The Hercules has a special significance for her as it was her saviour after being evacuated from Tuy Hoa during the Tet Offensive of 1968, the turning point of the war as American troops were withdrawing amid heavy shelling from the North Vietnamese.
Mrs Menzies was working as a nurse at the time, having volunteered for service working in wartime refugee camps.
A C130 Hercules arrived to rescue her and other members of her team in a mass evacuation.
"The Viet Cong had killed a number of the refugees at the camp I was at and we had to get out of there. We were evacuated by aircraft back to Saigon before I eventually ended up in Bangkok," she recalled.
Taking one last ride on a Hercules had always been on her "bucket list" but after trying a number of avenues she had just about given up hope.
"I happened to mention to Greymouth RSA president Peter de Breuk and [Mayor] Tania [Gibson] on Anzac Day, and lo and behold they made it all happen," Mrs Menzies said.
Mayor Gibson explained: "I was down at the Arahura Marae and happened to mention to Peni Henare. the Minister of Defence at the time. I sent an e-mail two weeks later and sent photos of Lorraine and the Greymouth RSA Vietnam War veterans, and soon after we had a number of options for Lorraine."
She had been visiting Auckland in recent weeks with her daughter Lisa and the flight was organised for Sunday leaving Auckland for Christchurch.
"It was wonderful. Anne Kearns (nee Thompson) originally from Westport who served with me in Vietnam was there to meet me at the airport. The drone of the Hercules brought back so many memories. I am just so grateful for our mayor Tania Gibson for making it all happen."
Mrs Menzies presented the mayor with flowers yesterday morning as a show of appreciation.
- By Paul McBride
