Maxwell Air Force Base Gunter Annex in Montgomery County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Puff The Magic Dragon

Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 15, 2023

1. Puff The Magic Dragon Marker

Inscription.

Puff The Magic Dragon. . This monument is dedicated to those crew members that paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving on the AC-47D in Southeast Asia., You will always be remembered, Pleiku . Da Nang Bien Hoa . Phu Cat Tan Son Hhut . Nha Trang Binh Thuy . Phan Rang Udorn - Thailand . Ubon – Thailand 14th Air Commando Special Operations Wing, 14th Air Commando Special Operations Wing, All Gave Some, {Reverse}, Robert W. Abbott . Robert L. Abernathy Francis R. Buckley . Claude W. Mathews Derrell B. Jeffords . Dennis L. Eilers Joseph Christiano . Larry C. Thornton William K. Colwell . Arden K. Hassenger Willard M. Collins . Delbert R. Peterson Robert E. Foster . Howard W. Henninger Robert E. Pasekoff . Gerald E. Olson Gene E. Davis . Edwin E. Morgan Marshall I. Pauley . Dean A. Duvall George W. Jensen . Marshall L. Tapp George W. Thompson . James A Preston James E. Williams . William L. Madison Kenneth D. McKenney . Harding E. Smith Sr. Theodore E. Kryszak . Russell D. Martin Harold E. Mullins . Luther L. Rose Ervin Warren . Charles W. Robertson James D. Goodman . Joseph E. Wilkinson III Raymond Medina . Cecil T. Thompson Dana R. Kelley . Lonny L. Mitzel William H. Hosea . Herbert C. Rice John B. Cabana Jr. . John L. Brim James L. Fields . Guy J. Brungard Robert E. Ruonavaara . Burnett Neal Jr. Bruce R. Williams . Clifford C. Barnett Jr. Fred E. Barnette . Robert W. Davis Thomas A. Preaux . Michael J. Stephens Van H. Newville . Arthur R. Coughlin William W. Duck . Charles J. Rogers James C. Krouse . William W. Scoville Walter C. Wright . Karl M. Waldron Jr. Edward B. Quill Jr. . Thomas J. Margle Warren M. Dixon . Robert K. Kawamura Roger G. Lee . James H. Bennett Brent J. Tosh . Richard W. Wackerfuss Donald L. Merry . Edward C. Krawczyk Leslie E. Harris Jr. . Teddy J. Tomchesson Barry L. Brown . James E. Bowman Douglas J. Cradeur . Roy L. Lede Robert P. Acher Jr. . James S. Pitches Roy C. Williams Jr. . Harry H. Wecker Willie W. Alley . Lester M. Cavallin Albert C. McBride . Fred W. Smith , Crewmen Kia In Laos, Some Gave All.

This monument is dedicated
to those crew members that
paid the ultimate sacrifice
while serving on the AC-47D
in Southeast Asia.

You will always be remembered

Pleiku • Da Nang
Bien Hoa • Phu Cat
Tan Son Hhut • Nha Trang
Binh Thuy • Phan Rang
Udorn - Thailand • Ubon – Thailand
14th Air Commando
Special Operations Wing

14th Air Commando
Special Operations Wing

All Gave Some

{Reverse}

Robert W. Abbott • Robert L. Abernathy
Francis R. Buckley • Claude W. Mathews
* Derrell B. Jeffords • Dennis L. Eilers*
* Joseph Christiano • Larry C. Thornton*
*William K. Colwell • Arden K. Hassenger*
Willard M. Collins • Delbert R. Peterson
Robert E. Foster • Howard W. Henninger
Robert E. Pasekoff • Gerald E. Olson
Gene E. Davis • Edwin E. Morgan
Marshall I. Pauley • Dean A. Duvall
* George W. Jensen • Marshall L. Tapp*
*George W. Thompson • James A Preston*
*James E. Williams • William L. Madison*
* Kenneth D. McKenney • Harding E. Smith Sr.*
*Theodore E. Kryszak • Russell D. Martin*
* Harold E. Mullins • Luther L. Rose*
* Ervin Warren • Charles W. Robertson
James D. Goodman • Joseph E. Wilkinson III
Raymond Medina • Cecil T. Thompson
Dana R. Kelley • Lonny L. Mitzel
William H. Hosea • Herbert C. Rice
John B. Cabana Jr. • John L. Brim
James L. Fields • Guy J. Brungard
Robert E. Ruonavaara • Burnett Neal Jr.
Bruce R. Williams • Clifford C. Barnett Jr.
Fred E. Barnette • Robert W. Davis
Thomas A. Preaux • Michael J. Stephens
Van H. Newville • Arthur R. Coughlin
William W. Duck • Charles J. Rogers
James C. Krouse • William W. Scoville
Walter C. Wright • Karl M. Waldron Jr.
Edward B. Quill Jr. • Thomas J. Margle
Warren M. Dixon • Robert K. Kawamura
Roger G. Lee • James H. Bennett
Brent J. Tosh • Richard W. Wackerfuss
Donald L. Merry • Edward C. Krawczyk
Leslie

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E. Harris Jr. • Teddy J. Tomchesson
Barry L. Brown • James E. Bowman
Douglas J. Cradeur • Roy L. Lede
Robert P. Acher Jr. • James S. Pitches
Roy C. Williams Jr. • Harry H. Wecker
Willie W. Alley • Lester M. Cavallin
Albert C. McBride • Fred W. Smith

*Crewmen Kia In Laos

Some Gave All

Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, Vietnam.

Location. 32° 24.274′ N, 86° 14.99′ W. Memorial is in Maxwell Air Force Base Gunter Annex, Alabama, in Montgomery County. It can be reached from McDonald Street. Located in the Enlisted Heritage Memorial Park at the Gunter Annex. Base access required. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 550 McDonald St, Montgomery AL 36115, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this memorial is in Alabama’s Tri-Counties River Region.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and in the Black Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds

Puff The Magic Dragon Marker (reverse side). image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 15, 2023

2. Puff The Magic Dragon Marker (reverse side).

itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Airman First Class John L. Levitow Monument (a few steps from this marker); Award of Air Force Cross to Alaxey Germanovich (a few steps from this marker); Award of Air Force Cross to Dustin H. Temple (a few steps from this marker); Award of Air Force Cross to Richard B. Hunter (a few steps from this marker); Award of Air Force Cross to Christopher G. Baradat (a few steps from this marker); Freightliner M-915a3 Tractor Truck (a few steps from this marker); Award of Air Force Cross to Ivan M. Ruiz (a few steps from this marker); Award of Air Force Cross to Daniel P. Keller (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Maxwell Air Force Base Gunter Annex.

Regarding Puff The Magic Dragon. AC-47 (Spooky), USAF (43-49770), at the Gunter Annex of Maxwell AFB
The aircraft in the photograph was delivered to US Army Air Force in 1943 as a C-47 Skytrain. The serial number on the aircraft

Puff The Magic Dragon Marker & AC-47D in background. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 15, 2023

3. Puff The Magic Dragon Marker & AC-47D in background.

may not be its actual serial number. An AC-47, with the serial number 43-49770, served in Vietnam as a Spooky gunship and was damaged in flight by a mortar round in 1969. The explosion ripped an activated flare from the grasp of a crew member who had been launching flares to provide illumination for Army ground troops engaged in combat. The flare rolled uncontrollable inside the aircraft. Airman First Class John L. Levitow attempted to grab the flare to remove it from the aircraft. Unable to grasp the rolling flare with his hands, he threw himself bodily upon the burning flare. Hugging the deadly device to his body, he dragged himself back to the rear of the aircraft and hurled the flare through the open cargo door. At that instant the flare separated and ignited in the air but clear of the aircraft. For his bravery, that resulted in saving the aircraft and crew, A1C John L. Levitow was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Another AC-47 and same memorial at Hurlburt Field in Florida

Also see . . . Wikipedia article on Puff The Magic Dragon - Douglas AC-47 Spooky.

Closeup of Puff The Magic Dragon aircraft image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 15, 2023

4. Closeup of Puff The Magic Dragon aircraft

Visible are three 7.62 mm General Electric miniguns.

(Submitted on April 16, 2023, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

Credits. This page was last revised on July 17, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 16, 2023, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 711 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 16, 2023, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.