AC-119 Gunship Association News Page

This area contains news items about the association and it's activities, as well as items the association believes you will find interesting.

AC-119 Gunship Association president, retired Chief Master Sergeant Craig Corbett, and a host of air and ground crew members joined more than 100 family, friends, and other attendees in dedicating the AC-119K Stinger Gunship monument located in Hurlburt Field’s Commando Air Park, in Ft Walton Beach, FL. The dedication took place during the Association's Sixth Annual Reunion on October 2, 2005. Keynote speaker was former 18th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) aircrew member, retired Chief Master Sergeant Bill Petrie of Oklahoma City.

The focus of the memorial project was to bring the gunship to a final resting place via a monument. The AC-119K Memorial features an 8-foot high, three-foot wide, mirror finish, black granite stone capturing the Stinger gunship in combat over Laos. The image of the gunship emerges from the black granite, much like it did in battle, like a ghost in the dark with guns blazing amid antiaircraft fire. The front of the Memorial is engraved with a brief history of the AC-119K gunship. The 18th Special Operations Squadron's logo is engraved below the text.

Former 18th SOS flight engineer, retired Senior Master Sergeant Gus Sininger, guided the memorial project to fruition. The AC-119 Gunship Association set aside $10,000 to create a lasting monument to an aircraft that “never made it home.”

The hunter/killer prowess of the AC-119K gunship over the famed Ho Chi Minh Trail, even while barraged by heavy anti-aircraft artillery, was evident in the hundreds of burned-out Soviet-built trucks littered across Indochina's landscape and the countless allied lives saved by the gunship and her gallant crews. All of the AC-119s were either shot down, crashed, or scrapped after the evacuation of Vietnam, and for these varied reasons, no AC-119K gunship made it back to the United States after the Vietnam War. For many involved with this illustrious gunship a part of them always remained missing. That fact prompted Chief Petrie to write a Poem entitled "Our Lady of Night" which he read at the dedication.

In praising the maintenance and aircrews who kept the Stinger gunship flying and fighting Chief Petrie said “The memories of courage, commitment and dedication of those we served with, coupled with the dedication of those who serve this association created this monument and enabled us to “bring home” our gunship.”

Petrie added "May this memorial forever stand both as a tribute to the AC-119K air and ground crews who fought for freedom in Vietnam and as an enduring symbol of an aircraft that served the Air Force well. Finally, the courage and sacrifice of so many and the contributions of a “proud old bird” will forever stand tall in Hurlburt Field’s Memorial Air Park.”

Project officer, Gus Sininger, stated "The generosity and continued support from Association members, and family members of those we lost, have truly made this important day a reality," He said the AC-119K Gunship Association is still accepting donations to recoup costs associated with construction.

The AC-119 Gunship Association is also selling lithograph reproductions of the artwork of the Stinger gunship that is engraved on the front of the monument.

All proceeds will benefit Association projects and support maintaining the monument and the Association’s website. The AC-119K Stinger lithographs can be purchased through the Association’s merchandise page at and also by contacting Ron Julian at (937) 848-4064 or
e-mail him at takitus@email.com.

For anyone wishing to join the AC-119 Gunship Association, they may do so by visiting the AC-119 Gunship Association membership page .

When you move to a different residence or change your email address, please let us know right away. By doing so, you will avoid delays and missed issues of the Firing Circle and other important communications. This is especially true for LIFE members who do not renew annually. Help us keep the AC-119 Gunship Association membership roster up-to-date by keeping us informed.

Write to: Jim Alvis, AC-119 Gunship Association, 3110 Maqua Court, Carmel, IN 46033-4136 or Email me at: Shadow1969@indy.rr.com

(May 19, 2005) – The 71st Special Operations Squadron (71st SOS) will be officially reactivated by the Air Force on May 20, 2005 at Kirtland AFB, NM. The new 71st SOS will be assigned to the 58th Special Operations Wing (58th SOW), and will be the first unit in the USAF to receive Bell/Boeing CV-22 Osprey aircraft. You can read more about the 58th SOW at: http://www.58sow.kirtland.af.mil/wing_aircraft.htm

The reactivation of the 71st SOS continues a proud heritage and is a great honor for every airman who served with and supported the 71st SOS during the Southeast Asia conflict. The Vietnam era 71st SOS flew the AC-119G Shadow gunship during the conflict in Southeast Asia.

The new 71st SOS will accompany the 550th SOS and its H/MC-130P Combat Shadow and MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft at Kirtland. The 58th SOW is a Flying/Aircrew Training Unit of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC).

According to Col. Eric Garvin, CV-22 Systems Squadron commander, operational testing will begin in the summer of 2006.

Officials said the Osprey will undergo several weeks of modifications to install special instrumentation tomeet the needs of Air Force Special Operations Command: night flying, low altitude operations inbad weather and search and rescue. The test program includes inertial navigation, electronic navigation, multimode radar and integrated system evaluations.

The Osprey has tilting prop-rotors, which allow it totake off and land like a helicopter but fly like a conventional airplane.

CV22 Osprey

The CV-22 is beneficial to AFSOC because it combines the best capabilities of the C-130 (Hercules) and the MH-53 Pave Low helicopter, said Maj. James Donald, Defense Contract Management Command acceptance test pilot for the CV-22.

The CV-22 allows you to go twice as far as the Pave Low and gives you more landing capabilities than the C-130. (AFPN)

Two paintings, one of the AC-119G Shadow and the AC-119K Stinger, will be donated to the Air Force Museum during reunion festivities in Dayton, Ohio on October 2, 2004. Signed and numbered, museum quality, lithographs will also go on sale during the reunion. Lithographs will be $35 a piece during the reunion and $45 afterward. Information will be posted on the web site after the reunion

Colonel Ronald W. Terry has been announced as the guest speaker at the AC-119 Gunship Associations fifth reunion. As a Project pilot in 1964, Colonel Terry, considered to be the "father of the gunships," personally led the conceptualization, design, development, and combat evaluation of the AC-47 gunship. From 1966 - 1973, Colonel Terry was the Director of the AC-130A/E/H and AC-119G/K gunship development programs.

The AC-119 Gunship Association announced that Major General Douglas S. Metcalf will be the 2003 AC-119 Gunship Reunion reunion guest speaker. General Metcalf is the mobilization assistant to the commander, Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Material Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The general was also the aircraft maintenance officer for the 18th Special Operations Squadron from April, 1970 until March, 1971.

The AC-119 Gunship Association announced that Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Rusty Napier will be the 2002 AC-119 Gunship Reunion reunion guest speaker.

The Association announced that Major General Richard C. Marr (retired)will be the 2001 AC-119 Gunship Reunion reunion guest speaker. General Marr was a Shadow aircraft commander during the period 1970-1971 and was based at Phan Rang. He is enthusiastically looking forward to the reunion. His retirement ceremony from the Air Force caused him to miss Reunion 2000.

The Association would like to get an idea as to how many plan to attend the 2001 AC-119 Gunship Association Reunion. Sept. 28th thru 30 Sept.,and how many will be in your party. This is for planning purposes only.
Please send your information to the Association Secretary, Walt Riebau at:walt1@quixnet.net

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