Dates

Event

1957

Constructed as a C-123B-17-FA by Fairchild at Hagerstown, Maryland, USA.

13 September 1957

Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Air Force with s/n 56-4362.

September 1957

Transferred to 419th Troop Carrier (Medium) Group (Tactical Air Command), Ardmore AFB, OK.

December 1957

Transferred to 463rd Troop Carrier (M) Wing (TAC), Ardmore AFB, OK.

July 1958

Transferred to 463rd Troop Carrier (Assault) Wing (TAC), Pope AFB, NC.

April 1961

Transferred to Special Aerial Spray Flight (SASF), Langley AFB, VA.

December 1961

Transferred to 346th Troop Carrier (Assault) Squadron (TAC), Pope AFB, NC.

7 January 1962

Transferred to Special Aerial Spray Flight, 346th Troop Carrier Squadron, Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Saigon.
Assigned to 346th for deployment at Tan Son Nhut.

Operated as a low-level defoliant sprayer in Operation Ranch Hand.

May 1962

Transferred to 4500th Air Base Wing (TAC), Langley, AFB.

July 1963

Transferred to 315th Air Division, HQ (Pacific Air Forces), Tan Son Nhut AB, Vietnam.

Until conversion to UC-123B, the aircraft operated in SVNAF markings for political reasons, especially for anti-crop missions.

December 1963

Transferred to 2nd Air Division, HQ (PACAF), Tan Son Nhut AB, Vietnam.

April 1966

Transferred to 377th Combat Support Group (PACAF), Tan Son Nhut AB, Vietnam.

September 1966

Transferred to 12th Air Commando Squadron, 315th Air Commando Wing (PACAF), Tan Son Nhut AB, Vietnam.

January 1967

Converted to an UC-123B.

January 1967

Transferred to 12th Air Commando Squadron, 315th Air Commando Wing (PACAF), Bien Hoa AB, Vietnam.

Became a dedicated insecticide sprayer to control malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

June 1968

Loaned to Fairchild Aircraft, Hagerstown, MD.

From June 1968 to August 1968

Converted to an UC-123K.

September 1968

Transferred to 315th Air Commando Wing (PACAF), Phan Rang AB Vietnam and Bien Hoa AB, Vietnam.

January 1970

Transferred to 315th Tactical Airlift Wing (PACAF), Bien Hoa AB and Phan Rang AB, Vietnam.

July 1970

Transferred to A Flight, 310th Tactical Airlift Squadron, Phan Rang AB, South Vietnam.

1 January 1971

Photographer: USAF

January 1972

Transferred to 377th Air Base Wing (PACAF), Tan Son Nhut AB, Vietnam.

Aircraft received nearly 600 hits in combat and was nicknamed Patches for all the metal patches covering holes. Crew earned seven purple hearts.

1972

This aircraft became the first and only C-123 to fly completely around the world when, in 1972, it returned to the United States by way of Afghanistan and Iran where it assisted in their fight against a plague of locusts.

August 1972

Transferred to 911th Tactical Airlift Group, (AFRES), Greater Pittsburgh Airport, PA.

By December 1972

Transferred to 901st Tactical Airlift Group (AFRES), Laurence G. Hanscom AFB, MA.

Circa January 1973

Redesignated as C-123K.
Aircraft was also decontaminated of Agent Orange.

September 1973

Base of operations changed.
Westover AFB, MA.

April 1974

Transferred to 731st Tactical Airlift Squadron, 439th Tactical Airlift Wing, (AFRES), Westover AFB.

By 1975

Transferred to 302nd Tactical Airlift Wing, (AFRES), Rickenbacker AFB, OH.
Your Assistance is Needed: Can you confirm this airframe was assigned to the 302nd or was it a deployment?
Share Your Information with Everyone by Editting the Documented History

June 1980

Ferry flight. Delivered to National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright Field, Dayton, OH.
View the Location Dossier

September 1981

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield
Notes: Underexposed slide, but it shows the paint scheme which the aircraft wore upon arrival at NMUSAF

Markings Applied: Patches

28 July 1986

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield
Notes: Freshly restored.

6 May 2008

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield
Notes: Now displayed inside

19 September 2023

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield