My ex-wife Airman Sandra Music, now deceased, flew MATS as Flight Attendant out of McGuire AFB during period Feb 62 thru early 1964. Just wondering if there are any former crew members who might remember her.

I spent most of my career associated with the 141. 7.5 years starting in 68, working on them and 10years, 78-88 flying them as an engineer. Worked in the FMS Aero Repair shop and Job Control at Norton. 14th MAS at Norton AFB as my last assignment. Had a short stint in SAC before returning to MAC in the early years of my career. Good times and good people, great aircraft.

I was a loadmaster on the C-141.I was in the 53MAS "BLACKJACKS"

I was stationed at McGuire AFB from 1968 until 1970 438th Active duty Hyd. specialist. From 1977 until 1998 assigned to the 514th Reserves as a Hyd. specialist. I was a maint. team member of Operation Deep Freeze. I was also a member of the volent rodeo team. We competed in Charleston SC.


Ret. Msgt. NCANG

I'm a Marine that hitched a ride on two separate C-141's and in both occassions they were great flights. Once from Clark to Travis and the other from Dover to March. My buddy Hal Maynard was a Navigator on one until he reired from Travis AFB in the mid 1980's. I had a chance to see many work out of Travis in the 70's and 80's.

In researching some of my family history, I am now looking for help in identifying likely USAF airbases and squadrons/units that LtCol James Bjorkman may have been associated with.

The period I am searching is'68-'83, in which I know Jim flew C-141's to Vietnam to begin with. I am unsure what bases he flew out of after Vietnam; nor what missions he served to support from that time until '83.

Any help in identifying or locating Jim's service record - especially in Starlifter service - is much appreciated.

Adam Freeman

Great web page! Just found it and will pass it along to other interested crew members. I myself was stationed at Norton AFB 1980-1993. Assigned to the 14th MAS Engineer. I have tried to follow updates on the C141 for years. Great airplane and I had alot of flying around the world on it. Many great crew rests and war stories.
Thanks

I had a great time on the C-141! I miss those days very much! SMSGT Charles Brown...you rock!

Greetings, I was the Flight Engineer on 0017 which was destroyed in a fire at MacEntire AFB, SC in 1982. Your synopsis on the incident is fairly correct. If you'd like to know anymore about it, feel free to email me. Regards, Rocco

Hello Starlifters,

I know how many of you feel, now that your airplane is a resident at D-M and being cut up for scrap or being used for "target practice" somewhere...

It's hard to believe that the 141 is going the way of our 133's. Your Starlifters were new airplanes back when our Cargomasters had only a few years left. How the time does fly...

Best wishes to all.
Tom Rood

I flew C141's for 14th MAS and 53rd MAS out of Norton AFB, CA from 1-70 through 10-73. Too bad both base and plane are gone now. Many missions to Hickham, Kadena and Clark enroute to Vietnam, SEA, Japan, Korea, Samoa, mid-Pacific islands, Australia, and Europe as well. Lots of great memories of a fun to fly airplane, great crew rests and a few hairy flying stories as well. (70-04 at Craig for UPT; Altus upgrade in 1970)

443rd, Altus, July '74 Cranked #4 engine
turned on A/C and took a nap! (I was short!)
Later in life Spent twenty years in Asia and depended on that silver bird for all our needs.

Hi all you "Starlifter" lovers. I was a flight engineer out of Norton AFB, CA, the 15th MAS. She was fast, forgiving and fun and I miss her. My crew and I took the Bob Hope tour to Vietnan and back during TET, 1968 and I still relish the memories.
Let's talk y'all!

Loadmaster , 701 MAS , Charleston SC , 1970-72. Didnt appreciate it as much then as now.

Iworked on the 141 at Travis from 1987 to 1991.
This had to be one of the best planes ever built.
Great site thanks for putting it together.

C-141B F/E, 730th MAS, Norton AFB, 1984-1989. Still flying!

Just heard about this site this am from Mark Benoit and it certainly is full of memories and Info, I do not miss the BS but I certainly worked with a lot of good people and had a lot of great parties along the way.........
Yokota 79-82
McGuire 82-91
Scott 91-95
Early retirement, thats the ticket
drop a line Buzz

Served as Crew Chief on 65-254 Travis AFB 1966-1970. Many happy, and few not-so-happy, hours working on the old A models. I remember sitting under the wing of 254 watching a tiny black and white tv when our astronauts landed on the moon. Wow. Seems like yesterday. I also remember helping unload all those aluminum caskets from "Nam" and all the medivacs with our wounded soldiers. Wish I would have stayed in. SSgt. David A. Day

The C141 is one of the best and most reliable airplanes I have ever been associated with. I started working on these great birds in 1982 as an AR specialist in the 60th FMS at Travis AFB. I later became a Flight Engineer in 1986 again being stationed at Travis in both the 7th MAS and 710th MAS until 1990. The C141B help me discover the world. Still to this day, flying as an FE on that airplane was the best job I ever had. Although, I do not miss box lunches, bad coffee, touch and go’s, and engine vibration monitoring! LOL.

I left the Air Force and accepted an engineering position with McDonnell Douglas to build the C-17, the eventual replacement for the C-141B. I am currently an engineer with Boeing supporting all McDonnell Douglas/Boeing commercial airplanes.

I am sad to report that another brother has fallen, who once was stationed at McGuire AFB NJ assigned to the 438th FMS A/R shop.
He was at the time SSgt Henry Sturdevant, but fellow workers new him has Stu. He worked flight line swing shift on the C141B, and sure will be missed.
He passed away yesterday in his sleep. I currently don’t have any information’s on arrangements for his funeral.

Hi All,
Was stationed at McGuire, AFB from 73-76 438 FMS Jet engine ISO docks and cross trained to Air Traffic Control from 76-79 NcGuire AFB 1998 Com. Sqdn. (RAPCON). It was a great time. Worked on the C-141, then controlled them. A great time. Hope to hear from some former colleagues.

I spent many a happy hour flying with the 97th MAS USAFR at McChord AFB WA. Originally joined the squadron in 79 and left for active duty with the Army in 82. A major error in judgement at the time but worked out in the end. Finished 23 yrs with time on activ and with the National Guard. Finished service in 89 at Ft Irwin CA where I continued working as a government contract worker till I moved back to the Bremerton WA area. I now work as a contractor at Ft Lewis WA in coputer networking. A lot of changes over the years, but my time in the 141 were the best. White Coral runs, three weeks in the Pacific, Europe runs, Korea, they all were great. Anyone from the old 97th can contact me any time. Thanks for all your service gentle people.

I was an ART crew chief on the C-141B only, from 1982-1996. When I arrived at Travis some of the new B models still had the fuselage plugs not painted. I was prior active dury on the FB-111A and the F-4D. I didn't do hardly any missions until the mid 90s until we became part of ops as an experiment which was pretty cool if you didn't travel much. A couple of my favorite trips were an around the world embassy run, which took us to many foreign countrys. One of my favorite places to visit at the time was Egypt. And I was able to go to Austrailia a few times. My last 141 trip Downunder we had to do an engine change in Pago Pago. Anyway I had the privilege to work with some pretty talented people with lots of experience on the 141. So after 14 years on the plane I was pretty comfortable working on it and doing offshore missions. I was able to make lots of friends both reserve and active duty. Those times and people were truly missed when I moved over to the KC-10 in late 96. I was crew chief on aircraft 65-245 for a long time and then 65-247 for the last 2 years. A couple of interesting things about 245 while I was assigned to the aircraft were it carried the Viet Nam unknown soldier to Washington back in the day. Also when the iron curtain fell in 89 the T-birds did a show I think in Poland which was their first show in a communist country then. 245 was their transport and support aircraft.

I was on the C-141B aircraft from 1984 until it retired. I was stationed at McGuire AFB, New Jersey as a Environmental Systems Mechanic.

Served active duty 1967-1969 @ Kedena AB, Okinawa & 1969-1971 Chas AB, SC. [Logistics] Also USAFR @ Chas SC 1983-1994 [Avionics]

C-141B 7952 has met its keeper this day
the jaws has cut her into peices for salvage

photos possible when i get the chance

When stationed in Pakistan in '67-'69 I had the good fortune to fly on the C-141 Embassy flight, both going and coming. Each week we watched as the C141 brought us mail and all supplies that were keeping us alive. What a beautiful sight to watch it bank over the bleak landscape as it came into the same air base that Francis Gary Powers had used for his U2 flights. Thank You Mighty Starlifter for all that you did for Freedom.

Was a C-141A jet engine mechanic at the 443rd MAW from 12 Dec 1964 to 31 May 1968 at Tinker AFB, OK 73145. I loved working on that airplane.

602nd OMS flight line at Travis AFB 1980-1984.Crew chief on Aircraft 398 swing shift, wow those were the days. We sure played a lot of cards in the back of the maintance truck.

worked on thr 141 with the 438 ams mcguire i also have a signed photo of the crew #0639 that flew the all female crew. i have a lot of memories there.

Was in the Reserves at McChord from '84-'99, March on C models from '99-'07.

I apologize in advance for any grammar troubles, but I was looking for any C-141 crewmember, loadmaster, or technician who may have known of or worked with Lt. Col. James Bjorkman at any time from 1955-1978.

Uncle Jim was flying C-141's as a pilot from about 1967 or 1968 until his death in 1978. I believe he was stationed at bases in Europe - possibly Spain - during the period he flew supply missions to Vietnam. I also believe he flew from air bases in the Midwest or Pacific Northwest from about 1973-1978.

Jim Bjorkman began his flying career in the USAF with the Stratojet - he was a B-47E pilot from about 1955-1962; between this time and about 1967 I think he went into reserve status. When the USAF soon developed a need for experienced 4 and 6 engine jet pilots as Vietnam heated up, he was offered the driver's seat job on C-141's because of his B-47 training.

I appreciate any help with my finding USAF connections to my Uncle Jim!

Adam Freeman

Hello from Thailand. This web site is great stuff and brings tears to an old retired Load's eyes.

I was stationed at Altus AFB 57th Airlift Squadron. It was my first duty station, and the 141 was the first aircraft I worked on out of tech school. Loved the Buck Forty One Sh*tLifter!

Sorry about the typos on my first entry, thank goodness I didn't become a Pilot being that unattentive I might have over shot my destination by an hour. No offense to the fine pilots of our military that are serving now and that have served. Bob Toth and Cameron thanks for the great rides. By the way where's Percy ?("eat mo cooter")

Graduated with the last class of Loadmasters from the "A" model school, was stationed with the 86th Mas Travis. What a great group of folks to be associated with, and what a fantastic job on an even greater aircraft. I was married two weeks before graduating from load school and saw my wife a total of 23 days over the next 6 months, what a honeymoon. I traveled the world and she stayed back at Travis working on C5s and C-141's with the Fuel Sysyems Shop.

I spent my first 7 and a half years of my Air Force career working C-141Bs'. I was stationed at Travis, 602 AGS, when tail 253 burned down. My first tail was 65-231. I enjoyed working them.

If you go to 63-8088 that is me airing up the struts and tires to tow into hanger for restoration

Old C130 loady from 316th. lookin'for any former crew dogs who came south to Charleston late 74 or so, from Langley. Some ofya have got to be out there

My grandfather was an engineer on the c141 development team, and I have recently been researching the aircraft. He is passed 5 years now, and I wish I knew more about this aircraft. Thanks for developing this website.