Double Ugly Medevac
On the morning of December 22nd, 1986, in Fargo North Dakota; a four-month-old named Michael McCann passed away. His parents Steven and Karen McCann, overwhelmed by their loss, made the remarkably courageous decision to pass a gift of life to another infant.
Unknown to them at the time, across the continental divide, lay five-month-old Andrew De La Pena, an infant whose prognosis was poor and was in urgent need of a heart transplant as he lay in his bed at the Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California.
At 11:45 PM, Michael's tiny heart was recovered and the transplant window countdown began. The transplant team had only four hours to get the young donor's heart over 1800 miles to the West Coast if they had any chance of saving five-month-old Andrew’s fragile life.
Rushing against the clock, a medivac Lear Jet was quickly fuelled while its crew prepared to receive the infant's heart. The ambulance raced up to the aircraft on the ramp, the package was transferred, and the exit quickly closed against the cold December air. The Lear’s crew immediately began start-up procedures for an expedited departure…but unfortunately, one engine failed to start, forcing the medevac crew to shut down, knowing full well, they could not complete their mission...and as the sound of the jet's whine diminished, so did, any hope for the young infant in California.
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All efforts had been made, and all alternatives had been discussed, there were simply no other options at that point. The distance was too great, and the time too short. There was no hope.
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One of the transplant team members, on a literal wing and a prayer, picked up the phone, and reached out to then-Governor George Sinner for help…
and help is what they got!
Across the ramp, unseen in the darkness, sat the North Dakota Air National Guard 24-Hour Alert F-4 Phantom IIs.
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The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber, notoriously referred to, as the "world's largest distributor of MiG parts." Holder of 15 world records for in-flight performance, including an absolute speed record, and an absolute altitude record.
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Carrying the nicknames of Old Smokey, The Rhino, St Louis Slugger, Lead Sled, The Hammer, and most graciously the Double Ugly, considered to be the triumph of thrust over aerodynamics...and loved by all. With her top speed of over two times the speed of sound ( Mach 2.22) powered by two engines capable of producing seventeen thousand eight hundred pounds of thrust with afterburners.
30 seconds after being contacted by Governor Sinner, Major General Alexander P. Macdonald, N.D. the Adjutant General took action, and the National Guard pilot on duty’s telephone rang. 1st Lieutenant Robert J. Becklund raced towards his fully fuelled and awaiting Phantom with maps in tow, and a small red and white cooler in hand. There would be no GIB(Guy In Back) on this night flight, 1st Lieutenant Buckland would be riding solo on this winter cross country.
Engines quickly spooled up, the Phantom rolled out under darkness for the runway. Then, Ol'Smokey the medevac, with afterburners selected, lit the night sky, with thunderous report, shaking nearby buildings as she announced her departure westbound for California, as only a Phantom could.
Pushing through the night air on her uniquely medical mission, the fearsome-looking craft, normally tasked with ruling the skies, was engaging a new adversary...Time. A mission was one no one had foreseen, and “Phailure" was not an option.
As the sun broke over the Californian skies, the Phantom had already touched down, the transplant completed, and thankfully, young 5-month-old Andrew De La Pena was on the way to recovery, all very much to the delight of his mother, Debrah.
That tiny infant named Andrew, is now in his twenties. and the young 1st Lieutenant Phantom Driver, is now Colonel Becklund, commander, 119th Wing, North Dakota Air National Guard.
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and as for the Phantom, although she carries no markings to proudly display the victorious nature of this medical mission, like any great aircraft, Ol'Smokey was quietly rolled back into her hangar, doors closed, silently adding another notch, albeit an unusual one, to her countless successes over many glorious years of service.
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“It cost him his ability to serve as it went against orders to make that call.” is quite confusing. Was the launch of a strategic response phantom unsanctioned (even though one would expect it was approved? Or was it the approval to launch? Hard call either way: critical humanitarian activity or critical standby reserve resource?
To the person concerned about age discrepancy of the child in this case, consider that the story could’ve first been told when they were 22 and never updated in future iterations. Now pardon me while I grab another Kleenex (my eyes 👀 are leaking)
“One of the members of the transplant team, on a literal wing and a prayer, picked up the phone, and reached out to then Governor George Sinner for help” This man was the love of my little sister’s life. It cost him his ability to serve as it went against orders to make that call. He never regretted it.
‘Skip’ Charles Flory Martin the 3rd.
318FIS out of McChord did medical runs any number of times through the 70s and 80s. At least one was a run of anti-snake venin to Salt Lake.
I am sure that other units also made those runs for folks. Life and death for the civilians, but just a mission for our aviators….
Come to think of it, it was the 62nd AMW out of McChord that did the mission to drop the testing and treatment supplies to the scientist at McMurdo in terrible weather.
We have some damned good people
GREAT story! Was in college in 67—68 before joining the Army and flying Ah-1Gs. Worked part time at McDonnell -Douglas and was able to get on the mfr floor and see these being built – Got close up views of F4E in production. what a bird! Wanted to fly it – but no college – no flight school.
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