C-130 Losses in SE Asia

Over the years there have been a lot of people who asked about where we could get accurate information on C-130’s lost in SEA and also on the crews. There are many excellent sources out there with plenty of information. They do not always agree. My primary sources were:

The United States Air Force in Southeast Asia-Tactical Airlift by Ray L. Bowers

C-130 Hercules Tactical Airlift Missions 1956-1975 by Sam McGowan

Lockheed Hercules Production List by Lars Olausson

C-130 losses list supplied by the USAF Museum

I made a list of every accident, incident, ground loss, and combat loss mentioned in these sources along with others brought up by individuals and started to verify them. I was able to get a copy of the official DoD loss report for aircraft in SEA, The Center for Naval Analysis Loss Damage Database, and used it to crosscheck the lists I had made up.

I had help from a lot of readers of the C-130 Hercules Headquarters web site and particularly from Reg Manning who got a lot of his Special Forces troops to supply information and photographs, and also Lewie Alley at the AF Safety Center. I have kept all the information I received and if anyone has any questions feel free to E mail me at bobdaley@sbcglobal.net .

I have names of most of the crew members but not all. Also Reg led me to a web site where with a date or a name you can verify any KIA/MIA’s. It is No Quarter: The VietNam Casualty Search Page.

On some of the combat losses/ops losses, there were differences in opinion as to the cause. I listed the cause given in official records. Any doubts or questions always were resolved in favor of the flight crew.

There are still two unanswered questions. If I get more information I will update these lists. I do have requests for information in but who knows how long it will take.

62-1843 and 63-7785 are reported in every source as shot down and destroyed Tuy Hoa (1843), and sabotaged-blew up and sank to the bottom of the sea off Cam Ranh Bay (7785) . Also reported by numerous other sources- newspapers, personal accounts, and crew lists. According to the USAF, these two aircraft are now at Duke Field as MC-130E’s?, "having miraculously reappeared in Heavy Chain, the 1198 OE&TS, and transferred to AFSOC". (my quotes) Probably not, but a USAF Source and a Lockheed source still say that the tail numbers at Duke are correct?

If anyone would like to add to this or has any questions, I will do my best to answer them.

Now on to the lists: