57 years ago, on February 24, 1969, 23-year-old Airman First Class John Lee Levitow served as loadmaster on an AC-47 “Spooky” gunship, tail number 71, during a night mission supporting the besieged Long Binh Army Post in South Vietnam. Part of the 3rd Special Operations Squadron, the crew circled the perimeter, firing miniguns and dropping Mark 24 magnesium flares to illuminate and suppress enemy forces. Levitow handled flares in the cargo hold, loading them into the drop chute near the open doo