In December, 1941 US Army pilots began hauling passengers and cargo around the Philippines after the Japanese attack on Clark Field, thus beginning one of the most important air force missions of World War II. As America greared up to fight the war, dozens of what came to be known as troop carrier squadrons were activated and equipped, usually with Douglas C-47 and C-53 version of the DC-8 transport. Beginning in New Guinea, US Army troop carrier crews became a crucial part of the effort to turn the tide of war. In Europe troop carrier squadrons supported Army airborne forces and provided logistical support for air force squadrons. During the Battle of the Bulge troop carrier crews kept the 101st Airborne Division supplied. After the war, troop carrier squadrons supplied the besieged city of Berlin. Troop carrier crews supported UN forces in Korea, then supported French efforts in Indochina where their successors would become crucial to US efforts in the 1960s and early 1970s. This is their story.

As soon as the order was given for the C-130s to begin landing, Major Bernard Bucher and his 774th TAS crew swung out of their position as the first airplane in the orbit and approached the camp. No one knows what was going through the crew's minds, but they no doubt faced the task they had been called on to perform with trepidation. The transport crews had been orbiting in the vicinity of the camp for some time, and had been monitoring the radio transmissions and observing the situation below them. They knew that several airplanes and helicopters had been shot down and that ground fire was intense. The actions of the C-130 crews over the next minutes were some of the most heroic ever performed by US Air Force personnel in any war. They were literally risking their lives to evacuate the camp's defenders. They went in anyway. Witnesses on the ground saw the airplane take numerous hits during the approach, but Bucher landed safely and taxied to the loading ramp. There, Special Forces soldiers supervised the loading of most of the Vietnamese dependents onto the airplane. One of the Special Forces officers, Captain George Orr, also boarded the C-130, although his presence was not confirmed until decades later when his remains were found during excavations of the crash site and identified by DNA analysis. As Bucher was taking off, the airplane took more hits. Right after the airplane lifted off and left the area of the runway, it flew into the fire from two .50-caliber machine guns that were positioned on ridges overlooking the camp just off the northwest end of the runway.

Sam McGowan is a retired corporate pilot and US Air Force veteran. He logged more than 4,000 hours in C-130s, mostly in Southeast Asia and was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross and twelve Air Medals. He lives in Missouri City, Texas