1 - The Black Vault

COMBAT ARROW
for LAS Ontario two days later. Col Richard C.
Reeder assumed command of the squadron on 7
August, when Colonel McLaughlin returned to
the United States. 36 On 8 August aircraft 64-0561
was heavily damaged by fire while completing a
taxi check in accordance with Time Compliance
Technical Order 1C-130-778. The entire left
wheel-well area was destroyed. The fire was attributed
to a brake failure in the left main landing
gear, with brake fluid being ignited by hot
brakes. Over 3,350 man-hours were required to
repair the aircraft, which took the next nine
months to complete. A team from Warner Robins
Air Material Area (WRAMA) deployed to Ramstein
AB and performed the necessary repairs. With
aircraft 64-0572 already in PDM in the United
States, the loss of aircraft 64-0561 left only two
operational aircraft for European em ployment—
64-0551 and 64-0559. 37
Between 10 August and 2 October 1970, the
7th SOS participated in Flintlock III. The FTX
was expanded over the previous year and consisted
of five subexercises located in the UK, Norway,
the FRG, Italy, and Greece. Unlike the previous
year Flintlock III required almost the entire
squadron to deploy from Ramstein AB to RAF
Greenham Commons, UK, and set up its operation
there. Within 36 hours of notification, the
squadron had deployed its forces and was in place
ready for tasking. Unit aircraft and C-130s from
the 513th Tactical Airlift Wing based at RAF
Mildenhall, UK, transported squadron personnel
and equipment to the deployed location. During
the course of the exercise, the 7th SOS flew 137
sorties and 364 hours throughout the theater. The
10th SFG(A) had 256 personnel air-dropped from
7th SOS aircraft, and 235 foreign troops were also
air-dropped during subexercises in their countries.
Some 776 personnel and 50 tons of cargo
were airlanded. 38 As in Flintlock II, C-47 aircraft
and personnel deployed from Otis AFB to participate
in the exercise.
While deployed to RAF Greenham Commons,
UK, for FTX Flintlock III, Colonel Reeder received
a message from SOTFE that contained a
request for a combat-ready crew to deploy back to
CONUS for mobility training. The message was a
by-name request for individual crew members,
but compliance would require breaking up several
of his formed crews. After informal coordination
with SOTFE, Colonel Reeder agreed to provide
the requested aircraft commander, Maj Irl L.
Franklin, and one of his six 7th SOS-formed combat
crews. 39
USAF Photo
A 7th SOS crew plans a Flintlock III mission. From left
to right: Unknown, J. K. Taylor, Bob Metsker, Bill Bush,
Darrel Grapes, Bill Hawkins, and Bruce Ehly.
Major Franklin’s crew departed Europe the
next day and arrived at Eglin AFB, Florida, on 28
August. Brig Gen Leroy Manor, the air component
commander for the operation, informed the
crew of its selection for a very dangerous mission
that only volunteers would be allowed to fly. The
general also indicated that no additional information
regarding the purpose of the mission would
be provided until those with a strict need to know
were briefed. All 7th SOS crew members volunteered
for the mission without actually knowing
what they were volunteering for. In time the crew
was briefed that its mission was to rescue American
USAF Photo
7th SOS crew that flew the Son Tay Raid. Pictured,
standing left to right: Robert Renner, William Kennedy,
James Shepard, Leslie Tolman, Kenneth Lightle, and
Earl Parks. Kneeling, left to right: Thomas Mosley,
James McKenzie, Thomas Stiles, Thomas Eckart, William
Guenon, Randal Custard, and Irl Franklin.
129