a copy of your statement could also be helpful. If your available to help me in any way I would be grateful.. I wish you well brother..Larry Previous Message
Ahoy Rich,
My full Apology's, after so many months- just now replying back to you and others that may have needed my Statement(s). My Health like most of Vets sliding, my CPU crashed, losing this LINK, now finding my old Message & your reply. IF you get this and still needing additional data assisting your Claim, it will be no problem Reprinting and Notarizing, though we should include other New & Pertinent Facts discovered over this past Year, then Notary the Final data.
SEND YOUR EMAIL and I'll Email back direct. Until then > It's Mike Christiansen TAKHLI RTAFB '67 - '68 A/C Elect. Spec. 42350 E4. 355th CSG. This being an Accurate Description of the "SPRAY" activity & "AREA's" I witnessed nearly Nightly @ NW end of Runway, as I spent about 1/3 of my Shifts @ TAKHLI here > 1. (3)TRIM PADS (Concrete Slabs with Tiedowns & wheel chocks) at NW End of W.Runway. 2. Each TRIM PAD provided locations for Running Up A/Craft to 100% + Afterburner allowing us(Elect.) performing our Set of Required Elect. Tests (Avg. 45 Min. to 1 Hr. each A/C),ensuring ALL Systems Passed AOK (Such as Thrust Decay Switch, Engine H20 Injection, Master-Caution Fault checks,Flight Controls,Fire-Warning,& Dozens others. 3. Every time any Engine related Elect. Boxes, Switches, or Controls were R&R'd, or adjusted, an Engine Runup was required. 4. Due to HEAT of Day, I was fortunate enough to Work SWING-SHIFT most of my Year on TAKHLI. Only problem is > ALL SPRAYING by the Tanker-Trucks was done on my SWING-SHIFT(AO Evaporates Rapidly in Hot Sunny days, thus AO was typically Sprayed Early Evenings for MAX Saturation into the Foliage & Soils. 5. As described > Tanker Trucks would motor around entire Perimeter of ea. TRIM PAD where Foliage met the Concrete, Spraying often Nightly or every other Night. During Spraying, the Heavy MIST remained Airborne as a Visible Fog illuminated by the numerous trailerable Light Stands- soon after noticing the Oily substance coating my Arms and Uniform; I'd wipe it with my Hat, but again.. within minutes Oily substance coated my Arms. 6. You could Smell & Taste it immediately upon Truck dispensed it > Bitter/Sweet & acrid.. unmistakable & saturating Uniform; I'd Soak Uniform in Shower EACH Day Twice, before giving it to Hooch Boy who would then Soap Wash, Hang, and Press it; only to be Saturated again the next Night. 7. My experience & expertise earned me the Job of working at least 2 to 4 Hrs at any one of these (3) TRIM PADS ea. of my 6-Day Weeks, leaving Skin, Sinus's, Ears, Throat, & Hair Nightly Saturated with Direct AO Contact, while Spray-soaked Uniform kept AO coating my entire Body 18 Hrs./Week. 8. Each Morning, residue of same Bitter/Sweet Oily Flavor still Tasted, as well Smelling it again after Hooch Boys freshly Sprayed Bushes around Barracks w. Spray/Pump Cans 9. From this, obviously we were near continuously coated with AO, though when I asked Sergeants IF they needed to Spray all this often, they'd reply > "If you don't want Mosquito Bites of Malaria", but we knew it wasn't Mosquito Repellent 10. Headaches were common, with continuous Inhaling of what I knew was TOXIC and bad for our Lungs, Concentration and Memory felt as Foggy as was the AIR after Spraying. But our Job responsibility's keeping our Pilots Safe and Flying another Mission, was our priority.
Hope your Health is well, & your Claim accepted.
Mike C. 42350
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