Operation BABYLIFT crash survivor Flight Nurse wings

[mvmhm]

I recently obtained (from a fellow forum member) the uniform of (Staff) Sergeant Kenneth E. Nance, who was killed in the crash of the first Operation BABYLIFT aircraft, a C-5A Galaxy. In order to add more to his display, I contacted the pilot and the lead Flight Nurse, (now Colonel, then 1Lt) Regina C. Aune. I got a packet from Colonel Aune today with a set of her flight wings and a donation for the museum....she used stationary with enlisted chevrons, which was cool! Here are the wings and her note:

 

Mark sends

 

 

[mvmhm]

...and here's Colonel Aune, along with a short narrative of her actions which earned her the Airman's Medal, and the Cheney Award - the only one ever awarded to a female:

 

 

"A medical team from Clark AFB, Philippines, commanded by First Lieutenant Regina C. Aune, Nurse Corps, United States Air Force, was aboard when the huge transport plane landed at Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Saigon. When it was discovered that there would be about 250 orphans aboard, many of them sick or injured, another medical team from a C-141 Starlifter volunteered to accompany Lieutenant Aune’s team for the outbound flight. When the Galaxy took off from Saigon, there were 328 people aboard, including flight crew, medical teams, orphans and their escorts as well as other U.S. personnel.

The C-5A quickly climbed to 23,000 feet. Just a few minutes after takeoff, an explosion blew out a pressure door, the center cargo door and the cargo loading ramp. Explosive decompression hurled people and equipment throughout the airplane which instantly filled with fog. Lieutenant Aune was thrown the entire length of the upper deck. The airplane was severely damaged with two hydraulic systems inoperative and many flight control cables severed. The pilots could only control the airplane with engine thrust. They began an emergency descent and turned back to Tan Son Nhut. Unable to maintain flight, the Galaxy touched down in a rice paddy two miles short of the runway at 270 knots. It slid for a quarter mile, became airborne for another half mile, then touched down and slid until it hit a raised dike and broke into four sections. 138 people were killed in the crash.

Although herself seriously injured, Lieutenant Aune began evacuating the children. When rescue helicopters arrived, they were unable to land close to the wrecked transport, so the children had to be carried. After she had helped to carry about 80 babies, Regina Aune was unable to continue. She asked the first officer she saw to be relieved of her duties and then passed out. At a hospital it was found that she had a broken foot, broken leg and broken vertebra in her back, as well as numerous other injuries.

Regina Aune became the first woman to be awarded the Cheney Award by the Air Force, which was established in 1927, and is awarded “to an airman for an act of valor, extreme fortitude or self-sacrifice in a humanitarian interest, performed in connection with aircraft, but not necessarily of a military nature."

 

Mark sends

 

[Patchcollector]

Very cool story.She is one brave lady for sure.

[cutiger83]

Amazing story! Thanks so much for posting the narrative of her award.

 

...Kat

[uplandmod]

A Beautiful and heroic lady!

 

LF

[TRR]

Wow, what a story to go with the wings and a great addition to your display. Thanks for sharing!

[squidres]

Amazing, and historic. Thanks for sharing this fascinating bit of history.

[Mr.Jerry]

Wow, that is so impressive. No wonder we call these people "heroes".

Thank you for sharing her story.