Dirty thirty help!

[Packo]

I am so glad y'all have found each other. It's a great tribute to the founder of this site, David. This is what it's all about. Hope your dad's are able to get together in the near future. Here's a salute to them!

Pack

[eriksale]

Going thru some of my dad's things a found a VHS tape that he apparently put all of our families 8mm movies on.

In there was this clip of some VIP in Vietnam. I would love for someone to maybe help tell me Who, Where etc.

David says I can upload so here goes!

Dave

vip1-1.mov

[eriksale]

To follow up with last post here is a clip from my dad's video of the Dirty Thirty in action.

It does start with some buildings of some kind and ends landing on a runnway some where.

Again any help on where etc would be great!

Dave

[eriksale]

Hello
My understanding is the .mov I posted did not work so I'll try this one of the "Dirty Thirty" in action.

To follow up with last post here is a clip from my dad's video of the Dirty Thirty in action.

It does start with some buildings of some kind and ends landing on a runnway some where.

Again any help on where etc would be great!

[DMZ-LT]

" Your true family is not one of blood but of respect and joy in each others lives ,rarely do members of the same family grow up under the same roof " Bach. Your family here ,just like the Dirty 30 will always be family. Tell your Dad , I said Thanks for your service and welcome home

[eriksale]

Lt
My dad passed away 01/31/2009 (see Maj Carl R. Erickson thread). We had "full" military funeral complete with Bag pipe's, honor guard. pallbearer's , gun salute, folding of the flag, and yes Taps.

The only thing I couldn't get was a "missing man formation" but I almost did!

Thank you for your kind words for my dad and me. I was a "tweener" to young for Vietnam, to old for Desert Storm, although I missed being a "second generation" in Vietnam by about a year.

I was a "brat" till my dad retired in 1969, then was in AFROTC till Vietnam ended and they did not need pilots anymore so off I went as a civilian.

I have always more than appreciated those that served. Especially today on Memorial Day.

And a special THANK YOU for your service and to all who have served on this forum! I really enjoy it here and hope to post more of my dad's history in his honor.

Dave

[Boats]

Ya know I've read many threads - but this one is really a topper. For you kids to put the pieces to gether and to find one another is a real piece of work. You should be proud of yourselves. You are now bonded and that alone makes it perfect.

Its amazing how things come together and how after all these years - something like this falls into place. I went in in 63 and got out in 75. Went to Nam in 65 and 67. I still communicate with at least 4 to 6 guys on a regular basis. Many other's we are still looking for. I can relate to your circumstances. Once stateside it seems we just blend into the backround and become just another item of lost interest to the world. But when you find those you've served with its like a homecoming.

David's web site has given many of us a the ability to keep track of those days gone by. Yet many are very current and nowledgeable with many aspects of military history. David you should be so honored for your contribution that brought so many together. This has truely been a wonderful thing that I've witnessed - and to those kids making contact like they did - will bond them together who after some time can maybe write a story about these thirty gentelmen - making the Dirty 30 a memorable reading or even a movie - ya never know.

To the contributors to this thread - I think you should take bow - and to their Father's - they must be just thrilled having the opportunity to get together with their comrads after all these years.

[Son-Of-Pilot]

Your kind words are greatly appreciated Boats.

Sorry I have bee off the forum for a while ... life and the job have been kicking my ass lately. At leat things have calmed down a bit.

I have an update about my dad, Maj. James W. Bender, USAFR Ret. He has been alone out in Phoenix since mom died and my brother moved to Georgia. He and I talked alot about that and he is moving here to be closer to me and the wife .... and of course Grandson-Of-Pilot. (I guess I just dropped a grade or two in the pecking order around here )

It will be great to have dad close by. I tell myself it is so I can keep an eye on him, he is 74 after all. But the real reason is I haven't been able to see him much lately and I miss him alot.

Take care everyone .... I will try to stay a little more active here.

Todd

[Son-Of-Pilot]

Dave,

I have never seen any film from our dad's time in Vietnam. I have seen a couple of snap shots, but never film. Any more would be awesome. Thanks for sharing what you have.

Todd

[eriksale]

Todd

I need you to show those to your dad. On the VIP I really would like to know if your dad knows who that night be. On both would like to know who, what, where, when.

As far as other film etc., my sister and I are getting a Nikon scanner to start scan THOUSANDS of slides. We have also found 4 reels of 16mm some labeled Korea and a few more labled with different AF bases so if nothing else we may come up with historical footage of different planes etc.

Dave