General Daniel "Chappie"
James
| General Chappie
James came to Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, in December
1966, as deputy commander for operations, 8th TFW, and in June 1967 was
named wing vice commander. He flew 78 combat missions into North
Vietnam, many in the Hanoi/Haiphong area, and led a flight into the Bolo
MiG sweep in which seven Communist MiG 21s were destroyed, the highest
total kill of any mission during the Vietnam War.
|
|
|
Col. James and Sgt. James Robinson at Ubon, 1967. |
|
|
|
|
|
40-851 parked in revetment at Ubon. 1967 |
|
 |
|
| Today 40-851 is on static display at Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama in front of the General Daniel "Chappie" James Center for Aerospace Science Engineering and Health Education -- General James was a native of Pensacola, FL, a Tuskegee University graduate and the nation’s first African-American four-star general. http://www.tusk.edu/about/visiting/tour6.htm | |
| The Restoration The following is from an email from Mark Klein
I WORK IN THE 908TH STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE SHOP AT
MAXWELL AFB AND WE WERE ASKED TO PAINT THIS PLANE IN THE VIETNAM PAINT
SCHEME THAT WAS USED WHILE CHAPPIE JAMES WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 8TH. HE
FLEW THIS EXACT PLANE IN OPERATION BOLO. I RESEARCHED THE WOLFPACK
WEBSITE AND EMAILED MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ASSIGNED THERE TO FIND
OUT ABOUT PAINT SCHEME AND DETAILS OF MARKINGS, I USED A COMPUTER TO
MAKE ALL OF THE STENCILS AND MARKINGS AND DESIGNED A FONT THAT LOOKS
JUST LIKE THE ORIGINAL STENCILS THAT YOU USED TO CUT OUT ON STENCIL
BOARD. IT CAME OUT REAL WELL FOR A PAINT JOB DONE OUTSIDE AND ONLY
HAVING SIX PEOPLE AND 8 DAYS TO DO IT. I HAD TO A LOT OF PREPARATION
BEFORE WE GOT THERE. THIS PLANE IS AT TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY IN ALABAMA
ON A PEDESTAL IN FRONT OF THE CHAPPIE JAMES CENTER.
|
|
| Some links of interest about Gen.
Daniel Chappie James http://www.arlingtoncemetery.com/djames.htm http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/history/vietnam/james.htm http://www.fatherryan.org/blackmilitary/chappie.htm http://avstop.com/History/BlackPilots/james.htm http://www.findagrave.com/pictures/jamesdaniel.html http://www.theledger.com/top50/pages/james.html http://www.raaheroes.com/military/airforce/james.htm
|
|
