Aircraft Pushed Overboard?

[DanMa1156]

Went to church today and the priest, in his homily, (err, sermon for the non-Catholics here), told briefly of a story during Vietnam, an aircraft carrier had the flight deck full, when an emergency-type landing situation came about for a small prop plane (he didn't state whether or not it was military) carrying a Vietnamese family trying to escape the war and the communists. He said that the carrier's Skipper immediately ordered 10 aircraft pushed off the deck to make room for this family onboard the prop plane.

Anyone know of this story or can give me more details? I had just never heard of it at all.

 

[Pags]

It was Operation Frequent Wind, which was the evacuation of South Vietnam in '75, and the ship was the USS Midway. There are numerous excellent photos and a first person account of the event here:

http://www.midwaysailor.com/midwayfreqwind/

The O-1 is now in the Naval Aviation Museum.

They had to push a/c overboard due to the fact that the Midway's deck was covered with helos that were evacuating from South Vietnam and the ship didn't have room for them all.

 

[HeyJoe]

Went to church today and the priest, in his homily, (err, sermon for the non-Catholics here), told briefly of a story during Vietnam, an aircraft carrier had the flight deck full, when an emergency-type landing situation came about for a small prop plane (he didn't state whether or not it was military) carrying a Vietnamese family trying to escape the war and the communists. He said that the carrier's Skipper immediately ordered 10 aircraft pushed off the deck to make room for this family onboard the prop plane.

Anyone know of this story or can give me more details? I had just never heard of it at all.

They didn't push the Navy aircraft off the deck...they had a bumper crop of South Vietnamese Hueys that weren't in that great a shape and many ships pushed them over the side once they discharged their passengers. One guy jumped out of his Huey...saw it on Military Channel last night.

 

[squeeze]

FYI- all those jets pictured on the deck of the Midway are RVNAF aircraft (F-5s and A-37s), not US Navy. If the airwing is aboard, it's all below deck.

 

[A4sForever]

Yeah, that was a great story. It show what some guys will do to be free --- and what freedom's worth. Major Bung Ly and his family..... He was later invited to and attendend one or two Tailhook Conventions. An aside --- the Midway had plenty of deck space as she had left most of her AirWing in Atsugi to participate in the evacuation.

As Paul Harvey likes to say --- and now for the rest of the story:

http://l-19bowwow.com/archives/members/history/bung_ly.htm

 

[Brett327]

^^All the respect in the world to that guy, but I would be remiss if I didn't point out (in my very best Beavis and Butthead voice) that "That guy's name is Bung."

Brett

 

[HeyJoe]

^^All the respect in the world to that guy, but I would be remiss if I didn't point out (in my very best Beavis and Butthead voice) that "That guy's name is Bung."

Brett

All you guys owe to yourselves to go upstairs at Museum in PCola and see the airplane for yourself. He also had 7 people (including himself) in the aircraft, which is probably some sort of record.

 

[Pags]

They didn't push the Navy aircraft off the deck...they had a bumper crop of South Vietnamese Hueys that weren't in that great a shape and many ships pushed them over the side once they discharged their passengers. One guy jumped out of his Huey...saw it on Military Channel last night.

 

[AllAmerican75]

Now what in the wrold would drive somebody to jump out like that?

 

[A4sForever]

Now what in the wrold would drive somebody to jump out like that?

An absolute , overwhelming, crippling, desperate fear of living --- or dying --- under a Communist regime.

 

[AllAmerican75]

I don't get it. Can someone explain why he couldn't have just stayed in the Huey? Was it malfunctioning or on fire or something?

 

[Pags]

An absolute , overwhelming, crippling, desperate fear of living --- or dying --- under a Communist regime.

wait, the Jane Fondas of the world were wrong? North Vietnam wasn't a workers paradise?:icon_wink

 

[Brett327]

Ya seriously... I was in East Berlin when it was still under soviet control, and the locals looked like they had the world on a string! Who woulda thunk they were faking it?

Ditto, I was in Czechoslovakia in '78 and everyone looked and acted like they had just come from a funeral. My family paid for a weekend's room and board with a cassette tape of the Beatles White Album.

Brett

 

[theblakeness]

My Uncle was on board the Enterprise when they pushed the hueys off of the deck.

 

[A4sForever]

Ditto, I was in Czechoslovakia in '78 and everyone looked and acted like they had just come from a funeral. My family paid for a weekend's room and board with a cassette tape of the Beatles White Album.

Brett

Threadjack/course correction:


I still have my mint vinyl Beatles White album. One owner --- eat your heart out. I was opposite the Rooskies in August, 1968 when they rolled into Czechoslovakia --- bad night with Komars in the Aegean. I think the whole Czech 1968 "problem" was cause by the Rooskies being upset over ... "Back in the USSR" ... ???


Unfortunately, I think it was also the beginning of the end for the Fab Four ....



p.s. ... if you can't see the album cover -- it's because it's .... white.


threadjack ... OUT.