I recieved this letter from MSG Walter V. Chapman Jr. (Retired) He's not from your Squadron but I thought it would make a welcome addition to the site. He also was so kind to send me 11 pictures of some of the C-119s you might not have seen. I know you will enjoy them.

I was surfing the sites on C-119s' and found yours.    I was a flight engineer on our units C-119s' from 1968 to 1975.

Our unit,130th Special Operations Group (SOG) WV Air National Guard, had C-119s' from 1963 to 1975. I checked out in the C-119C (1949 model) ,which you know had the R-4360s' and electric landing gear. I've hand cranked the gear into lock more than once. We then got C-119Gs' (1953 models) with R-3350s' and hydraulic landing gear, which was a lot better!

Our unit was the last unit to fly the 119s and my brother who was a StanEval instructor pilot flew the last one to the boneyard at Davis-Motham.We had nine C-119Ls' when we flew them to the boneyard. The L model was a G with a 3 bladed "connie" prop. It was a little faster and much much quieter. The G was the loudest (DB level) of any recip aircraft in the inventory.

One of our aircraft 53-7087 (L model) is at the Special Forces museum at Fort Bragg setting outside.

I've flown 087 to England and all over Europe and all over South Americia. The last time I saw it it was in terrible shape. Its' painted flat black as it was a platform that the Air Force tested Stealth radar and heat absorbing technology on in the early 1970s' at Hurlbert Field in Florida. It was gone at the time for about 6 weeks.

One of our C-119C models is at the annex at the Air force Museum ,Wright Patterson AFB. I flew it in there and droped it off -had to be 1969 or 1970.

I remember a funny thing that happened when the Air Force was celebrating the 25th anniversary of TAC (then Tactical Air Command). Maybe around 1970, we flew a 119 to Langley AFB and every aircraft TAC had was on display that day. Our unit was part of TAC so thats why we were invited. We decided to open up our airplane so the public could see inside. An elderly lady came upon the flight deck and ask us in a very serious tone of voice "how did you people tow this thing here". Of course she could'nt believe we flew it there.

Then a retired Air Force Maintainence type comes up and says "I have'nt seen one of these birds in over 20 years", we just laughed about it. That was part of the fun we used to have flying the C-119.

Our unit got C-130Es' in 1975 after retiring our 119s'. In 1979 we got C-130Hs' that Mississippi ANG had and then in 1989 we got brand new C-130Hs' from Lockheed. The C-130 is a fantastic aircraft and the new "J" model is slated to be around 90-100 years (if the Lord tarrys), , but I would'nt take anything for the experience and fun I had as a 21 year old kid flying the Charlie One One Niner as a flight engineer.

I still view it as a beautiful airplane and what a great time I had flying it.

Good Luck and Good Health God Bless,
MSG Walter V. Chapman Jr. (Retired)
130th Airlift Group

This is the exhaust coming out of the R-4360. Great shot!

Pictures;
Courtesy of MSG Walter V. Chapman Jr.