Rattler, Firebird & Snake Doctor Call Signs

Call Signs Explained

A radio call sign was assigned to each individual aircraft commander. That call sign identified that man, not any specific aircraft. Rattler followed by a number identified an aircraft commander of a slick, Firebird and a number identified an aircraft commander of a gun ship, and Snake Doctor identified a maintenance officer.

Single Digit Numbers

Single digit numbers were used by the company headquarters. The number six was the company commander, five was the executive officer and three was the operations officer.

Two Digit Numbers

For two digit numbers, the first digit identifed the platoon, where one was the first platoon, two was the second platoon and nine was the third platoon, or Firebirds. The numbers ending in six were reserved for commanders. So Rattler 16 would be the platoon leader of the first platoon, Rattler 26 would be the platoon leader of the second platoon and Firebird 96 would be the platoon leader of the third platoon Firebird gun ships. The maintenance platoon used the call sign Snake Doctor, which may or may not have also used a number, depending on time period.

Disclaimers

Note that, This information has been compiled based on the recollections of the men. Complete accuracy is therefore not assured. Also, in many cases men had different call signs at different times, based on the job they had at that time. In those cases, men may have had more than one call sign during the time they served with us. Finally, note that the dates shown are the dates the men served with our company and not necessarily the dates they used any particular call sign. If you can help us make this listing more complete, or more accurate, please contact us.

How To Use This Page

If you click on a column heading, the list will be sorted on that column and display only entries that have a value in that column. Because some of the entries contain multiple call signs, or non-numeric characters, the sort is done alphabetically instead of numerically. That means that they are sorted first by the first character, then the second character, etc.
 

Call Sign Listing

NameRattlerFirebirdSnakedoctorDates with unit
Alsop, James M. 92 07/69 to 07/70
Anderson, Gary S.12 Snakedoctor 0110/68 to 10/69
Anton, Frank 90 04/67 to 01/68
Arink, William J.6  02/67 to 08/67
Arndt, Denis L. 91, 92 08/65 to 08/66
Arne, Gary D.25  ??/70 to ??/71
Arnout, James H.25  02/70 to 08/71
Avey, David E.17  01/71 to 09/71
Bailey, George F.29  03/66 to 03/67
Bandini, Vic J. 99 10/68 to 10/69
Bartlett, Paul E.  Snakedoctor03/67 to 03/68
Bauer, Bruce E. 94 02/70 to 02/71
Beaumont, Mike J.26  02/70 to 09/70
Bell, Joe K.6  08/67 to 02/68
Beverung, Paul W.28  07/66 to 12/66
Bianchini, Richard 91, 97 09/66 to 09/67
Billings, Randy W.17  07/66 to 08/67
Birnbach, Richard A.11  04/65 to 04/66
Blair, James E.99 (avionics)  07/69 to 07/70
Blakley, John A. 94 03/69 to 03/70
Bogle, Charles S. 93 11/65 to 11/66
Boltinghouse, Pat L. 99 10/66 to 07/67
Bond, J. Scott15  09/68 to 03/69
Bowen, Harold L.16, 5  03/67 to 03/68
Breton, Joseph  Snakedoctor03/66 to 02/67
Budig, Sherwood26 Snakedoctor11/67 to 09/68
Burroughs, Bob 96 12/67 to 12/68
Buzzell, Stephen R. 92 09/67 to 05/68
Callahan, Michael D.26, 3  10/69 to 10/70
Campbell, Allie H.25  ??/64 to ??/65
Carey, Gordon6  05/66 to 10/66
Carlisle, Michael R.10  09/70 to 09/71
Carlock, Chuck1194 09/67 to 09/68
Carson, Frank L. 97 07/67 to 08/68
Champe, Gene E.5  03/68 to 10/68
Chandler, James H.16 Snakedoctor 603/69 to 03/70
Clapp, John W.11  11/64 to 09/65
Collins, Hubert V 97 06/70 to 06/71
Collins, Jim M.2093 09/67 to 09/68
Combs, Robert M.2097 02/69 to 02/70
Connell, Thomas E.  Snakedoctor12/64 to 12/65
Cotton, Charlie20  06/67 to 06/68
Crouch, Curtis S.5  09/64 to 12/65
Cushman, Robert L.15  10/67 to 12/68
Daugherty, Joseph P. 90 10/66 to 10/67
Davis, Harry L.23  01/65 to 01/66
Davis, Myron D.6  06/70 to 01/71
Decker, Douglas4498 ??/70 to ??/70
Dillard, Dannie28  ??/67 to ??/68
Dobbs, Mark J.14  03/70 to 03/71
Donnelly, Steven W.16B  12/64 to 06/65
Duerksen, Forrest C. 95 ??/69 to ??/70
Dunning, Wally W.15  11/66 to 11/67
Ecker, Leonard R.28  05/69 to 05/70
Eggleston, Robert A. 91, 92 08/65 to 08/66
Ehrich, Richard R.26X  01/70 to 12/70
Ellingsworth, David A. 93 11/66 to 11/67
Ericsson, Gerald L.1994 07/68 to 07/69
Fiser, William K.22  06/68 to 07/69
Fitzgerald, Robert D.5, 6  10/67 to 06/68
Foles, Shelton R.12  10/64 to 10/65
Foote, Neil H.18  07/65 to 05/66
Frazier, Edwin M.5, 6  10/70 to 09/71
Freeberg, George H. 93 08/64 to 11/65
Freeman, Wendell O. 99 06/70 to 06/71
Friel, Mike 92 05/70 to 05/71
Froehling, Stuart C. 98 06/70 to 06/71
Frye, William H.1696 08/66 to 08/67
Fulbrook, Jim E.20  05/70 to 06/71
Gagne, Joseph R.444  11/67 to 12/68
Gardiner, Robert J. 94 04/68 to 11/68
Gibbs, James R.13  10/67 to 10/68
Ginter, Duane L. 91 11/64 to 10/65
Glenn, Rusty 99 04/69 to 04/70
Glidewell, John R.71  08/67 to 08/68
Gnecco, Robert J.22  12/64 to 08/65
Goodman, Benny21  ??/68 to ??/69
Grady, Dry 99 11/69 to 11/70
Graham, David H.21  05/68 to 05/69
Grant, Charles R.23  11/65 to 05/66
Grigsby, Danny D.26  01/71 to 09/71
Gross, Chuck17  05/70 to 05/71
Grubbs, Paul L.22  06/70 to 06/71
Grunseth, Gary E.16  09/69 to 04/70
Gwynn, Edward R.21  07/69 to 11/69
Haid, Donald J.6  08/65 to 04/66
Hall, Thomas W.5  12/66 to 07/67
Hall, Will M.12  06/67 to 01/68
Hand, Dennis W.13  06/66 to 06/67
Harbin, Michael F.21  05/70 to 05/71
Harrison, Richard S.34 Snakedoctor 0212/70 to 09/71
Helmick, Glelma O.3  ??/65
Henderson, Lewis J.6  08/64 to 08/65
Hennigan, William J.26  07/66 to 05/67
Henson, Chester2, 3  12/69 to 12/70
Hernandez, Luis P.14  ??/70 to ??/71
Hill, Steven E.29  11/69 to 06/70
Hingston, Wilford E. 98 06/66 to 06/67
Hitt, Johnnie16, 3  08/69 to 08/70
Holdcroft, Duke J.20  06/65 to 06/66
Holgerson, Bill18  02/67 to 02/68
Holland, Joseph P.  Snakedoctor 211/64 to 07/65
Holloway, John A.20  11/65 to 11/66
Holly, Robert F.27  12/67 to 12/68
Honda, Wallace T.27 Snakedoctor06/69 to 12/70
Hoover, David 93 04/70 to 02/71
Horn, Jack 91 06/66 to 06/67
Howard, Conrad R.14  07/66 to 07/67
Igoe, Terry 96 07/68 to 07/69
Irwin, Roy J.1296 ??/68 to ??/69
Israel, Steve18  11/69 to 11/70
Jackson, George16, 5  11/66 to 11/67
James, Tommie P.6  09/69 to 03/70
Jobson, James K.26  10/67 to 05/68
Johannsen, Steven B.14 Snakedoctor10/69 to 06/70
Johnson, Edward H.3  11/66 to 10/67
Jones, J. Mel 92 09/66 to 09/67
Joyner, William C.10?  07/68 to 07/69
Kazmierowski, Lynn M. 92 11/68 to 11/69
Keller, Bill 95 07/66 to 07/67
Kelly, Bruce C.19, 31  08/67 to 08/68
Kelly, Tim11  02/69 to 02/70
Kilmer, Eric S.14  06/69 to 06/70
Kirby, Rance31  ??/66 to ??/67
Kirila, Michael R.  Snakedoctor07/67 to 02/68
Kleiber, Donald G.24  03/65 to 02/66
Kretchmer, Michael A.14  05/67 to 05/68
Lane, Doug G. 99 01/71 to 09/71
Lang, Neal E.4  05/69-05/70
Lard, William R.2694 10/68 to 10/69
Leech, James R.24  11/68 to 11/69
Leopold, Mark E.9393 07/67 to 07/68
Lohman, Richard G.21  11/69 to 11/70
London, William G. 97 02/68 to 02/69
Lowery, Roy J.13  11/64 to 07/65
Lurvey, William A.20  11/66 to 11/67
Lynam, Donald L.16  03/70 to 04/70
Mabe, Kenny12  05/70 to 01/71
Malek, James A.14  11/67 to 11/68
Markiewicz, Ronald E. 97 03/71 to 09/71
Marshall, William K.23?  11/66 to 03/67
Martin, Kirk12  06/67 to 06/68
Martin, Steven J.19  10/65 to 03/66
Marty, Tom J.2696 04/70 to 04/71
Massner, Earl28  02/70 to 11/70
Mateyko, John21  08/65 to 08/66
Maurer, Harry "Scott"24  03/70 to 03/71
McAuley, Thomas H.31  04/67 to 05/68
McDowell, Mark J.  Snakedoctor 610/68 to 10/69
McGraw, Michael B.19  02/71 to 09/71
McHugh, Kelly C. 97 08/68 to 08/69
McMahon, Kerry R.19  11/69 to 06/71
McNamee, John J.12  09/65 to 09/66
Meader, Jerry C.26  08/66 to 11/66
Merritt, Jerry W.28  05/68 to 05/69
Merry, William 93 04/71 to 08/71
Mikesell, James G.26  07/69 to 11/69
Miller, James N.25  11/67 to 11/68
Moore, Jim28  09/65 to 09/66
Morgan, Arthur E.27  10/68 to 10/69
Morris, Arnold C.6  10/66 to 02/67
Moseley, Robert L.5  06/66 to 12/66
Moss, Sam A.26?  05/71 to 09/71
Nalley, John S.33  12/70 to 03/71
Norris, James R. 90 11/66 to 06/67
O'Byrne, Joseph T. 94 11/64 to 05/65
O'Connell, William (Bill) Francis27  11/65 to 10/66
O'Quinn, David W.11  07/66 to 07/67
Olson, Ronald W.10  11/69 to 11/70
Osbron, Roscoe O. 98 01/70 to 12/70
Owen, Bill 95 69
Palmer, John D.3  10/68 to 10/69
Parr, Richard A.4  08/67 to 08/68
Parsons, Robert L. 95 10/67 to 03/68
Patrick, Bill L.10  07/67 to 07/68
Petrey, Carl W.27  10/70 to 09/71
Pitts, Archie17  06/65 to 06/66
Pratt, Tom12  09/69 to 09/70
Price, William M.6  05/69 to 11/69
Puls, Richard H.28  02/69 to 12/69
Redemann, Paul E. 95 03/70 to 03/71
Rhodes, Donald P.26  08/68 to 03/69
Rice, Greg 93 03/68 to 03/69
Richard, David P.25 Snakedoctor09/66 to 10/67
Richardson, Gerald A.3  02/68 to 02/69
Ricker, Michael E.3xray  03/70 to 03/71
Riley, Michael O.17  05/68 to 05/69
Riley, W. Patrick 93 06/70 to 06/71
Robinson, Rex22  ??/67 to ??/68
Romano, Tony F.16  ??/70 to ??/71
Ropes, David G.3/4  09/70 to 01/71
Schwem, Duke16  08/64 to 08/65
Scott, Beryl19  09/66 to 09/67
Shimek, Kirk F.496  04/71 to 09/71
Shirley, Jerry D.10  09/66 to 09/67
Sienkiewicz, Richard J.16, 596Snakedoctor 603/70 to 03/71
Sims, James  Snakedoctor07/67 to 07/68
Sneed, William D. 7 05/69 to 03/70
Stanat, Carl J.16X  01/70 to 12/70
Stanford, Harold D.2  08/64 to 09/65
Stiffler, William R.14  09/68 to 05/69
Stone, Gordon L. 96 08/64 to 08/65
Sunberg, Ray G. 96 05/71 to 09/71
Taylor, Richard P.2391 09/67 to 09/68
Teelin, Paul A.23  08/66 to 08/67
Theberge, Roger P.12  08/70 to 07/71
Thompson, Robert G.3  08/65 to 05/66
Vishy, Don 99 03/68 - 03/69
Walters, Jim H.25  11/69 to 11/70
Wasson, Terry P.15  07/70 to 07/71
Waterbury, James A.10  02/69 to 02/70
Webster, Rick W.1995 10/67 to 09/68
Welton, Harry W.12, 32  09/67 to 09/68
Wheeler, Dennis E. 98 10/68 to 10/69
White, Billy M.26, 5  05/68 to 05/69
White, Gary E.19, 596 05/68 to 03/69
Wiegand, Ken F. 95 02/67 to 02/68
Wilhelm, Jay S.22  08/66 to 08/67
Williams, Gerald L.  Snakedoctor 01, 602/68 to 02/69
Wilondek, Nate28,4  08/68 to 08/69
Winfield, Les L.13  01/70 to 12/70
Wolcott, Donald L.14  10/70 to 09/71
Wolf, Tom26  12/66 to 11/67
Womack, Douglas28  05/70 to 05/71
Wyrosdick, James D.32  02/67 to 08/67