1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,000 2 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:06,951 what you say in your transmission was 3 00:00:06,951 --> 00:00:08,618 cut out . No , he was funny . 4 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:15,007 I'll get your bag and fixed as soon as 5 00:00:15,007 --> 00:00:14,800 I can . 6 00:00:25,540 --> 00:00:29,160 I was absolutely shocked that the gear 7 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:33,050 came down and held . I didn't expect it . 8 00:00:33,370 --> 00:00:35,592 My plan all along was for crash landing 9 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:40,810 509 um on March 50 10 00:00:40,810 --> 00:00:44,100 years ago was one of the most moving 11 00:00:44,100 --> 00:00:46,840 experiences of my life . It was my 50th 12 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:49,860 mission . The other 50 missions of 13 00:00:49,860 --> 00:00:52,330 getting shot at coming back with holes . 14 00:00:52,340 --> 00:00:56,040 But up until 509 We didn't really lose 15 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:59,450 many people . I went from being 16 00:00:59,450 --> 00:01:02,330 a regular crew member to basically 17 00:01:02,330 --> 00:01:06,250 being a an arab backed patient 18 00:01:06,260 --> 00:01:08,316 in in about an instant that the crew 19 00:01:08,316 --> 00:01:10,260 had to take care of . 20 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:15,240 Okay . 21 00:01:17,940 --> 00:01:18,940 Mhm . 22 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:28,750 Mhm . Well let me tell you about 509 23 00:01:28,750 --> 00:01:32,690 that night we were in the area and 24 00:01:32,700 --> 00:01:34,880 uh you know we're flying totally 25 00:01:34,980 --> 00:01:38,560 blacked out . It was a dark night . 26 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:41,018 But I knew by the hills and the 27 00:01:41,018 --> 00:01:43,550 territory that yeah , this is the bad , 28 00:01:43,550 --> 00:01:45,860 that bad area . There's a There was a 29 00:01:45,870 --> 00:01:49,860 57 millim right on our orbit . So 30 00:01:49,860 --> 00:01:52,930 I had my Mark six is ready and the 31 00:01:52,940 --> 00:01:55,051 first time it shot , you know , I was 32 00:01:55,051 --> 00:01:57,218 throwing them out and there's that guy 33 00:01:57,218 --> 00:02:00,140 again and he was always close and I 34 00:02:00,140 --> 00:02:02,880 knew I had less than a second to call a 35 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,510 break . And as we were flying around 36 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:10,960 a little he's developed light cloud 37 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:14,550 level . We knew it was close but Tracer 38 00:02:14,640 --> 00:02:16,751 fine if it's Tracer we can get out of 39 00:02:16,751 --> 00:02:19,650 the way . He fired two rounds . I saw 40 00:02:19,650 --> 00:02:23,260 the muzzle flash , no Tracer boom 41 00:02:24,220 --> 00:02:26,276 and it was not a question that we've 42 00:02:26,276 --> 00:02:29,060 been hit . It , shook that airplane 43 00:02:30,540 --> 00:02:32,318 out of nowhere . There was this 44 00:02:32,318 --> 00:02:36,100 blinding light and I 45 00:02:36,110 --> 00:02:38,054 thought you know , maybe the whole 46 00:02:38,054 --> 00:02:40,110 aircraft had not blown up . I had no 47 00:02:40,110 --> 00:02:42,490 idea what had happened and I remember 48 00:02:42,490 --> 00:02:45,230 thinking I probably just got killed and 49 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:48,810 being a little upset about that . The 50 00:02:48,810 --> 00:02:51,230 next thing I know I was on the floor 51 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:54,450 that it happened so fast a millisecond . 52 00:02:54,460 --> 00:02:56,682 I was on the floor . I opened my eyes , 53 00:02:56,682 --> 00:02:58,950 I couldn't see a thing . I felt I was 54 00:02:58,950 --> 00:03:01,117 writing back in the pilot's seat and I 55 00:03:01,117 --> 00:03:03,270 could feel his seat and the aircraft 56 00:03:03,270 --> 00:03:05,510 was in turmoil cockpit filled with 57 00:03:05,510 --> 00:03:08,660 smoke , could barely see the co pilot 58 00:03:08,670 --> 00:03:11,760 flight engineer heat level was 59 00:03:12,140 --> 00:03:14,160 Probably 15 , 20° warmer from the 60 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:17,080 blast and my thought was I was up there 61 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:19,302 with no parachute and I had to get back 62 00:03:19,302 --> 00:03:21,080 to the parachutes because we're 63 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:23,302 probably going down there was hydraulic 64 00:03:23,302 --> 00:03:25,413 fluid squirting from the pipes in the 65 00:03:25,413 --> 00:03:27,550 ceiling , got it on my face and total 66 00:03:27,550 --> 00:03:31,200 smoke , the trim for the altitude hole 67 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,990 went full nose down and the co pilot 68 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,690 and I took a hold the yoke and both of 69 00:03:37,690 --> 00:03:40,800 us pulled back , we tried to return the 70 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:43,880 autopilot off and it didn't correct it . 71 00:03:43,890 --> 00:03:46,057 We went to the emergency on the on the 72 00:03:46,057 --> 00:03:48,168 trim . It didn't correct it . We went 73 00:03:48,168 --> 00:03:50,390 back to normal , it didn't correct it . 74 00:03:50,390 --> 00:03:52,612 I turned the autopilot back on , turned 75 00:03:52,612 --> 00:03:54,834 it back off and it broke it and we were 76 00:03:54,834 --> 00:03:57,630 able to trim it . I managed my way back 77 00:03:57,630 --> 00:04:00,250 to the booth and I was thinking about 78 00:04:00,250 --> 00:04:02,430 getting a parachute and then I looked 79 00:04:02,430 --> 00:04:06,280 inside and I saw liu kun 80 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:08,750 and Ed bunch in the booth trying to 81 00:04:08,750 --> 00:04:12,330 hold the chair of the tv up to keep it 82 00:04:12,330 --> 00:04:14,950 from falling through the hole and with 83 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:17,182 Gary Chandler and he was slumped down . 84 00:04:17,530 --> 00:04:20,760 I opened my eyes just a bit to try and 85 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:24,030 see what was going on and I realized 86 00:04:24,030 --> 00:04:26,680 that I was I was looking at the floor 87 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,390 level and I couldn't figure out why and 88 00:04:29,390 --> 00:04:31,840 I didn't realize that I have basically 89 00:04:31,840 --> 00:04:34,590 almost fallen through the hole that had 90 00:04:34,590 --> 00:04:36,590 been made by the shell on the floor 91 00:04:36,590 --> 00:04:38,590 where I was sitting . I immediately 92 00:04:38,590 --> 00:04:40,701 went and tried to pull the seat and I 93 00:04:40,701 --> 00:04:42,812 said guys it's not gonna come , let's 94 00:04:42,812 --> 00:04:45,040 get him out of there and lou held the 95 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:48,340 seat and I think someone else too 96 00:04:48,340 --> 00:04:51,160 and Ed bunch and I unstrapped 97 00:04:51,740 --> 00:04:55,270 Gary and pulled him out . His leg 98 00:04:55,280 --> 00:04:58,180 hardly looked attached to his foot . I 99 00:04:58,180 --> 00:05:00,458 wasn't feeling any pain at that moment . 100 00:05:00,630 --> 00:05:04,100 I think my you know my whole system was 101 00:05:04,100 --> 00:05:07,650 in shock . Everybody checked in but 102 00:05:07,660 --> 00:05:11,260 the booth nothing . And a few minutes 103 00:05:11,260 --> 00:05:13,593 later I asked for the booth to check in . 104 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:16,473 Yeah , A few minutes a couple of 105 00:05:16,473 --> 00:05:18,640 minutes later , maybe 30 seconds later 106 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:21,840 and check in . So my roommate was in 107 00:05:21,840 --> 00:05:23,784 the back , it was his next to last 108 00:05:23,784 --> 00:05:25,896 flight . It turned out to be his last 109 00:05:25,896 --> 00:05:27,951 flight . He had shrapnel through the 110 00:05:27,951 --> 00:05:30,173 front of his neck , out the back of his 111 00:05:30,173 --> 00:05:32,396 neck and he says everybody in the booth 112 00:05:32,396 --> 00:05:34,507 is okay , it's just got a big hole in 113 00:05:34,507 --> 00:05:37,540 the floor . So he was in total shock 114 00:05:37,540 --> 00:05:40,430 and but everyone would be back there . 115 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:44,071 I can't tell you what happened in the 116 00:05:44,071 --> 00:05:46,570 back at all because I was I was going 117 00:05:46,570 --> 00:05:48,792 through every emergency procedure in my 118 00:05:48,792 --> 00:05:50,959 head that I could think of but we knew 119 00:05:50,959 --> 00:05:53,126 where the damage was . I never changed 120 00:05:53,126 --> 00:05:55,237 the flap setting because I was afraid 121 00:05:55,237 --> 00:05:57,181 to disrupt the the wings because I 122 00:05:57,181 --> 00:05:59,348 didn't know if they've been damaged or 123 00:05:59,348 --> 00:06:01,960 not . I didn't change the airspeed . We 124 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:04,280 flew back with that airspeed and that 125 00:06:04,280 --> 00:06:06,520 flat setting almost all the way down to 126 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:08,409 landing when I had to slow just a 127 00:06:08,409 --> 00:06:10,464 little bit to get it on the ground . 128 00:06:10,810 --> 00:06:14,480 Well we landed and And 129 00:06:14,810 --> 00:06:17,550 it was kind of uneventful landing 130 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:20,380 because Dave would he can sit down C130 131 00:06:20,380 --> 00:06:22,491 and barely skimmed the tires . I mean 132 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:24,696 he would let the co pilot land a few 133 00:06:24,696 --> 00:06:26,751 times and they played with land like 134 00:06:26,751 --> 00:06:28,860 this , they would land it and it was 135 00:06:28,870 --> 00:06:30,870 just it was a perfect landing every 136 00:06:30,870 --> 00:06:33,310 time . It was it was just so neat even 137 00:06:33,310 --> 00:06:36,230 though I had had 50 . Harrowing 138 00:06:36,230 --> 00:06:38,780 missions before that I was never so 139 00:06:38,780 --> 00:06:41,460 scared . You're nervous is that night 140 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:44,984 and by the time the engineer and I 141 00:06:44,984 --> 00:06:47,470 cleared the aircraft the the ambulances 142 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:51,160 had already left . That was fast 143 00:06:51,840 --> 00:06:53,951 because it didn't take us long to get 144 00:06:53,951 --> 00:06:56,173 out of the airplane either . As you can 145 00:06:56,173 --> 00:06:58,062 imagine we landed and actually it 146 00:06:58,062 --> 00:07:01,750 wasn't that bad of landing and but um I 147 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:02,350 bet 148 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:09,660 that incident pretty much to find a lot 149 00:07:09,660 --> 00:07:12,100 in my life . I was scheduled to fly the 150 00:07:12,100 --> 00:07:14,730 next day and I went over the opposite . 151 00:07:14,740 --> 00:07:16,907 I don't know it was the ops officer or 152 00:07:16,907 --> 00:07:19,390 the commander said you know you can 153 00:07:19,390 --> 00:07:22,440 take a break . And I said I think I 154 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:25,640 will and we actually had a counselor on 155 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:28,520 the base Who was 1 30 gunship TV 156 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:32,460 operator . And and he I saw him 157 00:07:32,460 --> 00:07:34,620 for about a week and a half and then 158 00:07:34,630 --> 00:07:38,450 which helped but I never flew 159 00:07:38,450 --> 00:07:42,190 him Mission . I didn't shake after that . 160 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:44,730 But I I flew flew 110 missions . So I 161 00:07:44,730 --> 00:07:46,730 went back and flew 60 more missions 162 00:07:46,730 --> 00:07:49,120 after a couple of weeks and had some 163 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:52,880 more harrowing experiences . I think 164 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:55,120 all of us flew again . Those who 165 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:57,342 weren't injured , flew again within the 166 00:07:57,342 --> 00:07:59,398 next day or two . I think Roger flew 167 00:07:59,398 --> 00:08:01,610 the next day . But I know that I 168 00:08:01,610 --> 00:08:05,340 continue to fly . We all flew 169 00:08:05,690 --> 00:08:09,630 that's what we did short term . 170 00:08:09,630 --> 00:08:12,010 It's hard to say long term you pay the 171 00:08:12,020 --> 00:08:14,860 price . 10 years ago we met 172 00:08:15,940 --> 00:08:18,273 and we decided we'd all go to the B . A . 173 00:08:18,540 --> 00:08:21,980 And we did and our our 174 00:08:21,980 --> 00:08:24,750 wives have suffered for our 175 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:29,460 service . They should be . 176 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:32,360 Mhm anointed with something really 177 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:36,120 because it was difficult for many of 178 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:39,360 them , my wife included . Ah 179 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:42,550 But I think we're in good place now . I 180 00:08:42,550 --> 00:08:45,460 never really saw anyone about a lot of 181 00:08:45,460 --> 00:08:49,180 it until , Until just the last 10 years . 182 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:52,710 And and so I'm sure I wasn't as 183 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:55,718 nice to live with as I could have been . 184 00:08:55,790 --> 00:08:58,300 I'm just very thankful that you know , 185 00:08:58,300 --> 00:09:00,750 I was flying with a capable crew and 186 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:03,240 extremely capable crew that I could 187 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:06,410 trust . And they not only took care of 188 00:09:06,410 --> 00:09:08,520 me , but they took good care of the 189 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:11,080 aircraft and got me safely back to you 190 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:14,810 bob . I've had three 191 00:09:14,810 --> 00:09:18,150 heroes in my life and after the 192 00:09:18,150 --> 00:09:21,850 service . Um my hero was 193 00:09:22,340 --> 00:09:24,990 David Harwood . He was just incredible . 194 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:28,550 and and now 10 years ago , 195 00:09:30,660 --> 00:09:33,960 Word got out that our plane 509 was 196 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:37,500 here at Hurlburt Field and 197 00:09:38,340 --> 00:09:42,070 and Gary Chandler and Dave harper got 198 00:09:42,070 --> 00:09:44,126 together and said , well let's maybe 199 00:09:44,126 --> 00:09:46,181 get together when you have a 40 year 200 00:09:46,181 --> 00:09:48,750 reunion . I got a call one day 201 00:09:51,620 --> 00:09:54,930 and it was David Hopgood 202 00:09:55,340 --> 00:09:58,970 Roger , This is steve Hopgood and 203 00:09:58,980 --> 00:10:01,147 God himself could have called me and I 204 00:10:01,147 --> 00:10:03,369 wouldn't have been more excited to hear 205 00:10:03,369 --> 00:10:07,350 that voice and it was pretty awesome . 206 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:12,830 And uh this crew , I I felt guilty 207 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:15,007 all these years . You know , it was my 208 00:10:15,007 --> 00:10:17,118 job to call out the triple A . And we 209 00:10:17,118 --> 00:10:19,980 got hit and right . A couple of crew 210 00:10:19,980 --> 00:10:22,620 members got wiped out and I I felt 211 00:10:22,620 --> 00:10:25,230 really guilty about that . But 10 years 212 00:10:25,230 --> 00:10:28,080 ago at our 40th reunion , I kind of 213 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:31,660 mentioned that sonic area all your feet 214 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:37,060 and , and , and leave , but getting 215 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:40,370 jabbed in the eye and , and there was 216 00:10:40,380 --> 00:10:43,730 no animosity really . And 217 00:10:43,750 --> 00:10:47,640 it was hugely uplifting to me 218 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:49,760 and made me feel a lot better . 219 00:10:51,540 --> 00:10:55,490 But that's , that's my story I 220 00:10:55,490 --> 00:10:56,010 guess , 221 00:11:00,540 --> 00:11:04,510 right . Hey Gary , How's 222 00:11:04,510 --> 00:11:07,280 your gray hair ? Yeah , I'm going great 223 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:08,780 here now . I'll tell you . 224 00:11:11,680 --> 00:11:13,736 Thank you . I don't have my color tv 225 00:11:13,736 --> 00:11:15,736 back there . What color is the trip 226 00:11:15,736 --> 00:11:19,650 eight is here ? Red viper ? 227 00:11:19,650 --> 00:11:22,000 This year . I got to get me a color to 228 00:11:22,070 --> 00:11:24,950 miss all the fun back here . Okay , 229 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:31,360 Okay . Mm hmm .