Airlift! The Story of the Military Airlift Command

150 Pages·1986·26.228 MB·English

by  Marcella Thum, Gladys Thum

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AIRLIFT!
The Storyof the
Command
MihtaryAirlift
Marcella Thum and
Thum
Gladys
Illustratedwithphotographs
"You call, we haul." Ever since the Military
Airlift Command's beginning in 1941 as the
Air Corps Ferrying Command, MAC has
—
been doing just that airlifting everything
fromtroopstomissilestoawhale.
The Military Airlift Command operates in
wartime under battle conditions. Yet seeking
out the eye ofa hurricane, airdropping food
and supplies for disaster victims, air-evacuat-
ing wounded, taking the President where he
wantstogoonAirForceOneareonlyafewof
MAC
itsotherresponsibilities. hasbeencalled
"the biggest, busiest, most far-ranging aerial
cargocarrierin theworld."
MAC
s dramatic, little-known story is told
hereintextandphotographs. Alsofeaturedare
MAC's legendary transports, from the ever-
reliableC-47GooneyBird totheC-5 Galaxy,
^thelargestaircraftin theworld.
DD, MEAD & COMPANY
k, N.Y. 10016
AIRLIFT!
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AIRLIFT!
The Story of the Military Airlift Command
Thum Thum
Marcella and Gladys
Illustratedwith photographs
DODD, MEy\D & COMPANY New York
PICTURE CREDITS
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library (Cecil Stoughton), 88;
NationalAirand Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution,
85, 86, 95, 108. All otherphotographs are Official
U.S. Air Force Photos.
Copyright© 1986by Marcella Thum and GladysThum
Allrights reserved
No partofthisbook maybe reproduced in any form
withoutpermission in writing from the publisher
Distributed in Canada by
McClelland and Stewart Limited, Toronto
Manufactured in the United States ofAmerica
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LibraryofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Thum, Marcella.
Airlift! thestory ofthe Military Airlift Command.
:
Includes index.
Summary: Ahistory ofMAC, a militaryorganization
whichis the "backboneofdeterrence" for United States
fightingforces, thelargest peacetime cargo airline
in theworld, anda humanitarian airhft in times of
disaster.
1. Unite—d States. —Air Force. MilitaryAirlift
Command History Juvenile literatur—e. [1. United States.
Air Force. Military Airlift Command History] I. Thum,
Gladys. II. Title.
UG633.T46 1986 358.4'4'0973 85-27397
ISBN 0-396-08529-6
In tribute to the Airlifters of the United States Air Force, who
valiantly served and gallantly died in support of this nations dedi-
cationto theprinciples of libertyandfreedom.

—
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Grateful recognition is gi\'en to Lt. Col. Edward Wittel, Com-
mander, Det 1, 1361st Aerospace Audiovisual Service; John Fuller,
Donald Little, Joylyn Custin, Hq MAC Historians; Betty Ken-
nedy, 375th AAW Historian; Lt. Col. Raymond Jojola, Hq MAC
Weather; David Wilson, Darlene Fuller, Linda Frierdich, and
Maj. Portia McCracken, Hq MAC Public Affairs; Lt. Tom
AAW
Dolney, 375th Public Affairs; Maj. Byron Howard and
Tom O'Laughlin of The MAC Flyer; Maj. Thornton Phillips,
Editor, Airlift; and Vivian White of the Research Center, USAF
Museum, Dayton, Ohio.
Special thanks to Lt. Cols. Billic Carpenter and John Johanck,
present and past commandants. Airlift Operations School, and the
following faculty and staff of the School: Lt. Col. David Myers,
Lt. Col. Clement Wehner, Maj. Carol Henry, Maj. Ronnv Smith,
Maj. Peter Nelson, Maj. Danny Dees, and Maj. Kent Douglas
for their unfailing assistance and support.