World War II

When the Japanese attacked on December 7, 1941, four Clippers were in the Pacific. The Hong Kong Clipper was set afire by Japanese and was destroyed.

Pan Am flew more than 90 million miles for the US government carrying military personnel, cargo, ferried bombers and aircraft.
 

Pan Am trained thousands of British military pilots, navigators and mechanics.

Boeing 314s were the world?s only aircraft that could carry payloads across an ocean. So the government promptly took over all of Pan Am’s over-ocean aircraft, crews and operations. Boeing 314s served by transporting military personnel and supplies to the war zone as well as carry most of the leaders of the Allied Nations to important strategic missions in all continents. Boeing 314s played a role in the development of the atomic bomb. They flew uranium for the bomb to Leopoldville.

Vietnam

Boeing 727s flew the Vietnam rest and relaxation airlift, carrying thousands of American servicemen for rest and relaxation leaves in Hong Kong, Tokyo, and other Asian destinations.

Pan Am?s 727s departing Saigon took off at maximum climb to avoid small arm fire. But bullet holes were found in multiple aircraft.

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Written By GW Robertson a Vietnam Veteran:
"Y’know -with all the memorials and awards and all – I want to speak up for a group you never hear praised. The stewardesses that volunteered for the charter flights back and forth to Viet Nam.
They’d fly us over, 11 to 15 hours in the air with 180 Marines in a 707, knowing that some of us were definitely not coming back.
Then, they’d fly us back, some of us in joy, some of us of us shattered or merely obscenely boorish at not seeing an American girl for a year or more.
They were some of the sweetest, caring women I’ve ever known and need to be recognized for their contribution. Nurse, psychiatrist, mother, sister, daughter, girlfriend, confessor, sex object – they wore all the hats.
Thank you, ladies, thank you very much."

Just before Pan Am’s demise. The airline helped with transporting soldiers and equipment to aid America’s war efforts.