Remembering back when I first started at Tiger's I had put applications at all the Major carriers down World Way West and they all wanted some different requirement of some sort. When I got to Tiger's I asked if they were hiring and the receptionist said go back to the hangar and see the foreman. I was working at Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach at the time in Final assembly building DC-8's and DC-9's .  With a short interview he asked if I could go to work that night I said OK.
     I started on graveyard shift like everyone else and I worked both jobs until I could give my 2 week notice at Douglas. After about a Year Tiger's were in the process of closing down the Tiger Air Service in the Pacific and they had a large work force stationed at Tachakawa Japan and at that time if an American national was out of the country for 18 months you didn't have to pay income tax and the company paid room and board. Then the Japanese Government imposed their income tax that doubled every year. So about 20 mechanics came back to LA and other stations in the US.
     When I applied I had to wait a few months because the manager didn't think I had enough experience, But then relented and I was on my way to Japan and was assigned as the Relief Maintenance Representative. In December of 69 in Seoul, Korea freezing my butt off for about a month. Then to Saigon during the monsoons season, lucky I was only 23 at the time and could handle the climate change. I worked with Robert (Scotty) Scott and he showed me the ropes in Viet Nam. If it wasn't for him I might not have learned some street smarts that kept me ahead of the war. I kept moving in Viet Nam next station was Cam Rahn Bay and worked with Bob Vega and Walt Schneider.
    When I was in Cam Rahn Bay I meet up with Wayne Seer a fellow mechanic that hired on with us at Tiger's and had quit because he wanted to go to Viet Nam and the company wouldn't send him. So he quit and went to work for Lycombing in Conn. and after his training on the power plant of the UH-1H. He became the Liaison Rep. for all of central Viet Nam between Lycombing and the US
Army. He would send a gun ship over from across the river at Dung Ba Tin to Cam Rahn to pick me up and bring me to a BBQ they were having. Both Bob Vega and I would have Hibachi pots sent down from Japan for their BB Q's. That area in country was the best protected because the Korean Marines guarded it. I really didn't know their was a war on until I went to Da Nang and all hell broke loose. Getting mortared at the field and small arms issued for protection. Having to offload and on load the DC-8's in the dark with flash lights with 20 to 30 min. turnarounds Da Nang was quit a wake up call for me.
    I will send you some more interesting stuff later when I have more time............... Cheers, Larry