Feb. 18, 1959: Future Ga. ARNG State Aviation Officer Makes Emergency Landing in Griffin

 By Maj. William Carraway

Historian, Georgia Army National Guard.

 

Brigadier General Charlie Camp (center) speaks with Master Sgt. Georgie Moore (left) and 1st Lt. Robert Sprayberry (right) beside an L-20
Beaver in January, 1957. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Late in the evening of February 17, 1959, Captain Robert Sprayberry departed the airport in Brunswick, Ga. piloting a Georgia Army National Guard L-20 bound for Marietta. Onboard were two passengers: Lt. Col. Steven Reeves, a personnel officer with the Ga. National Guard’s United States Property and Fiscal Office; and Jimmy Williamson, Mayor of Darien, Georgia.[1] Enroute to Dobbins Air Force Base, the aircraft began experiencing engine trouble. In the desperate minutes that followed, Sprayberry’s training, experience collaborating with the Georgia State Patrol and decision making would be the difference between life and death.

 

Aviation Career

Sprayberry enlisted as a private in the Atlanta-based Headquarters Battery, 179^th Field Artillery Battalion February 7, 1949. Commissioning in April 1952, Sprayberry graduated from the Army Aviation Flight School at Fort Sill, Okla. the following year and was qualified to fly the L-17, L-19 and L-20 aircraft in the Georgia National Guard inventory.[2] One year later, while assigned as an L-19 pilot with the 179^th FA BN, Sprayberry assisted the Georgia State Patrol in a search for an escaped convict near Adairsville, Ga.[3]

Georgia National Guard Soldiers of the Rome-based Company E, 122nd Infantry Regiment, 48th Infantry Division, guard Herbert Juelich, who escaped
from U.S. Marshals in North Georgia on August 8, 1953. Photo by Maj. Jack Conrad.

In December 1957, Sprayberry graduated from the U.S. Army Primary Helicopter School at Camp Wolters, Texas and began flying the Georgia National Guard’s newest rotary wing aircraft, the UH-13.[4]

By the time he was promoted to captain July 28, 1958, Sprayberry had flown all fixed and rotary-wing aircraft in the Georgia Army National Guard inventory and regularly flew senior leaders of the Georgia National Guard and civilian leaders.

 

ATLANTA, September 1958 – Captain Robert Sprayberry (right) at the controls of a Georgia Army National Guard helicopter during Operation Deathless,
 an information campaign conducted with the Georgia State Patrol to reduce traffic fatalities over the Labor Day weekend. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Emergency Landing

As Sprayberry took off from Brunswick airport with Lt. Col. Reeves and Mayor Williamson there were no indicators that the flight would be anything but routine. Sprayberry had flown the single-engine L-20 for more than five years carrying passengers and cargo across the state and southeast region. The weather was fair with an 80 percent moon and scattered clouds. With minimal wind and 10-mile visibility, Sprayberry and his passengers settled in for what should have been a smooth two-hour flight.

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Sprayberry in May 1974 at the controls of one an L-20 aircraft like the one he was flying February 18, 1959.
Georgia National Guard Archives.

In the skies over Forsyth, just after midnight on February 18, 1959, Sprayberry’s aircraft developed carburetor trouble and began losing power. Sprayberry radioed an emergency to Georgia National Guard headquarters and contacted the airport in Griffin to request an emergency landing. The Griffin airport radioed back that a power failure at the landing strip made a landing impossible. Thinking quickly, Sprayberry contacted the Georgia State Patrol with whom he had collaborated on several past missions. As he struggled to keep the engine running, Sprayberry requested an emergency landing on the highway north of Griffin. The GSP and Griffin Police Department stopped highway traffic and began setting up a makeshift landing strip lit by police vehicles. For nearly 30 agonizing minutes, Sprayberry labored to keep the craft in the air as the police worked feverishly to clear the road, mark a bridge crossing, and secure an ambulance and fire truck for the scene. As Sprayberry was on final approach the aircraft engine died. Nevertheless, Sprayberry skillfully landed the L-20 which came to a stop short of the bridge just inside the Griffin city limits.

Sprayberry and his passengers spent the night in Griffin while mechanics traveled from Atlanta to repair the aircraft. The crew made swift work of the repairs and Sprayberry was able to take off from the highway shortly after 11:00 am in a strong crosswind. He landed briefly at Griffin airport to take on fuel then continued to Dobbins Air Force Base.[5]

 

Later Career

Sprayberry remained in the Georgia National Guard. In 1972 he was appointed to serve as the state aviation officer. [6] Over his long career, Sprayberry served as the pilot for two Georgia governors. He retired as a colonel after 33 years of military service.

Colonel Robert Sprayberry with Brig. Gen. Holden West, commander of the Ga. Army National Guard in 1976. Georgia National Guard Archives.

 

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[1] “Crippled Plane Brought in on Cleared Griffin Four Lane,” Atlanta Constitution, February 19, 1959, 32.

[2] “Guard Panorama,” The Georgia Guardsman, May, June 1957, 20.

[3] “Rome Guardsmen Capture Fugitive Killers, The Georgia Guardsman, July-August 1953, 6-7.

[4] The Georgia Guardsman, Jan, Feb 1958, 6.

[5] “Pilot Saves Craft: Plane Lands on Highway Inside Griffin City Limits, The Macon News, February 19, 1959, 3/

[6] “Sprayberry New State Avn Officer,” The Georgia Guardsman, Jan-Feb, 1972, 2.

The Georgia National Guard’s First Helicopter

By Major William Carraway

Historian, Georgia Army National Guard

 

Sixty-seven years of Georgia Army National Guard rotary wing aviation are represented in this collage.

The Georgia Army National Guard has one of the largest non-attack rotary aircraft inventories in the entire National Guard. The Marietta-based 78th Aviation Troop Command flies helicopters from support facilities in Marietta, Winder and Hunter Army Airfield and has supported combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as peace keeping missions in Kosovo. Georgia National Guard helicopters have also provided critical support to emergency response operations ranging from hurricanes to wildfires. But how long has the Georgia Guard flown helicopters?

The first helicopter assigned to the Georgia National Guard was delivered to Fort Bragg for assembly in March 1953 and was delivered to the state shortly thereafter. The helicopter was a single-engine H-13 and was assigned to the Division Artillery of the 48^th Infantry Division. Lieutenant James H. Strickland, aviation officer of the 48^th Infantry Division, put the new aircraft through its acceptance tests. It was one of 88 helicopters delivered to the Guard in 1953 with H-13 helicopters assigned to the First, Second and Third Army areas.[1]

FORT MCCLELLAN, ALA 1954 – Georgia National Guard Soldiers of the 48th Infantry Division’s 121st Infantry Regiment get a close look at the
first helicopter in the Georgia National Guard Inventory during annual training at Fort McClellan, Ala. in the summer of 1954. Georgia National Guard Archives.

The H-13 joined the fixed-wing complement of aircraft assigned to the 48^th Division which included L-20 Beavers and L-19 Bird Dog observation aircraft.

The Army Aviation Section of the 48th Infantry Division based at Cochran Field in Macon, Ga. in November 1950. Georgia National Guard Archives.

Strickland debuted the H-13 at the 1954 annual training of the 48^th Division at Fort McClellan, Ala. Taking a photographer aloft, Strickland collected aerial imagery of the training area. The following year, the H-13 flew missions as part of Operation Minuteman, a nationwide rapid alert exercise that placed more than 318,000 National Guardsmen on mobilization alert April 21, 1955.[2]

FORT MCCLELLAN, ALA – An H-13 helicopter of the Georgia National Guard’s 48th Infantry Division Artillery sweeps in low over field lodging
during annual training. Georgia National Guard Archives

Strickland and the H-13 were called to respond to state emergencies beginning with the search for a missing hunter in Effingham County in 1956.[3] In March, Maj. Gen. Georgia Hearn became the first Adjutant General of Georgia to visit units by helicopter as he travelled about the state as part of Muster Day recruiting efforts.

The H-13 became a staple of Georgia National Guard aviation in the 1950s as other units, such as the 48^th Reconnaissance Squadron, fielded the aircraft. By the end of the decade, the Georgia Army National Guard had four H-13 helicopters assigned. First Lieutenant Robert Sprayberry, future state aviation officer, completed rotary-wing training December 21, 1957 and was assigned to the state headquarters detachment. Sprayberry flew senior leaders of the Georgia National Guard and provided aerial assistance to the governor’s Operation Deathless, a Labor Day weekend safety mission in 1958.[4] In November 1962, Major Sprayberry flew Governor Ernest Vandiver to Marietta, Calhoun, Lavonia and Hartwell for armory dedication ceremonies.[5]

ATLANTA, September 1958 – Georgia Army National Guard Col. W. R. Robinette, Lt. Col Emmett. Plunkett and Capt. Robert Sprayberry plan
aerial surveillance of highways near Atlanta during Operation Deathless, an information campaign created by Governor Marvin Griffin to reduce
traffic fatalities over the Labor Day Weekend. – Georgia National Guard Archives.

The H-13 remained in service through 1965 and was phased out in favor of the H-23. By 1967, all H-13 in service with the 48^th Armor Division had been replaced.

 

FORT STEWART, GA, July 1967 – H-23 helicopters assigned to the 48th Armor Division participate in Governor’s Day activities at Fort Stewart, Ga.
Georgia National Guard Archives.

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[1] “First Helicopter for Georgia NG Delivered for Assembly at Bragg.” The Georgia Guardsman, March 1954, 1.

[2] “Operation Minuteman.” The Georgia Guardsman, March, April, May 1955, 8-10.

[3] “Springfield Battery Hunts Lost Hunter. The Georgia Guardsman, January February 1956, 15.

[4] “Operation Deathless Holds Ga. Fatalities to 8 as Guard Patrols Hwys. Labor Day.” The Georgia Guardsman. September October 1958, 8=9.

[5] “Four New Armories Dedicated in Marietta, Calhoun, Lavonia and Hartwell.” The Georgia Guardsman, September December 1962.

Georgians, French Honor Aviation and Civil Rights Pioneer 2nd Lt. Eugene Bullard

By Maj. William Carraway
Historian, Georgia Army National Guard

Corporal Eugene Jacques Bullard during WWI and the bronze likeness of 2nd Lt. Bullard which now stands at the Museum of Aviation at
Robins Air Force Base, Ga. WWI Image courtesy of the United States Air Force. Georgia National Guard collage by Maj. William Carraway

The Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. hosted a ceremony honoring the life and service of Eugene Bullard, the first African American fighter pilot and veteran of two world wars. Colonel Dawson Plummer, commander of the 194th Armored Brigade based at Fort Benning, Ga. and a graduate of the Tuskegee Institute spoke of Bullard’s legacy and enduring impact.

“We all owe a great deal of gratitude to Lieutenant Bullard for being a true pioneer, not only in the aviation community but for how he persevered over discrimination and proved that anybody can do anything if they put their mind to it.”

Five members of the original Tuskegee Airmen joined 22 of Bullard’s family members, senior military leaders and French dignitaries in the tribute organized by the Georgia World War I Commission. Consul General Vincent Hommeril, Consul General of France in Atlanta, offered insight into the international reach of Bullard’s story.

Consul General Vincent Hommeril, Consul General of France in
Atlanta offers words of tribute during a ceremony honoring 2nd Lt.
Eugene Bullard, the first African American fighter pilot and veteran
of two world wars Oct. 9, 2019 at the Museum of Aviation at
Robins Air Force Base, Ga. Georgia National Guard
photo by Maj. William Carraway

“Bullard’s life and exploits are symbolic of the strong ties that link France and the United States, nations that have long worked together to promote democracy and freedom,” said Hommeril. “May this statue honor his accomplishments and remain as a living symbol of French and American friendship for years to come.”

The ceremony concluded with the unveiling of a bronze statue of Bullard on the grounds of the museum. Colonel Ato Crumbly, the first African American commander of the Georgia Air National Guard’s 116^th Air Control Wing thanked the Ga. World War I Commission and others who contributed to the day’s events and predicted that the Bullard statue would inspire future generations.

“When people walk by (the statue), read the name then Google it and learn about his legacy, it is going to continue and propagate, and the word will spread.”

Retired United States Air Force Brig. Gen. Leon Johnson, National President of Tuskegee Airmen Inc. and Colonel Ato Crumbly, the first African American
commander of the Georgia Air National Guard’s 116th Air Control Wing participate in a ceremony honoring aviation pioneer 2nd Lt. Eugene Bullard
Oct. 9, 2019 at the Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. Georgia National Guard photo by Maj. William Carraway

Bullard, the son of a former slave, was born in Columbus, Ga. October 9, 1895. Leaving a troubled home in 1906 at the age of 11, Bullard wandered for six years seeking opportunity but finding discrimination and racism in a segregated Jim Crow society. In 1912, Bullard stole aboard a ship bound for the United Kingdom. Making his way to London, Bullard found work as an entertainer and boxer. In 1913, he visited Paris for a boxing match and elected to stay having found the French culture to his liking.

Bullard with his aircraft in France. Image Courtesy of U.S.
Air Force.

In August 1914, Germany declared war on France. Bullard enlisted in the French Army in October 1914, nearly three years before American troops entered combat. Bullard was seriously wounded in March 1916 while serving with the French 170^th Infantry Regiment, 48^th Infantry Division. Recovering from his wounds, Bullard volunteered for aviation service and completed his flight training in May 1917. Bullard flew more than 20 combat missions before the end of the war.

William Bullard, contemplates the bronze statue of 2nd Lt.
Eugene Bullard, first African American fighter pilot and veteran
of two world wars who was honored during a ceremony Oct. 9, 2019
at the Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force Base, Ga.
 Georgia National Guard photo by Maj. William Carraway

After the armistice, Bullard remained in France where he worked as a musician and nightclub manager. When Germany invaded France in 1940, Bullard again enlisted as an infantryman. He was again wounded in action and returned to the United States the following month after escaping German-held France. Despite his fame overseas, Bullard faded into obscurity in his home country. In 1961, shortly before his death, Bullard, a decorated veteran of two world wars, whom Charles De Gaulle had dubbed a Knight of the Legion of Honor, was working as an elevator operator in New York City. He died October 12, 1961 at the age of 66.

In the decades following his death, the story of Bullard’s life and service has received greater attention. In 1989, Bullard was inducted into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame. Five years later he was recognized with a a second lieutenant’s commission in the U.S. Air Force. Now, more than 100 years after his historic first flight, his statue stands as an inspiring beacon for future generations.

Speaking at a reception following the statue unveiling, Maj. Gen. Tom Carden, Adjutant General of the Georgia Department of Defense, spoke to the family of Eugene Bullard, the Tuskegee Airmen and all those who contributed to the dedication of the statue.

“They say it’s never too late to do the right thing and if I have ever seen an example of those words in action, I have seen it here today at this great museum,” said Carden. “I want to personally thank you for your service, your sacrifice and for making sure our state never forgets Eugene Bullard and what he has done for our country.”

Original Tuskegee Airmen present for the ceremony honoring 2nd Lt. Eugene Bullard,
African American aviation pioneer of World War I. Photo by Maj. William Carraway