As part of its landmark study, “Post-Vietnam Dioxin Exposure In Agent Orange-Contaminated C-123 Aircraft”, the Institute of Medicine tested remaining available C-123 aircraft for TCDD residue. The chart that follows is what happened to C-123 aircraft used in Operation Ranch Hand identified in historical records¹.
UC-123 with tail numbers 55-4532, 55-4571, and 56-4362 (“Patches”) were sampled for TCDD residue by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies for their report.
| UC-123 Tail Number² | Squadron Assignment, Museum/Year (if known) | Fate of C-123 |
|---|---|---|
| 54-558 | 4500th ABW, MAP | Sold to Royal Thai Air Force (Thailand), 1971 |
| 54-570 | 4500th ABW, MAP | Sold to Royal Thai Air Force (Thailand), 1971 |
| 54-575 | 4500th ABW, MAP | Sold to Royal Thai Air Force (Thailand), 1971 |
| 54-576 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, no date); 56th SOW (Thailand, no date); 405th Fighter Wing (The Philippines, no date); South Vietnamese Air Force (1971); MASDC (no date); AFLC (1972); MAP | Sold to Royal Thai Air Force (Thailand), 1973 |
| 54-577 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, no date); 315th TAW (Vietnam, no date); Vietnam Air Force (no date); MASDC (no date); AFLC (no date); Air America (1973); MAP | Sold to Royal Lao Air Force, 1973 |
| 54-578 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, no date); 56th SOW (Thailand, no date); MAP | Sold to South Vietnamese Air Force, 1973 |
| 54-584 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, no date); 315th TAW (Vietnam, no date); Vietnam Air Force (1971); MASDC (no date); AFLC (no date); MAP | Sold to Royal Thai Air Force (Thailand), 1973 |
| 54-586 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, 1968–1970); 315th TAW (Vietnam, no date); MASDC (1970); AFLC (no date); 911 TAG (PA, 1972); 731st TAS (MA, 1981); retired from service 1982 | Destroyed at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 2010 |
| 54-588 | 12th ACS | Crashed/lost, Vietnam, 1962 |
| 54-589 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, no date); 315th TAW (Vietnam, no date); MASDC (no date); MAP | Sold to Royal Thai Air Force (Thailand), no date; records show it was later destroyed in combat |
| 54-591 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, no date); 315th TAW (Vietnam, no date); Vietnam Air Force (no date); MASDC (no date); MAP | Sold to Philippines Air Force, 1970 |
| 54-597 | 12th ACS | Crashed/lost, Vietnam, 1966 |
| 54-602 | 1st SOS | Crashed/lost, Florida, 1968 |
| 54-605 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, 1966–1968), 315th TAW (Vietnam, no date); MASDC (1970); AFLC (1971); 907th TAG (OH, 1972); 355th TAS (no year); 356th (OH, 1973); retired from service 1984 | Destroyed at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 2010 |
| 54-607 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, 1966–1969); 315th TAW (Vietnam, no date); MASDC (1971); AFLC (1971); 1st SOW (FL, no year); 24th SOW (Panama, 1973); 907th TAG (OH, 1975); 355th TAS (OH, no year); 356th (OH, no year); 439th AW and 731st TAS (MA, 1976); retired from service 1982 | Destroyed at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 2010 |
| 54-611 | 12th ACS | Crashed/lost, Laos, 1967 |
| 54-618 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, 1966–1969); 309th SOS (Vietnam, no year); 315th TAW (Vietnam, no year); MASDC (1970); AFLC (1971); ADTC (FL, no year); 302nd TAW, 906th TAG, and 355th TAS (1972–1981, OH); retired from service 1982 | Destroyed at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 2010 |
| 54-621 | 19th ACS | Crashed/lost, Vietnam, 1967 |
| 54-628 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, 1966–1968); 309th SOS (Vietnam, 1969); 315th TAW (Vietnam, no year); MASDC (1970); AFLC (1971); 355th TAS (OH, no date); retired from service 1982 | Destroyed at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 2010 |
| 54-630 | 12th ACS | Crashed/lost, Vietnam, 1967 |
| 54-633 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, no date); 315th TAW (Vietnam, no date); MASDC (no date); AFLC (no date); 1st SOW (FL, no date); 906th TAG, 907th TAG, and 355th TAS (OH, no dates); retired from service 1982 | Retired for preservation — Museum of Aviation, Robins AFB, GA, 1984 |
| 54-658 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, no date); 315th TAW (Vietnam, no date); MASDC (1970); AFLC (no date); 24th SOW (Panama, no date); 906th TAG and 355th TAS (OH, no dates); retired from service 1982 | Retired for preservation — Mobility Command Museum, Dover AFB, DE, 1987 |
| 54-693 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, 1967–1968); 309th SOS (Vietnam, 1969); 315th TAW (Vietnam); MASDC (1970); AFLC (1971); 1st SOW (FL, no date); 355th TAS and 356th TAS (OH, no date); retired from service 1982 | Destroyed at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 2010 |
| 54-701 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, 1968–1970), 309th SOS (Taiwan, 1969); 315th TAW (Vietnam, no date); MASDC (1970); AFLC (1970); 4500th ABW (VA, 1970); 906th TAG, 355th TAS and 356th TAS (OH, no dates); retired from service 1982 | Destroyed at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 2010 |
| 55-4511 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, 1968); 315th TAW (Vietnam, no date); MASDC (no date); AFLC (no date); MAP | Republic of Korea, no year |
| 55-4520 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, 1968–1969); 310th SOS (Taiwan, 1969); 315th TAW (Vietnam, no date); MASDC (1970); AFLC (1971); 51st ABW (South Korea, no date); 56th ABW (AZ, no date); 907th TAG (OH, no date); 356th TAS (OH, no date); retired from service 1981 | Destroyed at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 2010 |
| 55-4532 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, 1968–1970); 310th SOS (Taiwan, no date); 315th TAW (Vietnam, 1970); MASDC (1970); 24th SOW (Panama, 1970); AMARC (1970); AFLC (1971); 911th TAG (PA, no date); retired from service 1980 | Destroyed at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 2010 |
| 55-4547 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, 1968–1969); 310th TAW (Taiwan, 1969); 315th TAW (Vietnam, no date); MASDC (1970); AFLC (no date); 4500th ABW (VA, 1970); 906th TAG, 355th TAS, and 356th TAS (OH, no date); retired from service 1986 | Destroyed at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 2010 |
| 55-4570 | 12th SOS and 311th SOS (Vietnam, 1968–1969); 315th TAW (Vietnam, no date); MASDC (1970); AFLC (no date); 51st ABW (Korea, no date); 907th TAG (OH, no date); retired to AMARC (no date); MAP | Royal Thai Air Force (Thailand), 1975 (currently located in Chiang Mai Museum, Thailand) |
| 55-4571 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, 1968–1969); 310th TAW (Taiwan, 1969); 315th TAW (Vietnam, no date); MASDC (1970); AFLC (no date); 24th SOW (Panama, no date); 907th TAG, 355th TAS, and 356th TAS (OH, no date); retired from service 1986 | Destroyed at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 2010 |
| 55-4577 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, 1967–1968); 310th SOS (Taiwan, no date); 315th TAW (Vietnam, no date); 911th TAG and 758th TAS (PA, 1972); MASDC (1980) | Destroyed at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 2010 |
| 56-4362 (“Patches”) |
346th TCS (NC, 1961); ORH (Vietnam, 1962); 4500th ABW (VA, 1962); 315th Air Division Headquarters, 2nd Division (Vietnam, 1963); 377th CSG (Vietnam, 1966); 315th ACW (Vietnam, 1966 [converted to UC-123 in MD, 1968]); 315th TAW (Vietnam, 1968 [converted to insecticide sprayer—Operation Flyswatter]); 377th (Vietnam, 1972); MASDC (1972); 911th TAG (PA, no date); 901st TAG and 731st TAS (MA, 1972) |
Retired for preservation — US Air Force Museum, Wright-Patterson, AFB, OH, 1980 |
| 56-4368 | 464th TCW | Crashed/lost, Vietnam, 1962 |
| 56-4370 | 464th TCW | Crashed/lost, Vietnam, 1962 |
| 56-4371 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, no date); 315th TAW (Vietnam, no date); MASDC (1970); AFLC (1971); 906th TAG (OH, no date); 355th TAS (OH, 1975); retired from service 1982 | Destroyed at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 2010 |
| 56-4373 | 310th TAS | Crashed/lost, Vietnam, 1971 |
| 56-4378 | 309th ACS | Crashed/lost, Vietnam, 1966 |
| 56-4384 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, no date); 310th SOS (1969); 315th TAW (Vietnam, no date); MASDC (no date); AFLC (no date); MASDC (no date); MAP | Year and country undisclosed |
| 57-6289 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, no date); 315th TAW (Vietnam, no date); 405 Fighter Wing (The Philippines, no date); MASDC (1970); Vietnam Air Force (1971); AFLC (1973); MASDC (no date); MAP | Royal Thai Air Force (Thailand), 1973 |
| 57-6291 | 12th SOS (Vietnam, no date); 315th SOW (Vietnam, no date); MASDC (1970); AFLC (no date); 302nd TAW, 906th TAG, and 355th TAS (OH, no dates) | Crashed, Oklahoma, 1980 |
¹ C-123 aircraft tail #’s 54-583, 54-585, 54-635, 54-685, and 55-4544 were excluded from this table. Each of these aircraft were identified as Operation Ranch Hand planes in some recent historical documents provided by the VA (Young and Young, 2013, 2014a,b); however, although these C-123 aircraft were stationed with the 12th SOS in Vietnam (Operation Ranch Hand), the flight records for these aircraft do not indicate that they were used for herbicide missions (USAF, 2009a). Tail #56-4375, nicknamed “The White Whale” was used for VIP transport, not herbicide missions, and was also excluded from this table.
² C-123 aircraft tail numbers that are in bold were destroyed and recycled in 2010.
SOURCES: Institute of Medicine of the National Academies; Information compiled from Alvin L. Young, A.L. Young Consulting, Inc., personal communication, May 5, 2014; Carter, 2013; Young, 2014; Young and Young, 2014a,b.
ABBREVIATIONS: ABW, Air Base Wing; ACG, Air Commando Group; ACS, Air Commando Squadron; ACW, Air Command Wing; ADTC, Armament Development and Test Center (Eglin Air Force Base, FL); AFB, Air Force base; AFLC, Air Force Logistic Command (Hayes Aircraft Facility, Napier Field, Dothan, AL); AMARC, Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, AZ); CSG, Combat Support Group; MASDC, Military Aircraft Storage and Disposal Center (Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, AZ); SOS, Special Operations Squadron; SOW, Special Operations Wing; TAG, Tactical Air Group; TAS, Tactical Airlift Squadron; TAW, Tactical Air Wing; TCS, Troop Carrier Squadron; TCW, Troop Carrier Wing.