C - 123s had been used in Vietnam since 1962 to drop flares for night interdiction missions .
Flares ' use declined after the introduction of the Douglas AC - 47 Spooky in the country .
C - 123s had been used in Vietnam since 1962 to drop flares for night interdiction missions , but their use declined after the introduction of the Douglas AC - 47 Spooky in the country .