Shot sometime between 1966-1975, this silent footage (likely a silent version or “rough cut” of a sound USAF recruitment film) shows the 617th Military Airlift Command, which at this time was operating from Da Nang Air Base and/or Pleiku Air Base, South Vietnam. At this time, MAC provided long-range strategic airlift from bases in the United States to Military Airlift Support Squadrons (MASS) located on Pacific Air Forces bases in the Pacific AOR. MAC was the primary strategic airlift organization of the Air Force until 1974, when USAF tactical airlift units in the Tactical Air Command (TAC) were merged into MAC to create a unified airlift organization.

The film shows some of the operations of the unit, as well as the perks of flying with MAC. It begins with footage in Hawaii, as a member of a C-141 Starlifter air crew receives a lei prior to departing on a flight across the Pacific to Vietnam. At 1:46 the crew receives a weather briefing. At 3:57 the aircraft arrives in Vietnam. At 4:24 the 617th’s Airlift Command Post is shown. At 5:00, equipment is unloaded from the aircraft. At 5:44, a crew member’s patch is shown reading 844th Military Airlift Group. At 8:09, the air crew is shown on R&R in what is likely Japan or Okinawa. At 10:59, they attend a luau in Hawaii.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com