Vietnam war era 18th SOS Patch-We Hunt at Night

[Patchcollector]

I was digging through my patch boxes recently and came across some patches that I had not seen for awhile.This 18th SOS is one of them.

I bought it some year ago,and I think it is one of the coolest designs that I have seen.(Alot of other people must have thought so too,as bidding was hot and heavy,

if I remember right!)It is an interesting variation,as the colors,and the design differs from other 18th SOS patches that I have seen.It may even be unique,

perhaps made for a crewmember,and never worn.(?)Actually,all Stinger patches are fairly uncommon,as the unit was pretty small,only 26 AC-119K Stinger aircraft were ever made!

In addition to the images of my patch,I am including some info and pics that may be of interest to some.Enjoy!

 

 

Here is some history of the unit,and info about the Aircraft:

 

 

18th SOS and Stinger Chronology

 

FEATURES

 

FLIR | NOS | 20mm Cannon| Miniguns | Munitions| Flare Launcher

 

Beacon Tracking Radar | Airborne Illuminator | Armor Protection | Smoke Evac

 

Vengeance by Night!

Motto of the famed Hunter/Killers of

the Ho Chi Minh Trail

 

A history of the AC-119K Stinger gunship

 

In 1967, Air Force and ground commanders throughout Vietnam were clamoring for more gunships. The Air Force wanted more AC-130s for use against the supply routes, but the need for cargo-carrying C-130s took precedent over the gunships. Air Force did not want to go back to the AC-47, since that aircraft did not meet the new gunship requirements calling for more speed, greater payload capacity, and longer range. Another aircraft had to be found for the gunship program. Air Force also wanted to equip some of the new gunships for the truck-hunting role, which meant heavier weapons and advanced electronic warfare equipment. The answer lay with the venerable, old Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar.

 

The C-119 Flying Boxcar had the increased performance that the new requirement called for and was much larger internally than the C-47. Best of all, it was readily available since they equipped many squadrons within the Air Force Reserve. It was a natural choice. A letter contract was awarded to Fairchild-Hiller Corp. on February 17, 1968 to modify twenty-six C-119 airframes into AC-119G Gunships; and twenty-six more C-119 airframes into advanced AC-119K gunships for the truck-hunting role. All modifications were to be done at the Fairchild-Hiller facility in St. Augustine, Florida.

 

Starting life as a C-119G, the Fairchild-Hiller people added all the equipment needed to bring the aircraft to C-119K standard. Then the gunship modifications began. The aircraft were brought to AC-119G standards then had the following equipment added specifically for the truck-hunting role:

 

In addition to the two J-85 jet engines, the K model bolstered the four-minigun armament of the G with 31,000 rounds of ammunition plus two M61AI 20mm multibarrel Gattling cannons and 4,500 rounds of 20 mm ammunition."

 

Stinger also carried the G-model NOD/NOS. The FLIR was noticeable improvement over the seldom use NOD on the 17th SOS gunships because the FLIR did not require starlight or moonlight. Although Stinger NOS/Navigators used it quite extensively. The K models were also equipped with a state-of-the-art Texas Instruments AN/AAD-4 Forward looking infrared (FLIR) system; AN/APN-147 Doppler radar; Motorola AN/APQ-133 Sidelooking beacon tracking radar, and Texas Instruments AN/APQ-136 search radar. In addition to the G model flare equipment, both gunships were also equipped with a door-mounted 20-kilowatt (KW) "white light" illuminator. Its 1.5-million candlepower variable beam could light up a football stadium with superb clarity on the darkest nights. Of course, it also told the bad guys below exactly where to point their weapons, a drawback that discouraged the gunship crews from using the illuminator whenever possible. The illuminator on the K model also had an infrared mode, (I'm not sure about the G model.) but this was no guarantee the enemy gunners couldn't follow the beam back to the aircraft.

 

All of the AC-119s were assigned to the 14th Special Operations Wing headquartered at Nha Trang. The G models were assigned to the 17th SOSq, while the K models went to the 18th.AC-119s had two completely different missions. The G models were strictly for TIC (Troops in Contact) support and airbase defense. The K models were used almost strictly in the truck-hunting role.

As the Stingers fast became the nightmare of North Vietnamese truckers on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos, a new tactic was tried where the gunship crews and Army pilots flying their sophisticated OV-1 Mohawk surveillance plane formed into ad hoc hunter-killer teams. The hunter-killer-team concept brought together the best of the sensor capabilities mounted on both the OV-1 s and the AC-119Ks, the forces met to find enemy trucks coming down the Ho chi Minh Trail, the latter to acquire and destroy specific targets.

Also,F-4 Phantoms from the 366th tactical Fighter Wing at Da Nang flew constant escort and antiaircraft suppression for all Stinger armed reconnaissance flights. At the height of the truck-hunting season the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) averaged six escort sorties per night.

By late 1972, the war was winding down for the Shadow/Stinger squadrons. The AC-130s were coming on line in growing numbers and except for the few AC-119Gs, and fewer AC-119Ks, turned over to the VNAF, the AC-119 gunship would fight no more. They had been a very effective fighting force for the short time they were involved in the war. The 18th SOS had some 2206 disabled trucks to their credit by September of 1970 alone.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

 

Type: AC-119K Stinger, fixed wing gunship

 

Number Built/Converted: 26

 

Remarks: Improved the AC-119G

 

Serial/Tail Numbers:

52-5864, 52-5889, 52-5910, 52-5911, 52-55926, 52-5935, 52-5940, 52-5945, 52-9982,

53-3154, 53-3156, 53-3187, 53-3197, 53-3211, 53-7826, 53-7830, 53-7831, 53-7839,

53-7850, 53-7854, 53-7877, 53-7879, 53-7883, 53-8121, 53-8145, 53-8148

 

SPECIFICATIONS

 

Span: 109 ft. 3 1/4 in.

 

Length: 86 ft. 5 3/4 in.

 

Height: 26 ft. 7 3/4 in.

 

Weight: 80,400 lbs.

 

Max. Armament: Four SUU-11A 7.62 mm "miniguns" with 21,500 rounds of ammunition. Two M61-A1 20 mm vulcan cannons with 3,000 rounds of ammunition. 24 MK 24 flares and an LAU-74/A flare launcher. Later, the SUU-11A's were replaced by General Electric MXU-470/A gun modules. The AC-119K was equipped with a computerized fire control system (FCS) with fully auto, semi-auto, manual and offset firing capabilities. The Stinger also had a 1.5 million candlepower illuminator with a variable beam, APQ-136 forward looking radar, AAD-4 forward looking infrared radar (FLIR), APR-25/26 electronic countermeasures (ECM) warning device, and AN/APQ-133 Beacon Tracking Radar (removed in December 1970).

 

Engines: Two Wright R-3350s of 3,500 hp. ea. and two General Electric J85-GE-17 turbojets of 2850 lbs. thrust each

 

Crew: Ten - pilot, copilot, navigator, night observation sight (NOS) operator, radar/FLIR operator, flight engineer, illuminator operator, three gunners.

 

PERFORMANCE

 

Combat speed: 180 knots

 

Duration: approximately 5 hours (plus 30 minutes reserve)

 

Attack altitude: Approximately 3,500ft. above ground level (AGL) for close air support; 5,500ft AGL for ground attack in areas without AAA and 7,000ft AGL in areas with AAA.

 

 

 

Lineage

 

18th Special Operations Squadron, was constituted on 18 Jan 1969. Activated on 25 Jan 1969. Inactivated on 31 Dec 1972.

 

Assignments

 

1st Special Operations Wing, 25 Jan 1969; 4410th Combat Crew Training Wing, 15 Jul 1969; 14th Special Operations Wing, 1 Oct 1969; 56th Special Operations Wing, 25 Aug 1971–31 Dec 1972.

 

Stations

 

Lockbourne AFB, OH, 25 Jan–1 Oct 1969; Phan Rang AB, South Vietnam, Oct 1969; Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, Thailand, 25 Aug 1971–31 Dec 1972.

 

Aircraft

 

AC–119, 1969–1972

 

Operations

 

Combat in Southeast Asia, 13 Nov 1969–2 Nov 1972.

 

Honors

 

Vietnam: Vietnam Summer-Fall, 1969; Vietnam Winter-Spring, 1970; Sanctuary Counteroffensive; Southwest Monsoon; Commando Hunt V; Commando Hunt VI; Commando Hunt VII; Vietnam Ceasefire.

 

Decorations. Presidential Unit Citation: Southeast Asia, 1 Apr–31 Dec 1972. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards With Combat "V" Device: 1 Jul 1970–30 Jun 1971; 25 Aug–30 Nov 1971; 1 Dec 1971–29 Feb 1972; 8 Apr–13 May 1972. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: [Oct] 1969–31 Dec 1972.

(Excerpts from Apollo's Warriors by Col. Michael E. Haas, USAF, Ret., and Gunships: A pictorial History of Spooky by Larry Davis, and Fixed-Wing Gunships by Jack S. Ballard.)

[Patchcollector]

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[Patchcollector]

Some additional pics from the unit:

Here are the weapons systems,and the spotlight.

[Patchcollector]

At one time,the unit painted nose art on some of the aircraft,and when they found out that the enemy used them

to help target the planes,the artwork was removed,so it was a short lived idea.Here are a few examples of the artwork:

[Patchcollector]

Some more pics of the planes,and crews:

[Patchcollector]

Here are some pics showing the weapons systems at work,one is a rare photo of a daylight firing mission,another pic shows a fighter escort,the Skyraiders name is Blood,Sweat,and Tears:

[Patchcollector]

Here are some cartoons from a crewmember:

[Patchcollector]

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[Patchcollector]

Some more pics showing the unit signs,and another crew pic,clowning around!

[Patchcollector]

NKP Stinger flight Crews who received rounds between the booms became members of the "Goal Post Club."

I believe that they even may have made a patch for that,but I don't know for sure!

[Mark1]

Here is are some patches I picked up from a vet that was on a crew of a AC-119 and AC-130 aircraft. The squadron patch is a reunion patch.

 

Mark

[Patchcollector]

Well,that's about it for now,I hope that you enjoyed the story and pics from this unit,they were very brave men,and as Colonel Michael Haas pointed out in his book, Apollo's Warriors: "The thing about Air Commandos is that you don't need them very often. But when you do, you tend to need them very badly." The hunting prowess of the AC-119K and her crews, even while barraged by heavy anti-aircraft artillery, was evident in the thousands of burned-out Soviet-built trucks littered across Indochina's landscape and the thousands of allied lives saved by the AC-119K Stinger gunship crews who were always there when needed the most. They even destroyed some Russian tanks during Operation Lam Son 719 in Laos!

[Patchcollector]

Here is a patch I picked up from a vet that was on a crew of a AC-119 and AC-130 aircraft.

 

Mark

 

 

Cool patch Mark!I bet he has some great stories to tell about his adventures!

[Patchcollector]

By the way,here is a link to the cool website that I got alot of the info from:

Click here to visit Ac-119 gunship site

[Patchcollector]

Here is are some patches I picked up from a vet that was on a crew of a AC-119 and AC-130 aircraft. The squadron patch is a reunion patch.

 

Mark

 

Now that Squadron patch is the one I commonly see.That is why I think that mine must be a variation.I also saw the Association patch of

yours on the website that I provided the link to.Your friend must be familiar with that site,as he is a member!

[Patchcollector]

Some artwork by artist Darby Perrin:

This is an AC-119G model

 

 

"Rolling In"

An AC-119G Shadow Attacks Viet Cong strongholds

[Patchcollector]

Another painting,this one is an AC-119K model:

 

 

"Guns Hot "

 

An AC-119K Stinger gunship wreaks havoc with the North Vietnamese on the Ho Chi Minh Trail

[beezman]

Cool patch! Too bad someone ruined a party suit to put it in an album

[Patchcollector]

Cool patch! Too bad someone ruined a party suit to put it in an album

 

 

You know,I never thought of that,so you think it was cut from a party suit?I always thought that it was just an uncut patch,sold that way,

and that the person who bought it never trimmed it and sewed it on! :think:

[Patchcollector]

My reasoning is that the material it is sewn on is very thin,unlike what I would think is clothing material,and there is no glue or any indication that it was put in an album.

But it is a possibility.Does anyone know if the party suits were ever this color,and if the material was very thin?

[khaki1941]

Excellent thread! You've done a great job!

[khaki1941]

My reasoning is that the material it is sewn on is very thin,unlike what I would think is clothing material,and there is no glue or any indication that it was put in an album.

But it is a possibility.Does anyone know if the party suits were ever this color,and if the material was very thin?

 

My first thought was for a scarf. But have seen a couple of party suits in that color.

[Patchcollector]

Excellent thread! You've done a great job!

 

Thanks Howard!Yes,it's as you said,alot of extra work,but well worth it,I had fun doing it,stay tuned for more in the coming year!

Happy Holidays to you and your family Howard!