LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark --
The 41st
Airlift Squadron celebrated its 75 year anniversary in February 2017, inviting
all current and former Black Cats and friends to commemorate the occasion.
The 41st AS stems from a long tradition of
tactical airlift, which all began in mid-February, 1942, with the creation of
the 41st Troop Carrier Squadron at Duncan Field, Texas. Less than a year later, in January 1943, the
41st TCS found itself in the Pacific theater of operation.
New to the C-47
aircraft, untested, minimally trained, inexperienced and young, the men
initially became known as the Jungle Skippers, providing tactical airlift
throughout the Southwest Pacific. This
elite group of young men understood the hazards and inherent risk of their
profession and pushed themselves to be the best with a “safety first”
mindset.
Then squadron commander, Major Herbert Waldman, stressed the
importance of “safeguarding of equipment and flyer” in a belief that it was better
for the war effort to ensure both made it to their destination, rather than
take a chance and lose both.
Waldman stated
“Everybody in our organization was made conscious of one factor … that the
plane must be perfect before it left on its flight and the pilot must have
every bit of available knowledge of the route and landing field to which he was
going. In this way, every department -- engineering,
intelligence, and operations -- was held as responsible as the pilot himself to
maintain the safety record.”
Since its inception, the 41st takes the job of professional tactical
airlift seriously and firmly understands that it takes a team to safely and
effectively make the mission happen.
In the young squadron, the unit developed robust training
programs and quality mission planning products to ensure pilots were armed with
the best knowledge, judgment and aircraft possible to overcome the challenging
missions of the day, in a time when fatal mishaps were common.
The culture of the 41st from its outset is unquestionably one
of excellence and it showed in the recognized, impeccable safety and
performance record of the 41st TCS during that time. In a unit Letter of Commendation dated Feb. 18,
1944, the squadron was recognized on its two year anniversary for flying
operations without a fatal accident to passengers or members of the crew and
also without the loss of an airplane.
Brig. Gen. Paul Prentiss noted in the commendation that “this
record is particularly outstanding in view of the valuable contribution which
your squadron and others of the 317th Group have made to the war in the
Southwest Pacific, first on the mainland and later in New Guinea. Flying to Wau in January of last year [1943],
dropping paratroopers at Nadzab in September, and carrying the daily loads to
the Markham Valley and north have not been the safest assignments for your
C-47s, and it is to the everlasting credit of your pilots, crews, maintenance
personnel, and yourself that no serious accidents have been sustained
throughout the thirteen months of foreign duty.”
The young men of the Pacific earned the unit’s Black Cat name
during World War II and built a strong foundation which future generations steadfastly
carried forward through Europe, Africa, India, Southeast Asia, the Americas,
Kuwait, Bosnia, Iraq, and mostly recently in Afghanistan where the 41st AS, along with 19th Maintenance Group and Operations Support Squadron
personnel, completed a highly successful combat deployment in January 2017.
The Black Cat name and symbolism of the squadron’s patch is
derived from the 41st Troop Carrier Squadron’s outstanding safety record during
WWII as it frequently overflew the “Black Cat Trail” in New Guinea. The Black Cat is pictured on our patch
carrying its precious cargo safely over the clouds to its destination and has
been our designated patch since 1943.
The US Air Force has a rich history with many roots that
reach back well before the US Air Force’s creation in September 1947. From its beginning, the 41st set a high
standard of professionalism and excellence which continues today. Our 41st Airlift Squadron story is only one thread
of a rich U.S. Air Force tradition and history, a history we are proud to build
upon.
In February 2017 we came together to celebrate our unique
tactical airlift heritage, paying tribute to those who have gone before us in a
special memorial service held on Little Rock’s flightline and toasting with
pride that the extraordinary legacy of tactical airlift continues on here at
Little Rock AFB. Only a select few from
our nation choose to serve and it continues to be our distinct privilege to
serve alongside such incredible Airmen and honor the memory of those giants
that built the foundation upon which we continue to build upon today.
The 41st Airlift Squadron – Anywhere, Anytime
since 1942!