Douglas C-47 Skytrain
by Bob Rector

The DC-3 first flew as a commercial airliner in 1935. It was adopted for military use as the C-47 by adding more powerful engines and a stronger floor and fuselage.

The C-47 served in three wars and performed tasks ranging from hauling supplies, dropping paratroopers and towing gliders on D-Day to serving as a flying gunship in Vietnam.

In this painting, a C-47 with "invasion stripes"painted on the wings is coming in over the Carentan Peninsula of France for a drop on D-Day, accompanied by a P-51 Mustang escort.

The C-47 was one of several important aircraft here at Pope Army Airfield during WWII.

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and part Subway, but sure looked like a barn to me

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I had passed him and his coffee shop not too long before, but on my way back after dinner I actually started a conversation.

It turned out he and his wife had owned the shop, Rude Awakenings, for nearly 20 years. The abridged version of his story was 'Joined the Army in 1982, married, and never left'.

When they started the business in downtown Fayetteville it was the first business in the area. They had paired up with a theater next door, Cameo.

In the years they have had the business they had seen the area change for the better. Downtown was now filled with folks coming down to grab a bite to eat or staying late out front of his coffee shop.

Having met him right before leaving (and getting ready for an early night with needing to be at the airport at 4am the next day) I had wished I'd happened by earlier in the week as he had so many great recommendations of places to see in the city.

It was a brief encounter, but it brought so much character to the city as he knew its story quite well.

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With nearly 20 'ket assignments' listed on his pedestal. His involvement in the nearby Fort Bragg seemed to have earned him a location in the service park.

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Hercules C-130
by Bob Rector

The C-130 was introduced in 1954 as a medium-range transport with the ability to land and take off on short, primitive runways. It played a vital airlift role in the Vietnam War and in numerous conflicts around the globe since then. This versatile, dependable aircraft has also seen service in refueling, Artic research support, and weather reconnaissance. It has been in continuous production longer than any other military aircraft.

C-130 airlift missions have originated from Pope Airbase since 1964. In 2008, Pope became headquarters for the Air Force Reserve's 440th Airlift Wing and their "H" model C-130's.

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