Airman John C. Traficante
Rhine Main and Dreux Airforce bases1955 - 1957
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After a marathon sea and vomit voyage across the angry Atlantic, about 1500 airman, including me, arrived in Bremerhaven, Germany. It was January, 1955. A number of us received orders to take a civilian train to Frankfurt and then on to Rhine Main Air Force Base, where we were to begin our tour in the 60th T.C.W.
Main Strasse in downtown Frankfurt. The Haupbahnhoff (railroad station)
is on the right.
I remember, when I arrived in Frankfurt, having problems adjusting to a place which wasn’t New Jersey…. damn cold…. a lot of snow….and full of foreigners carrying briefcases!
On the train ride, from Bremerhaven to Frankfurt, I met two NCOs who were in Europe at an earlier time. Since we were to report to Rhine Main Monday morning and it was only Saturday night, one of the them suggested we get a couple of beers before reporting to the base. I couldn’t speak the language nor did I remember how to get transportation to the base, so I tagged along with those guys. The way they talked you would think they were two German luftwaffer offices in American uniforms.
We went to the first beer stub we saw and ordered "drei biere" (that was my first lesson in German….three beers). The gal who brought the beers, to our table, was carrying four mugs in each hand. She was probably doing that all night. I learned, that evening, those freakin’ mugs held a liter! Hell I was use to American beer glasses. These Germans were serious about drinking beer, they were smart forigners! That was the beginning of my love affair with the German brew. After a second round, I decided that I’ve had enough especially since the last time all of us ate was on the boat in Bremerhaven. The other two had more rounds and began to get rowdy and very loud. Some of the locals were getting annoyed and were making comments to the bartender. I don’t think those comments were kind. As the evening went on these guys were out of control. They were obviously "mean drunks". I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to be with them any longer… couldn’t speek the language… and didn’t know where I was with respect to the base. I was young, I home sick and I was damn worried. I guess my mind was made up, as to what I was going to do, when one of the guys got up and standing real crooked yells out, "THE LAST TIME I SAW THIS CITY WAS THROUGH A BOMB SIGHT". As he completed the word "sight", I was outside negotiating with a cab driver to drive me to the base. Hell, I was wearing an American Airforce uniform and carrying a duffel bag, where else could I be going.
I don’t know what ever happened to those two but I wouldn’t blame the Germans if they called the police and had them held overnight in their jail. I guess God protects babies and drunkards. Guys like me get stiffed twenty dollars for a five dollar ride to the base. AND…..American money was appreciated!
John Traficonte and Clyde Rowe
A number of us were assigned to the 12th. and my job was to assist an airman named Tech.Sgt. Ford, who was to be my mentor. He turned out to be the best thing that happened to me in my tour of duty. After a few months he rotated stateside and his airplane, a C119C #51-2612 was assigned to me…. (they sure were desperate)! One morning I checked the aircraft log, after it returned the evening before, and learned the plane was placed on a RED X status due to an inoperative cowl flap actuator motor. Since I was the crew chief, (but not the flight engineer) I decided this was going to be my first solo repair on a real operating aircraft. Without permission, I located the parts and made the necessary repair. I then waltzed into the engineering office and proclaimed 612 was off RED X and ready to go. The flight chief, looking perplexed asked, “Was the job inspected”? I said “Nah”. He then asked, looking more perplexed, “Who signed off the RED X”? Again I replied, “Me”. Well….. I guess I made his day! He instructed me to check out a parachute and report to the aircraft, a pilot will be there shortly for a test flight. Was I nervous! I had flown in an airplane only once in my life (I don’t think there were any airplanes in New Jersey). I requested that I recheck my work before we went up but the sergeant said “NO”! “If the aircraft is in commission for others, then it is in commission for you.” A WELL TAUGHT LESSON!
Later in 1955 the 12th moved to Dreux, France; a place of mud, fog and rain. In time France looked better and better but I looked forward to my trips back to Germany, for the bratwurst mit scharzbrot, Lowenbrau, Mutter’s Brau Haus in Springlingler, the Rocket Club, the Rod and Gun Club and the October Fests (OH-, die Oktober fests).
Germany was good duty. The people were great (it was hard to believe we were at war with them a decade earlier), the food was great and the beer was out of this world. To this day, I’m still a German beer connoisseur.
Aircraft #51-2612, which at that time I was flight engineering, broke 1000 flying hours. I received several letters of commendation, but Sgt. Ford really deserved those accolades. He flight engineered the aircraft for most of those hours, before it was assigned to me.
The 12th received a new C119G (#53-8145) with 160 hours on her. 
Engineering said it was going to be assigned to me. Well you should have seen the FAT head I was wearing. The old timers told me not to take on a new aircraft ….but to no avail. I wanted that first new machine. I went out to the flight line and kicked her tires and then went up into the cockpit and said something like “you’re just a baby but you’re my baby”. It didn’t take too long to find out exactly what the old guys were talking about. Lots and lots of problems which, eventually, were all cleared up. I named her “MACH NIX”. MACH, for the speed of sound and Nix in the German expression Mox Nix(who cares).
My aircraft and I found ourselves on the ground for a couple of days so I decided to bring a Hart Stand over to the plane and polish it. After three days, I had the port side brightly shined. Before I could get to the starboard side, I was told we had a mission to Pakistan and Saudi. When we powered down the runway, I noticed the pilot rolled in a little trim. By the second power setting, he again was rolling in a lot of trim. It dawned on me that the shiny side of the aircraft was slipping nicely while the non shiny side was producing drag. The aircraft was flying at an angle! We didn’t get many miles to the gallon on that trip……. I eventually polished the starbord side.
On one of our missions we had to pick up a jet engine in Athens and ferry it to Adana, Turkey (we learned later that it was for the U2 aircraft). When the engine was placed in the aircraft, in Athens, the engine’s pallet skids damaged the screws holding the cargo floor to the airframe. The floor was key to the structural integrity of the aircraft and therefore had to be repaired immediately (in retrospect, the aircraft should have been placed on a RED X status, repairs made, a proper inspection done and a sign off…..but some people never learn). I was able to get screws from the T.W.A. terminal there but not the washers. Not to be thwarted, I went to the bank in Athens and purchased $100 worth of Greek Drachmas. The Drachma is a coin about the size of a nickel with a small hole in the middle. It was perfect ! Several of us, with the help of a T.W.A. air compressor and air drill, removed the damaged screws and washers and replaced them with the new screws and Drachmas (used in placed of the damaged washers). It was no easy task. Those screws came out and went in hard, right up to the last thread. Thank God we had the air drill. The next day we were to continue our mission to Turkey with the engine aboard. That morning our crew learned that 8145 wasn’t loaded due to another floor problem. I couldn’t believe I overlooked something. Me?….Nah. When we went to the aircraft we had some surprise! Over night someone removed the screws and took the Drachmas!
ANOTHER WELL TAUGHT LESSON!
More lessons followed and character and integrity were beginning to replace the “wise ass” in the airman from New Jersey.
Mach Nix accumulated a lot of safe hours. I’m told she was sent to Vietnam and converted to a gun ship. Maybe it’s childish, but I often think of that aircraft and the many places she flew our crews to. I wish she could have been placed in a musium near by. I would polish her again. After all, I had her since she was a baby.
Our missions covered Europe, North and Central Africa, Middle East and some of the countries south west of Russia. Most of the people we visited welcomed us and I personally was enriched in learning their life styles and customs.
In February 1956, the USA (12th squadron or the 60th) was asked by the
Italian Government to drop food, fuel and other supplies to a small village, in the Italian Alps. Those folks were hit with a terrible snow storm. As we flew over the DZ, it was difficult to see the roof tops due to the snow drifts. We dropped enough supplies to care for Rome! The Italian economy was booming that year. However, we did one hell-of-a job with a squadron of great airplanes!
If memory serves, we did it in one day.
Later, the Pope (Pope Pi-us XII) invited us to the Vatican to express his thanks and bestow his blessing on the group. His audience was quite an experience.
I think the officer who signed the back of the photo was Brig. Gen. Connely.
Text from the back of above photo.
I know you will remember
our audience with His Holiness
for a long time to come. May it bring
you much pleasure.
E B Connely
B/Gen USAF
Rome 18 Feb 1956
The Italians asked for help and the 12th came thru!
My experiences in the Airforce were extremely valuable to me. I was converted from a wise guy to a responsible citizen. After my discharge, I’ve achieved a BS in Electronic Engineering, a Masters in Business and Marketing and am involved in politically appointed jobs as well as serving on the boards of directors of church and state organizations. Please, …this is not brag …but a testomony to the fact that the talent was there but it took the Airforce to bring it out.
THANK YOU AIRFORCE FOR “THE WELL TAUGHT LESSONS”!
One thing has and will always stand out in my memory. After witnessing the extreme poverty and harsh living conditions of some people in the places we visited,
I’M TRULY BLESSED TO BE AN AMERICAN LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES.
