The C-141 transport tail No. 66-0177—called the “Hanoi Taxi” for flying the first 40 American POWs out of Vietnam in 1973—will be retired and turned over to the National Museum of the US Air Force on May 6. The historic Starlifter is the last operational C-141 in the Air Force and has been flown by Air Force Reserve Command’s 445th Airlift Wing, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, which has been transitioning to the C-5.
With a fresh directive from the president, the department could opt to repeat its unconventional—and potentially unlawful—move to pay troops using unused non-personnel appropriations.
