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Video by Senior Airman Shelby Horn, Kenneth Wright

349th AMW 75th Anniversary, C-124 Globemaster II

349th Air Mobility Wing

Sept. 17, 2018 | 2:40

In 1966 our wing was re-designated the 349th Military Airlift Wing, under the leadership of Military Airlift Command. This was the same year we gained the Douglas C-124C Globemaster II. Nicknamed “Old Shaky,” this powerful aircraft was the Air Force’s primary heavy-lift transport aircraft during most of the 1950s and 1960s.
Powered by four large Pratt & Whitney R-4360 piston engines, each producing 3,800 horsepower, the C-124 could carry more than 68,000 pounds of cargo. Inside this behemoth was a 77-foot cargo bay that included two overhead hoists that could each lift up to 8,000 pounds.
The training and readiness of 349th Airmen during this time paid dividends in 1968 when the wing was ordered to active duty following the seizure of the USS Pueblo. At that time, many of our Airmen were deployed throughout the Air Force to augment active duty airmen, providing critical support to the war efforts in Vietnam.