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The
question is, What does a public school teacher, a businessman, a
radiation therapist, an aircraft mechanic and three pilots have in
common?
The answer is, They all own Cessna L-19/0-1 Bird Dog airplanes used in
recognizance missions by the U.S. Army during the Korean and Vietnam
wars.
They are all from Paris, TX. and
are members of the Lone Star Bird Dawgs headquartered at Cox Field in
Paris.
The L-19/0-1 (USMC version was the OE until 1962) aircraft was named Bird Dog as a
result of a naming contest held with Cessna employees with the U.S. Army
selecting the winning entry.
According to most sources, the name (Bird
Dog) was chosen because the plane was to find the enemy and orbit
overhead until artillery or attack aircraft could be brought in to
attack. By flying low to the ground, the pilot could observe the
exploding shells and radio target adjustment instructions to artillery
troops. In addition to artillery spotting and front-line
communication, the Cessna Bird Dog was used to transport South Vietnam
officials and other notables,
One of its most notable flights was in April 1975 when the United
States pulled out of Saigon. South Vietnam Air Force Major Bung-Ly
loaded his wife and five children into a Cessna Bird Dog and headed
out to sea. He spotted the USS Midway aircraft carrier and made a
successful landing on its deck. The Bird Dog the major landed in is
now on display at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Fla.
The Lone Star Bird Dawgs are preserving and honoring the past of the Cessna L-19/0-1 aircraft
and flight crews. Please
visit and sign our guestbook and leave us a comment (s) in our
galleries. We love hearing from you! |
