The Mighty Ninth

Strive To Reach The Summit


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DY-Nam2.jpgBack in Nam againDanny Yates walking down a trail near the former LZ Uplift.
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DY-Nam3.jpgDown the trail in NamDanny Yates walking with his son down one of the roads at the old LZ Uplift.
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Uplift2013A.jpgA little photo magicI created it with a picture of me with my son on LZ Uplift earlier this year with a picture of me taken on LZ Uplift 46 years ago.

A little photo magic makes a powerful memory!
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DY-Nam4.jpgDown the trail in NamDanny comes across some concrete steps with initials and the inscription "1969" while re-visiting the LZ Uplift area in Vietnam.
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Vietnam_Monument,_OK.jpgMonument in OklahomaBeautiful granite monument erected to Vietnam veterans. Photo contributed by Danny Yates.

This photo has been selected to grace the Homepage of The Mighty Ninth. It is also very fitting that it resides in Oklahoma, the home of the Cannoncockers College.
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IMG_5743.jpgThis was the "Freedom Bird" for meMany of us came home to Travis AFB aboard C-141's. It was a real hoot to go back there
and take a tour of one of those planes. I've included a picture of me and the C-141 I came home on. It was taken at Clark AFB in the Philippines.
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IMG_5725.jpgInside the Freedom BirdChecking the accommodations for servicemen returning home.
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IMG_3434.jpgJust a few years laterSame area, just an older soldier.
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IMGA1.jpgYep...I made it homeArrived at Travis AFB, ending my luxurious tour of Vietnam. When you enlarge this photo, you will see the tail number of the C-141 that flew me home.
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IMG_6137.jpgFound my Freedom Bird!With a lot of help from an ex-C-141 pilot, I was able to track down and
reunite with the plane that brought me home from Vietnam. I just happened
to have one picture of me with the plane, and I was able to use the tail
number to find my plane.
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IMG_6147.jpgFound my Freedom Bird!I arranged the visit with the public affairs officer at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX. The plane is used for dog training at Lackland, and has the wings and tail removed. The Air Force could not have been more hospitable towards us. It was really cool to be back aboard again.

Incidentally, I read the entire book Fail Safe out loud to the guy next me
on the way home. I don't know why!
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IMG_3882.jpgFound my Freedom Bird!Thankfully, I didn't have to use the can. It beats a 55-gallon drum, though. Maybe the dogs used this one.
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