It must
have been more so for those who flew in the Pacific theater.

I'll ask my mother for info as to where my father might have been
flying during the 51-55 time frame. Could be another "small world"
episode in the making!

Please do....who knows where our paths may have crossed?

George Z.

George Z. Bush wrote:
Stephen Harding wrote:

I'll ask my mother for info as to where my father might have been
flying during the 51-55 time frame. Could be another "small world"
episode in the making!

Please do....who knows where our paths may have crossed?

Hey George, my mother directed me towards a mug my father
got sometime in 1953-54 for us two (at the time) kids.

It has my name "Steve" on it along with the Japanese equivalent
(I presume) under it. A red seal with a yellow bee in leather
flying helmet and goggles, carrying something with each pair of
its legs, and a star and bar emblem under one of its wings. A
banner under the seal says "21st Troop Carrier Squadron". On the
back a C-54 is pictured with "Bee liners" under it.

He obtained this while stationed at Tachi in the 53-54 time
period, but apparently was also in the various Japanese bases
you mentioned too from time to time.

What I found especially interesting is that he was basically
"commuting to work". Used Japan as a base and running stuff
back and forth (and everywhere) from Korea and I think focused
on helping out the French in Indochina at the time.

Is this what you were doing too? Of course the hop to Korea
from Japan isn't especially large. A bit more of a haul to
Vietnam. I think it's very likely you guys crossed each
others paths at the time.


SMH

It has my name "Steve" on it along with the Japanese equivalent
(I presume) under it. A red seal with a yellow bee in leather
flying helmet and goggles, carrying something with each pair of
its legs, and a star and bar emblem under one of its wings. A
banner under the seal says "21st Troop Carrier Squadron". On the
back a C-54 is pictured with "Bee liners" under it.

He obtained this while stationed at Tachi in the 53-54 time
period, but apparently was also in the various Japanese bases
you mentioned too from time to time.

And here I am, 50 years later, getting ready to fly a C-54 next month.


Ron
Tanker 65, C-54E (DC-4)

"Ron" wrote in message
...
It has my name "Steve" on it along with the Japanese equivalent
(I presume) under it. A red seal with a yellow bee in leather
flying helmet and goggles, carrying something with each pair of
its legs, and a star and bar emblem under one of its wings. A
banner under the seal says "21st Troop Carrier Squadron". On the
back a C-54 is pictured with "Bee liners" under it.

He obtained this while stationed at Tachi in the 53-54 time
period, but apparently was also in the various Japanese bases
you mentioned too from time to time.

And here I am, 50 years later, getting ready to fly a C-54 next month.

I flew HC-54s during an Air Rescue assignment at Lajes Field, Azores in the
early 60s. Good airplane. I envy you .

George Z.

362436 (Ron) wrote:

And here I am, 50 years later, getting ready to fly a C-54 next month.

Sure now are ya that a month is long to get ready?

Ron wrote:

It has my name "Steve" on it along with the Japanese equivalent
(I presume) under it. A red seal with a yellow bee in leather
flying helmet and goggles, carrying something with each pair of
its legs, and a star and bar emblem under one of its wings. A
banner under the seal says "21st Troop Carrier Squadron". On the
back a C-54 is pictured with "Bee liners" under it.

He obtained this while stationed at Tachi in the 53-54 time
period, but apparently was also in the various Japanese bases
you mentioned too from time to time.

And here I am, 50 years later, getting ready to fly a C-54 next month.

Well hang in there!

You might get upgraded to C-124s yet!


SMH

Well hang in there!

You might get upgraded to C-124s yet!

Would be interesting to fly Old Shakey, but I think the fires would be out
before I ever got there in it

There have been some KC-97s flying on fires, not sure if any will fly this
year.


Ron
Tanker 65, C-54E (DC-4)

362436 (Ron) wrote:

And here I am, 50 years later, getting ready to fly a C-54 next month.

Sure now are ya that a month is long enough to get ready?