MY FATHERS KNIFE

At least 50 years old. Has held up well. I thought i would get it when he died as i used to sneak it out and play Daniel Boone with it in the woods behind my house. But he actually gave it to me a year before he flew that final mission here on earth in 2014.:)
 
Anyone know if this was the standard issue to USAF pilots in Vietnam 1968?
He flew as a bush pilot in the 606th Air Command. Reconnaissance and insertion ops for special forces. Under the Litter Bug Loudmouth program, wink wink....
 
Read back 12 pages here and a thought came to mind. I said the knife has held up very nicely but i have nor has my dad done anything to it since 1968. I vaguely remember wiping it with oil maybe 10 years ago as i told him he need to take care of it.
Is there anything other than storing it out of the Florida humidity that i should do?
 
It normally isn't associated with Air Force issue. However with your dad's MOS I can see where his choice of knives would make more sense to him. A lot of military gear was less branch of service specific by Vietnam than say during WW2 and he wouldn't have necessarily needed to do a G.I. to G.I. trade to get his hands on one. All this gear was inventoried under stock numbers that could be requisitioned from supply depots.
Normally the Jet Pilots Survival Knife would be the most common fixed blade knife available to Air Force personal.
Your dad's knife survived exceptionally well, when considering you as a young lad even played with it. Keep doing what you've been doing, it's worked well so far. Yes store it with consideration to the heat and humidity or Florida in mind. Places that are comfortable for humans in that part of the country are generally good for leather too. The sheath and handle were originally treated with a fungicide that will help with longevity.
Out of curiosity do you remember the aircraft type/s your dad was flying?
 
Hellio Currier ( excuse the spelling) its Canadian. Military designation was U-10.
 
sac troop said:
It normally isn't associated with Air Force issue. However with your dad's MOS I can see where his choice of knives would make more sense to him. A lot of military gear was less branch of service specific by Vietnam than say during WW2 and he wouldn't have necessarily needed to do a G.I. to G.I. trade to get his hands on one. All this gear was inventoried under stock numbers that could be requisitioned from supply depots.
Normally the Jet Pilots Survival Knife would be the most common fixed blade knife available to Air Force personal.
Your dad's knife survived exceptionally well, when considering you as a young lad even played with it. Keep doing what you've been doing, it's worked well so far. Yes store it with consideration to the heat and humidity or Florida in mind. Places that are comfortable for humans in that part of the country are generally good for leather too. The sheath and handle were originally treated with a fungicide that will help with longevity.
Out of curiosity do you remember the aircraft type/s your dad was flying?
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And many thanks for your information.
I nainly just carried it around and took it out once in awhile. I knew i would be in big trouble if i damaged it using amd abusing it.
 
Great knife, looks well cared for....love the fuller on almost any knife looks great on your knife,use to collect the cattaraugus q225 for a few years ,i think i still have one left so much history in those knives....excellent post btw ,you have a beautiful shepherd
 
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BITEME said:
Great knife, looks well cared for....love the fuller on almost any knife looks great on your knife,use to collect the camillus q225 for a few years ,i think i still have one left so much history in those knives....excellent post btw ,you have a beautiful shepherd
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Ahh thanks for the info and the shepherd complement she is my sweetheart even when im working her.
q225? Is that what my knife is called? I haven’t a clue!
DN
 
I think he means the Cattaraugus Q225 knife, it's the only one I can think of. Also Case made a very similar knife, the Q337.
Yea your dad did hairy work, flying low and slow over thick jungle.
 
Thanks. And yes he inserted and extracted some of our badest dudes. He started out flying the B-52 (said it was like driving a bus) so when he was given the choice for Nam he took the little plane. Said it was the most fun he could ever have flying considering it was a war but i knew what he meant.
Sactroop? Whats that mean? Just curious?
 
Ok this is freakin me out. I blew up the photo 1st time ever) and realized it had a readable tail number? So i googled the tail number?
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I'm assuming your referring to "low and slow over thick jungle". By that, first the single engine prop planes like the U-10 aren't keeping up with most of the other aircraft in the Air Force inventory. If they fly high they can be located faster by the enemy on the ground and they can track it easier. The pilots often flew just above the jungle so they were on top of the people looking for them and out of range before the bad guys could get a bead on them. Still planes like that are vulnerable to small arms fire.
My late father-in-law was a glider pilot in WW2. The rated glider pilots were also qualified liaison pilots. He flew a lot in L-4's and L-5 single engine aircraft along with some others. Some of those missions were for gathering reconnaissance too. He and your dad could probable share some interesting stories.
You might do some searching on the net to see if there are any groups for Helio aircraft. I'd bet there are. I contacted a group like that about a picture I have of my father-in-law standing in front of a Stinson L-5 in France. They were able to complete the partial tail number in the picture and confirm it was assigned to the headquarters squadron of his Troop Carrier Group. You might be able to get more information were that U-10 is presently located.
 
Wow you really think i could locate the plane?
By the way thumbs up to your father in law, ww2 glider pilot wasnt a walk in the park.
I’ll get on the search. Rabbit hole here i go!
Sac Troop? Is that Strategic Air Command?
I and my father were both in SAC. Just different times. :D
 
Yep. 8up and proud of it. I think the search is worth a try. You may even run across people who knew your dad back in the day. Happy hunting!
 
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My dads plane in the early days. He was SAC right out of flight school because General Lamay said so. Lol
 
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