Aircraft History
There are approximately 22 C-123s registered with the FAA to various museums and other groups. Five of these are airworthy examples registered in the United States.
Quick Facts About 'Ponderous Polly'
| Dates |
Assignment |
| 1954 - 1962 |
Unknown |
| January 1962 |
Project Mule Train begins with cargo C-123Bs arriving at Tan Son Nhut AB, South Vietnam. First mission was flown on 3 Jan 1962.
Operation Ranch Hand begins with UC-123Bs arriving in Tan Son Nhut AB, South Vietnam. Training began in April 1961. |
| October 1964 |
Arrived with 19th Air Commando Squadron at Tan Son Nhut AB, South Vietnam, on 8 Oct 1964. This aircraft, with a tail code of "WE", designated it as belonging to the 19th Air Commando Squadron and its redesignations until 10 Jun 1971 when the squadron was deactivated.
Last C-123 that left South
Vietnam at war's end to
make it into Thailand.
(See article,
"Escape
to U Taphao".) |
| 1971 - 1975 |
Unknown |
| 1975 - 1978 |
Stationed at Westover AFB, MA, until 1978 when sent to AMARC at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ. |
| 1986 |
Dave Talichet of Military Aircraft Restoration Corporation (MARC) buys five C-123K aircraft from Davis-Monthan. |
| 1996 |
John Curran buys S/N 54-0592 from MARC and locates aircraft in Schenectady, NY, as part of Northeast Aviation Group. |
| 2005 |
John Curran relocates "Ponderous Polly" to New Bern, NC, as winter home for aircraft. When airshows allow, moves to Schenectady from June through September, then returns to New Bern. |
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» Aircraft Specifications & Performance
Defoliant Operations
"Ponderous Polly" was never used as a defoliant sprayer. Note: All but two surviving aircraft of Operation Ranch Hand missions are at the AMARC in Tucson, AZ. One exception is on display at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH. The other, "Thunder Pig", is located at the Air Heritage Museum in Pennsylvania.
19th Air Commando Squadron
From 1964 to 1971, this aircraft was assigned to the 19th Air Commando Squadron. This squadron received a Navy Presidential Unit Citation for supporting the Marines at Khe Sahn. To give you some perspective, the second highest award given to Navy/Marine individuals is the Navy Cross. The requirements to earn this medal are just slightly less than for the Medal of Honor. If a unit meets the requirements to earn a Navy Cross, it is awarded a Presidential Unit Citation. For the Navy to give the Air Force one of these awards is pretty special. This squadron also earned six Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Valor device, a very unusual combination.
In 1975, the aircraft left Vietnam for the last time and was assigned to drug interdiction missions in South America until being "mothballed" at AMARC in 1978. In 1986, five C-123s were "rescued" for restoration. Three have been sold and the other two are still sitting unregistered on an airfield in Arizona.
Lineage
Constituted 19 Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 22 Dec 1939. Activated on 1 Feb 1940. Redesignated: 19 Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 3 Feb 1944; 19 Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 30 Apr 1946; 19 Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 28 Jul 1948. Discontinued, and inactivated, on 15 Mar 1963. Consolidated (19 Sep 1985) with the 19 Air Commando Squadron, Troop Carrier, which was constituted, and activated, on 14 Sep 1964. Organized on 8 Oct 1964. Redesignated: 19 Air Commando Squadron, Tactical Airlift on 1 Aug 1967; 19 Special Operations Squadron on 1 Aug 1968; 19 Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 Jan 1970. Inactivated on 10 Jun 1971. Redesignated: 19 Tactical Intelligence Squadron on 19 Sep 1985; 19 Special Operations Squadron on 1 Apr 1996. Activated on 24 May 1996.
Assignments
22 Bombardment Group, 1 Feb 1940 (attached to 22 Bombardment Wing, 10 Feb 1951-15 Jun 1952); 22 Bombardment Wing, 16 Jun 1952-15 Mar 1963. Pacific Air Forces, 14 Sep 1964; 315 Troop Carrier Group, Assault (later, 315 Air Commando Group, Troop Carrier), 8 Oct 1964; 315 Air Commando Wing, Troop Carrier (later, 315 Air Commando Wing; 315 Special Operations Wing; 315 Tactical Airlift Wing) 8 Mar 1966-10 Jun 1971. 16 Operations Group, 24 May 1996-.
Operations
Antisubmarine patrols over Pacific Ocean, Dec 1941-Mar 1942. Combat in southwestern and western Pacific, 6 Apr 1942-9 Jan 1943 and 27 Jul 1943-3 Aug 1945. Combat in Korea, 13 Jul-19 Oct 1950. Combat missions in Vietnam, Mar 1965-30 Apr 1971. Earned Navy PUC for supporting U.S. Marines defending Khe Sanh, Jan-Mar 1968. Since May 1996, trained for special operations.
Decorations
Distinguished Unit Citations: Papua, 23 Jul 1942-[9] Jan 1943; New Guinea, 5 Nov 1943. Presidential Unit Citations (Vietnam): 21 Jan-12 May 1968; 1 Apr-30 Jun 1970. Navy Presidential Unit Citation: Khe Sanh, Vietnam, 20 Jan-31 Mar 1968. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards with Combat "V" Device: [1 Mar]-30 Apr 1965; 30 Jun-9 Jul 1965; 15 Oct 1966-30 Apr 1967; 10 Jun-31 Dec 1967; 15 Jul 1968-30 Jun 1969; 1 Jan-[1 May] 1971. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII). Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 10 Jul-24 Oct 1950. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 1 Apr 1966-[1 May] 1971.
Source: Air Force Historical Society |
