1 - The Black Vault

to Heavy Chain in 1966—64-0564 and 64-0565.* 61
At the close of 1972, however, the 318th SOS possessed
only two Combat Talons—64-0559 and 64-
0568. 62 1973: HSLLADS Capability
Comes to Combat Talon
The New Year was a tough one for the 318th.
The loss of aircraft 64-0558 and its crew was a
severe blow to squadron morale. But there was
little time to reflect on the loss as taskings
mounted during the first three months of the
year. The squadron was assigned aircraft 64-
0562 to replace 64-0558 and had three possessed
by the end of the quarter—64-0559, 64-
0562, and 64-0568. 63 In addition to a heavy Air
Force training load, the schoolhouse produced
four pilots and two navigators for the 1115th
Marine Air Support Squadron, US Marine
Corps. The Marine crew was trained in all
phases of Combat Talon operations, except the
Fulton STARS capability. (The Air Force was
the sole military service operating the Fulton
system.) On 8 February one C-130E (CT) Combat
Talon flew an employment training mission
in support of the US Navy SEAL special operations
forces. The mission consisted of the airdrop
of eight SEALs into a designated water
drop zone on Chesapeake Bay and marked the
first such support for the squadron. The event
opened a new chapter in joint-service operations
between the 318th and US Navy SEALs that
would become a permanent mission for Talon
crews worldwide. 64
Also in February 1973, the 318th adopted a
new squadron emblem in a ceremony at Pope
AFB. The new emblem was unveiled by the
squadron commander, Colonel Bagnani and the
squadron operations officer, Colonel Hellier. The
emblem was symbolic of the unit and the Air
Force, with ultramarine blue and golden yellow
used in the design. The primary feature of the
new emblem was a stylized bird prominently positioned
in the center of the patch. The upper twothirds
portion of the bird was black and the lower
one-third was white, signifying the proportion of
the flying mission spent during darkness and daylight.
The lower white portion of the emblem depicted
the general shape of a hook and represented
the unit’s unique Skyhook aerial recovery
capability. 65 The new emblem was an immediate
success and served the 318th until it moved to
Hurlburt Field, the following year. When the 8th
SOS was established at Hurlburt Field and absorbed
the 318th’s aircraft, personnel, and equipment,
the emblem was incorrectly adopted by the
newly designated squadron. The emblem remained
unchanged until the mid-1990s, when the
CSAF directed a review of all unit emblems. As a
result of the review, the 8th SOS (the second oldest
continuously active squadron in the Air Force)
was authorized to adopt a new emblem. The effort
resulted in an official patch that resembled the
original 318th Blackbird emblem.
USAF Photo
COMBAT KNIFE
After squadron members submitted designs during a
contest to create a new unit patch, the winning entry
was unveiled during a squadron ceremony in February
1973.
The operation’s tempo remained very high
through the spring of 1973. In June the 318th was
given its annual ORI, which was accompanied by a
management effectiveness inspection. From 6 to 9
June all facets of operational readiness were
evaluated by the TAC inspector general and his
team. At the completion of the combined inspection,
the squadron was awarded an overall satisfactory
rating. 66
The most significant event for the 318th SOS
for 1973 was the OT&E of the HSLLADS. The
test began on 10 August 1973 and continued for
the next two months, ending on 25 October. Lt
Col Irl L. Franklin, who had recently returned
from duty with the 7th SOS in Germany and
__________
*Before MOD-70 aircraft 64-0564 and 64-0565 had the Skyhook radome removed and a standard C-130E round nose installed. Aircraft 64-0564
was lost in the Philippines in 1981, and hydraulic plumbing and electrical wiring for the Fulton recovery system were removed from aircraft
64-0565 during MOD-90.
71