The C-124 evolved from the earlier Douglas C-74. To facilitate cargo handling, the C-124, or "Old Shakey" as it was affectionately known, featured "clamshell" loading doors and hydraulic ramps in the nose and an elevator under the aft fuselage and two overhead cranes (each with a capacity of 16,000 pounds) which could traverse the entire length of the 77 foot long cargo compartment. It was capable of handling such bulky cargo as tanks, field guns, bulldozers, and trucks. It could also be converted into a transport capable of carrying 200 fully equipped soldiers in its double-decked cabin or 127 litter patients and their attendants.

The first flight by a C-124 took place on Nov. 27, 1949 and deliveries of C-124As began in May 1950. The C-124A was followed into service by the C-124C, which featured more-powerful engines, as well as wingtip-mounted combustion heaters that provided cabin heating and wing and tail surface deicing, and an APS-42 weather radar in a distinctive nose "thimble." These latter improvements were eventually retrofitted to the C-124As. 

In mid September 1951, the  62d Troop Carrier Wing received it's first C-124 at McChord AFB but moved to Larson AFB, WA in April 1952. With the 62d absence from McChord the 1705th Air Transportation Group took over C-124 operations until the return of the 62d from Larson on June 13, 1960.  It was at Larson AFB that the 62d was involved in the largest single aircraft accident at that time. On 20 December 1952, one of the 62nd's C-124s took off from Larson on a routine airlift mission. Immediately after takeoff, about one half mile from the runway, the Globemaster II crashed and burned, killing 87, including servicemen on leave, going home for the holidays. 

McChord and other C-124 units went on to provide a much-needed airlift capability in the Korean War, as it was the only aircraft that could carry many of the Army's vehicles. It also performed many other missions such as resupply missions to Antarctica, refugee evacuation in the Congo and mercy flights to Morocco, Chile and elsewhere throughout the world following floods and other natural disasters.

The USAF bought 448 C-124A/Cs before production ended in 1955. Shortly after MATS became the Military Airlift Command (January 1, 1966) and the 62d Air Transport Wing, (Heavy), became the 62nd Military Airlift Wing (January 8, 1966) a new era began for the 62nd when the unit received its first Lockheed C-141 Starlifter on August 9 1966. As the unit took on C-141's it lost C-124's with the last of the Globemaster IIs being transferred to the Alaskan Air Command (AAC) by early December 1969, when AAC took over the responsibility for resupplying the stations along the DEW Line. The 62nd became an all-Starlifter Wing. By December  5, 1969 all aircraft of the 62d last C-124 squadron, 7th MAS had been reassigned to other users, and the squadron was inactivated at McChord in that month.

With the introduction of the C-141 into active service most C-124s were transferred to the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard by 1970. The first ANG unit to receive the C-124C was the last Air Force unit to retire their aircraft (52-1066 & 53-0044) in Sept of 1974.    

• TYPE: Military transport (strategic) 

• POWER: Four Pratt & Whitney R-4360-63A radials with 3,800 shp per engine 

• SPEED: Maximum - 320 mph, Cruising - 200 mph. 

• RANGE: 2,175 miles

• SERVICE CEILING: 23,000 ft

• WEIGHTS: Empty: 101,340 lbs, Combat: 123,100, Max T.O. / Landing : 185,000 lbs

• MAXIMUM PAYLOAD: 66,348 lbs or 200 troops, or 127 litters

• DIMENSIONS: Span 174.1 ft, Length 130 ft, Height 48.3 ft , Cargo compartment 77 ft.

• CREW: Seven; Two Pilots, two Flight Engineers, one Loadmaster, one Navigator and one Radio Operator 

• PRODUCTION TOTALS: 204 (C-124A), 243 (C-124C)

• UNIT COST: $1,646,000

• McCHORD BASED UNITS:

Military Air Transportation Service / Military Airlift Command

62d TCW/ATW/MAW  (1951- 1952, 1960-1969) -  4th TCS/ATS/MAS, 7th TCS/ATS/MAS), 8th TCS/ATS/MAS

1705th ATG (1952-1960) - 77th ATS, 1280th ATS, 1284th ATS, 1291st ATS (1952); 32d ATS (1952-1960), 33d ATS (1952--1960), 34th ATS (1952-1955)

After months of hard work by Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Museum Volunteers, C-124C 52-0994 completed a nonstop flight from Selfridge ANGB to its final destination at McChord AFB on October 9 1986. The delivery of  -0994 to the McChord Air Museum, pictured here with 62d MAW C-141 & C-130 over Mt Saint Helens, was the last flight ever of a C-124 Globemaster II.

To 3d Air Transportation Squadron (Heavy), 1700th  Air Transportation Group (Heavy),

Brookley AFB, AL

DECEMBER  1956 

(Military Air Transportation Service)

To 3d Air Transportation Squadron (Heavy), 1700th  Air Transportation Group Heavy),  

JANUARY 1953  

(Military Air Transportation Service)

JUNE  1958

(Military Air Transportation Service)

To 1607th  Air Transportation Wing, (Heavy), Dover AFB, DE

(Military Air Transportation Service)

AUGUST 1965 

To 63rd Troop Carrier Wing (Heavy), Hunter AFB, GA

Unit became 63rd Military Airlift Wing, Hunter AFB, GA

To 165th Military Airlift Group, Savannah MAP, GA

(Air National Guard)

Dropped from inventory by transfer to the Detroit Institute of Aeronautics, 

08 OCTOBER 1986  

Loaned to McChord Air Museum, McChord AFB, WA for display.