Not much narrative on this story. But I wanted to illustrate, while my memory is still essentially intact, what a fantastic geography lesson I received from the US Air Force between 1962 and 1967. What 20-something-year old gets this kinda lesson?
The entire story is a listing from my memory of many, if not all, the far away places I visited during that most enlightening part of my 30- year Air Force career.
As an airlift navigator on C-130 and C-141 aircraft I was part of an aircrew who flew thousands of tons of equipment, supplies and people to destinations worldwide. Here are the sites I recall from memory:
My son, the “computer genius,” took the following list and put color-coded pins in Google Earth for a more interactive view of my Geography lesson. I actually had a real spinning globe with pins in it back in the day. For those so inclined, click on this link to explore my mid-twenties world. If it doesn’t work, blame Jim.
Eastbound
1. Bermuda
2. The Azores
3. Madrid, Spain
4. Chataueroux AB, France
5. Paris
6. Frankfurt, Germany ( Rhein-Main AB)
7. Mildenhall, AB, England
8. London
9. Prestwick AB, Scotland
10. Adana, Turkey ( Incirlik AB)
11-16. Diyarbakir, Samsun, Trabzon, Eskashir, Cigli, Yalova( Istanbul), Turkey
17. Beirut
18. Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
19 Athens, Greece
20-21. Asmara and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
22. Khartoum, Sudan
23. Cairo, Egypt
24. Wheelis AB, Tripoli, Libya
25. Karachi, Pakistan
26. Peshawar, Pakistan
27. New Delhi, India
Southbound
28. Panama, Canal Zone
29. Puerto Rico
30.-32. West Indies. Eleuthera, San Salvador, Antigua
33. Zanderij AB. Paramaribo, Surinam
34. Recife, Brazil
35. Ascension Island
36. Leopoldviile, Congo
37. Johannesburg, South Africa
38. Pretoria, South Africa
Westbound
39. Hickam , Honolulu, Hawaii
40. Midway Island
41. Wake Island
42. Guam
43. Okinawa
44/45. Yokota and Tachikawa AB, Japan
46. Tokyo
47. Clark AB, Philippines
48. Tan Son Nhut AB, Vietnam (spent a year there 69-70)
49. Bien Hoa AB, RVN
50. NhaTrang AB, RvN
51. Danang AB, RVN
52. Ubon, Thailand
53. Udorn, Thailand
54. Nakon Phenom ( NKP). Thailand
55. Bangkok
56. Ching Chuan Kang ( CCK) AB, Taiwan
Northbound
57. Ernest Harmon AB, Newfoundland, Canada
58. Goose Bay, Labrador
59. Comox AB, Vancouver, Canada
60. Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage, Alaska
61. Shemya AB, Alaska
62. Eielson AFB, Fairbanks, Alaska
63. Thule AB, Greenland (now Pituffik)
64. Keflavik AB, Iceland
Really. Southbound
65. Christchurch, New Zealand
I know there are some other destinations. But these are the ones I recall on April 9, 2025. Enuf already.