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The aircraft escorting the AC-119K is a Douglas A-1H (AD-6) Skyraider, USAF Serial No. 52-139608 (ex- US Navy BuNo 139608), "Blood Sweat Tears," of the 1st Special Operations Squadron (SOS), 56th Special Operations Wing (SOW). It would later be transferred to the South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF).

NOTE: All the 1957 Kearsarge aircraft have ATG-3 TAIL CODE of "NC"; not "AC"...

A picture open to interpretation as it may have been captured during a year of great tumult for the United States and the entire World. On lower left is a Douglas AD-6 Skyraider Modex 508 possibly from VA-65 ‘Tigers’ – except the Modex number should be in the 400 sequence. On folded over upper wing is code AF of Carrier Air Group Six (CVG-6). View looking down from carrier control island to aft starboard elevator three with short extended rear platform which is identified as that of the brand new nuclear powered CVAN-65 USS Enterprise. As part of CVG-6,VA-65 ‘Tigers’ deployed on CVAN-65 USS Enterprise from late 1962. VA-65 deployment record: www.gonavy.jp/navy/sqn/VA065.html Destroyer Escort DE532 USS Tweedy, US Navy Reserve Training ship (John C Butler class destroyer escort) catching up close alongside possibly for underway replenishment: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Tweedy_(DE-532) From decoration on tail, the rear end of a Vought F8U-1 Crusader of VF-62 ‘Boomerangs’ with tail code AK of CVG-10 from CVAN-65 USS Enterprise recorded aboard below for early 1962 only: www.gonavy.jp/CV-CVN65f.html VF-62 deployment record: www.gonavy.jp/navy/sqn/VF062.html (all ‘GO!NAVY’ info courtesy of Takafumi Hiroe of Japan) Beyond are rear fuselages of two Douglas A4D-2 Skyhawks, nearest with tail code AF of CVG-6 and dark painted rudder with what may be several stars in a near vertical line. These markings are associated with VA-66 ‘Waldos’. Also carries indecipherable US Navy aircraft carrier name in a script that could be interpreted as ‘USS ENTERPRISE’ above NAVY. Last four of six digit serial number may be read as 8579 on lower forward tail of closest A4D and that of furthest as 8552. Closest match from known Skyhawk serial number batches is that the aircraft are A4D-2N 148579 and A4D-2N 148552. However unfortunately there is as yet no record for both airframes being with VA-66: a4skyhawk.org/3e/va66/va66.htm a4skyhawk.org/3e/va66/va66-a4-unit-assign.htm From September 1962 onward all US navy aircraft designations were simplified AD-6 becoming A-1H, A4D-2N became A-4C & F8U-1 became F-8A. Pictures of a mix of aircraft aboard CVAN-65 USS Enterprise including some from VA-66, brought together for the 1962 ‘Cuban Missile Crisis’ in November-December of that year. a4skyhawk.org/content/buno147739-vma-225-cvn-65-0 a4skyhawk.org/content/buno-148452-va-66-af-503 (VA-66 and CVAN-65 pics courtesy of the ‘Skyraider Association’) Thus this image dates from 1962 on board CVAN-65 USS Enterprise.