The first pass is made at the base, but things
are not right and he has to make another pass. "Why is he trying to
land such a badly damaged plane?" We are informed that the tail gunner cannot
bail out -- too badly injured.
Around he goes,
trying to make the second landing approach. So slowly he is moving, coming in.
Again they are requested to bail out, again the gunner can't. Lower and lower
he gets, but wait, it cannot seem to get any lower." He's veering left -- OH
MY GOD not into the KC-135 parking area - they are all loaded with JP4 -- GET IT UP!! GET IT UP!!
Okay, he's leveled
off -- not going to hit. Keep it going man, keep it going - Oh No he's going
in - My God--what a fireball--it's just like daylight. Did they have time
to get out?
Fire settling down now. Hopelessly
we all stood watching as the flames burn down.
Slowly
in my mind I am going back to another base where 8 years earlier I am standing
in the rain with my dog along side of the runway watching another plane land. "Oh My God what happened - fireball - great light - Its not going to stop - got
to get out of here - it's okay Boy, not going to get this far." I had watched
77 people die and could not help them. Seven AP's arriving from stateside died
that night at Clark AFB 1964.
The flames
at U-Tapao are almost gone.
Later we learned
that two (2) crew members survived: The tail gunner who could not bail out and
what I remember as the EWO officer (could very well have been co-pilot). Some
time later, I went to the spot where the wreckage was stored to look at it and
do a post check on a dog handler. Cockpit, tail assembly and part of the wings: Good men died in this thing -- doing what they thought was right. Twice I had
watched as good men died and could not help -- never wanted to have to watch again.
Vernon J Anderson (SSgt 1972)
K-9
Night Supervisor,
U-Tapao RTNAFB
