1 - The Black Vault

COMBAT SPEAR
■ IBDCITI |«'4llH^ ir
Figure 26. Route of Flight, Crew S-01, 28/29 December 1967 (Source: Provided by John
Gargus.)
senior navigator, Lt Col Don Fisher, was not yet
back from his R&R (rest and recreation) in Hawaii.
His earliest expected return was on that
day, 26th December. Earlier on this day, the
other crew loadmaster departed with S-03 crew
on that crew’s flight to our parent 314th Wing
in Taiwan. He had made arrangements with SSgt
Ed Darcy from S-03 crew to switch places. Ed
Darcy, a quiet, conscientious young man, planned
to save some money by staying in Nha Trang
City. He did not want to spend his money on a
three to five day stay in Taiwan while the ferried
Blackbird went through its scheduled IRAN in
a maintenance facility that was equipped to han -
dle C-130 aircraft. The crews looked forward to
their turn to ferry a Blackbird for an IRAN in
Taiwan. It was a most welcomed vacation
break from the wartime conditions in Vietnam.
So Darcy became a volunteer replacement for
one S-01 loadmaster. Sgt James Williams agreed
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