C-133 Cargomaster

Department of the Air Force

50th Anniversary

Fred Collins Air Force Vet – 1961-1965

Subscriber-Only Edition

Cover Announcement

In 1962, I departed for my home base Pope AFB, Fort Bragg, North Carolina for service in South Vietnam. This was very earily in the conflict, and not many families were even familiar with the name. My role was that of an instructor in survival equipment. Our unit, the "Blue Dragons", of the 777th Troop Assault Squadron, left with our C-133 Provider aircraft, and "Island-hoped" across the Pacific from Hawaii to Midway to Wake to Guam to the Philippianes to Danang, Vietnam.

Our unit served honorably and our mission was to help control the expansion of Communism at the height of the "Cold War". I've always look back proudly on my service there.

This is a very scarce Collins FDC as it is being produced for subscrbers with no extras being made.