Matt308 said:
Where are you Charles, you crusty ole bastard, you made me start this thread!
I hear you Matt…. Unfortunately, all of us with stories to tell, also remember the
ones that are not funny, some are deadly serious.
I was attached to the 1950th AACS (Airways Aircraft Communications System)
at Whellus AFB, in Tripoli, Libya 1954-1955 when I had exchange duty with the
USAF. Unfortunately I don't remember the date, but I think it was in February
of 1955. I manage to get seven days leave, and decided to spend it in Italy, just
a few hours flying time away. Hops were always going that way, so I managed
to get a hop on a C-47 cargo plane going to NAF Sigonnela, Sicily.
This C-47 did not have seating like a passenger plane, there were rack type seats
down each side of the plane, with cargo stashed in the center "aisle". I was
sitting just aft of the double cargo doors on the starboard side, right next
to a Marine LCpl named Danny Mannus, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He was
returning to Italy from a holiday of scuba diving in the waters around Tripoli.
When we got to the airspace around NAF Sigonella, there was a problem on the
ground, so we were told to orbit in a designated area near the field. Clouds were
low and visibility limited.
First sign of trouble I realized the pilot had firewalled the throttles and had the
yoke in his belly. We still hit the mountain just outside of Sigonella. The fuselage
broke in half at the cargo doors and me the the Marine were ejected, even tho
we had seat belts on, in preparation for landing. There were fourteen people on
the plane, including the crew. Ten were killed in the crash. The marine didn't
get a scratch….. I broke both ankles. .
When the rescue people got up there LCpl Mannus had everyone out of the
airplane, the dead on one side of the plane laying in the snow, the living
altho injured on the other side. He had pulled everyone out of the wreckage,
and did what he could for the living. He had packed my ankles in snow to
keep the swelling down and to ease the pain
In my mind the "crash" was not that violent. I think we were in a climb, and
kinda pancaked on the hillside. There was very little fire, but the cargo
broke loose and went toward the left side of the plane were all the killed were sitting.
I had the extreme pleasure of watching Vice Admiral Christman pin the Navy
and Marine Corps Medal on LCpl Danny Mannus for his lifesaving efforts.
It's been over fifty years ago, but I will never forget a young Marine……
Danny Mannus of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Charles