The former fighter pilot, who was shot down over Vietnam in 1967, went on: It was great to hear your story again. I hope some day that our government will find the courage to ask what happened to the missing pilots whose names or Escape and Evasion codes and authenticator numbers were photographed by U.S. satellites long after the war was overDavid Allinson(8888), Peter Matthes (GX2527), and Henry Serex (SEREX) to name a few. Ronald Fogleman was shot down in the I Corps area 200 miles (320 km) north of Bien Hoa while flying aircraft 56-3245. At this point I could only pray he would revive by the time he reached the ground. I ask that you honor these costs and sacrifice, as I do. It was then that I could see a shapeless, black mass on the ground. First loss: 560937 (476th TFS, 497th TFW) shot down by enemy ground fire during CAS mission near Tri Dao, Vietnam, on 29 June 1965, pilot Capt. You were a great morale boost when we needed it the most. Don Ward, came up to me and said words that someone in operations never, ever hears from anybody in maintenance. Republic F-105 Thunderchief. Lt Cmdr Frederick P Crosby had been deployed on the Bon Homme Richard, an Essex-class aircraft carrier stationed off the Vietnam coast His planed crashed in 1965 in front of Pham Van Truong's. Many thanks for contributing this excellent memoirhope to read more of your writings in future, and wishing you many more years of life aloft: youve sure earned them! I enjoyed your write up though I could see you squirming in your seat as it was unfolding. There were too many A-holes with rank putting the rest of us at risk up there especially RP VI. My hats off to those who served. Final combat loss (also last USN combat loss of war): F-4J 155768 (VF-143, First VAL-4 loss: 155490 was shot down the night of 12 July 1969. I looked first into the rear-view mirrors and could see only orange flames and inky smoke. Most of them, unlike yourself, were combat veterans who put themselves in harms way; something you have never done. Crash Location: Near Ap Bac, Chau Doc Province, South Vietnam. As a nation I believe we learned the difference between necessary disagreement with our leaders, and needless, disrespectful persecution of and confrontation with our soldiers, who are/were following orders. Flights were around four hours. Of course, things were beginning to wind down in Viet Nam by this time, but it was still mega impressive to see the F-4s light em up and blast off the runway like angry rocket-powered birds of prey searching for their next meal! Were there any female prisoners of war in Vietnam? Thank you for your expressions of gratitude, sir. This room was known, unaffectionately, by all who suffered there as the room with the green, bumpy walls. Seated on a small, wooden stool, the interrogation began in the usual way with, Name, rank, serial number and date of birth. When I refused to reply to any further questions except by repeating my name, rank, serial number and date of birth, my interrogating officer, in a most sinister way, and in a very convincing manner said, Crecca, you will die in Vietnam. In a matter of minutes I was bound with ropes. They performed as they were asked. In 1980 and 81, the McDonnell Douglas Plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma was remanufacturing F-4 fighters for the Air Force. Lasted almost two weeks on the island before a Japanese sniper gave him his ticket off the island. Thank you Sir for your service. According to the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association, a total of 11,846 helicopters were shot down or crashed during the war, resulting in nearly 5,000 American pilots and crew killed. The flight call sign was Dogwood and we were number 2. SP4 John C. Hughes [G] 1 injured. I saw 3 aircraft in front of me, so I asked lead to flash his lights. Million-dollar wound some would call it through the knee, with the bones barely nicked. Dog boned Six and direct hit, had to send some Russian Techs to the Beyond. My arms were tied behind my back with the elbows laced tightly together. No better tribute to a warrior and man then to be remembered by his fellow warriors 50+ years later. To you gentlemen; Brett, Tim, Wade, Gordon, Cliff, Neil, Andy and Jerry who responded to the reprint of my 2017 article, Shot Down Over North Vietnam, I thank you for your kind remarks and expressions of patriotism. P.39, Toperczer, Istvan. All we wanted to do was tell him we wanted the French out! Shot down. And after Scotty started the engines, the aerial refueling receptacle would only operate some of the time. Our standard load was 12-500s or 7 Nape. 1850 All of a sudden, they stood me up. Top rudder pedal, however, broke us out at about 5 grand. [4] 877 Republic of Vietnam aircraft were captured at war's end (1975)[5] Of the 2750[6] aircraft and helicopters received by South Vietnam, only about 308 survived (240 flew to Thailand or US warships[7] and 68 returned to the United States[8]). Hi, Joe. I was at a loss for words. SGT Sam Tenorio [G] 2 injured. Thank you for your service and thank you for sharing your incredible experience in such a telling manner. I flew the airplane to a point in space below the beautiful Stratotanker where I judged the contact position to be. all i can do is thank you so much for allowing common people like myself to be inspired . Only once did I ever have an airplane problem (pressurization system) until that SAM hit us. Just as we were positioning ourselves for the right-hand turn at Bravo, the lead aircraft unexpectedly turned to the left. Smoke would be pouring out of their engines. When Nixon ended the draft in early 73, having not yet been required to sign on the dotted line, I marched into the ROTC office, turned in my uniform, and that was it: my military obligation was over. | site designed by. Manacles were locked onto my wrists as well. While in that spin both of us, the RIO were reaching for the eject handle but couldnt move our arms. Never regretted. B/2/20 ARA #63-08597 A/C was shot down and after it hit exploded into flames. May God continue to bless you. He makes us tell a war story that we have heard. What? How about that for a cool presence of mind? AddThis Utility Frame. As a 110 F4 combat mission Vet, Id like to know. But I dont think they fixed it right. Sayonara, engines! It was great to get back to the sweltering heat, I gotta tell ya. No one shot at him. On May 10, 1972, the USAF and Navy shot down 11 North Vietnam MiGs in the skies over North Vietnam at a cost of two USAF and two Navy F-4s shot down. Joe, He called me to come back coming out of a Split S spin. An Air Force pilot and air commando who was shot down in 1970 during the Vietnam War will be buried at the Air Force Academy. Several of our birds went to Nam. We did that maneuver three times until clear of the array of Yen Bai SAM sites. In that instant, I realized how I would die; they were going to slice my head off. All I was aware of was a short, sharp ringing sound and my white, silk parachute billowing above me. May God continue to bless you, Joe. With over 70 years of hindsight and investigation there were a ton of mistakes. Dickens rescued) He had the smoke trail spotted and wanted revenge. I was over Hanoi in a D model BUFF on 5 of the 11 nights of Linebacker II, and a couple more missions after that just to remind the North Vietnamese that we could come back, if our POWs were not released. With the helmet strap no longer in existence, my helmet flew off like a slingshot. They were deeply felt. The USMC focused almost entirely on close air support (yards, not miles) of their ground units and on point defense over an amphibious landing. Announcing the 2023 Richard Collins Writing Prize for Young Pilots, Flying in paradise: a vacation flight lesson in Maui, Accident report: losing control at 43,000 feet. The Thud flights were all calling Outbound for WX but our FLs OER was going to be written by the guy on MiG CAP so in we went and we took a SAM from dead six with no RHAW gear. 149959 AH 300 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile (SAM) during a combat mission over North Vietnam. The story of an immortal pilot who fought on biplanes against the Japanese in the 1930s in China, but also shot down American jets not only in the Korean but also in the Vietnam War. At Tulsa TRACON, I would have lumped him in with any group you could think of that wouldnt give a damn about anyonehow wrong that lumping would have been. Our own Phantom was suffering from a variety of ills. U-8 losses need added Here, then, is our take on the five deadliest fighter pilots in U.S. military history: Major Richard Bong, Army Air Forces Hometown: Superior, Wisconsin Aka: Bing-Bang Years of Service: 1941 to. Thank you for your sentiment. I was starting to get the idea. It was people! (Shaking head sadly) It seems theres always someone willing to take a conversation on an inappropriate tangent. Im an alumnus of the 480th TFS myself ( USAFE, 78-80) and wish you all the best . Actually, it being a slow weekend day, I was on a break and eating breakfast with a few other controllers at a restaurant not far from the airport when Perky01 or 02 reported that they were going to have to bail out. Mr. Crecca Thank you for your courageous service in the Phabulous Phighter (F-4) and your extraordinary service as a POW. Meadows I cannot express my admiration for you and others who went thru what you did. Model names were normalized in 1962 to UH-1s. Fast forward 12 hours. I live on Easy Street. Following the release of all the POWs we met President Nixon at the State Department in May, 1973. of an F-4), or I could man a missile silo in North Dakota. Joe, Scottys arms seemed to be at his sides and head slumped forward. October 26, 1967: A-4E Skyhawk BuNo. My mom, as she promised my father she would, visited my fathers grave at the National Cemetery in Grand Prairie on Saturday, left an American Flag, which, regardless of whether or not the boy scouts or other volunteers do, as they sometimes do and sometimes dont, shes done for the previous 10 Memorial Days. I, for one, will welcome additional tales of courage and flying on these pages. Steve Snyder's masterful book, Shot Down, does justice to the adventures of his father, pilot Howard Snyder, and the crew of the B-17 plane Susan Ruth. These were probably the local militia. If you are wondering how this is possible, I will reveal at the outset that it is not possible. GBU my friend! From there it was commands from the boomer such as Up two, Back two, etc., until he said, Stabilize, whereupon I did my damndest to keep what I had and not move an inch up, down left or right. Even at max takeoff weight, Scotty had to be careful not to exceed the landing gear limit airspeed of 250 knots with both afterburners cooking. To those who try to insert politics, I agree that it is in extremely poor taste to try to make this such a venue. Others had knives and were, to my complete surprise, cutting the clothing and equipment from my body. Thank you for your sentiments. William Reeder Jr., who served two tours in Vietnam as a U.S. Army pilot, was shot down on May 9, 1972, while flying a mission in a Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopter. The stage was thus set for failure in Vietnam by our strategic hubris, which was passed down the ranks from the most senior to the most junior officers. Thank you again Sir and God bless. A natural reaction. Dickens rescued) Final loss: 70-0945 (354th TFW) shot down in Cambodia on 25 May 1973 (Capt Jeremiah Costello KIA) First loss: B-26B 44-35530 (Detachment 2A, 1st ACG) shot down in IV CTZ on the night of 4-5 November 1962, killing the 3 crew One night I flew #2 to a newly crowned pentagon prince. Enroute, we learned USAF had discovered a major truck convoy up near the Plain of Jars, wanting help. Since 366thTFW maintenance was overtaxed having to do all of its around-the-clock 24/7 functions, the flight leader had to turn down two airplanes before he found one that was combat ready and airworthy. Scotty then said over the radio to the leader, Dogwood 2 has a good inertial. Pilots who have used the AN/ASN-46 nav system (Up to 7 NM per hour error) will know whats going on here. As it turned out, the two men in the Tulsa F-4 ejected safely. Approaching what should have been Point Alfa on our planned route, I noticed the nav pointer was off to the left when it should have been dead center straight up. Hap. Contact, followed by, Youre taking fuel, announced the boomer. A SAM damn near got me and another my section leader. The political strategy of Rolling Thunder was absurd from the git-go. Joe many of the IPs in the 4435th remember you from your smooth ride getting back in the Phantom. The 366th TFW Gunfighters consisted of three squadrons; 389th, 390th and the 480th. Im horrified to know how divided our country was in the late 60s/early 70s, and people like you did your duty, for all of us. Thanks for telling our story Joe. Im thinking, How does anybody know how their INS is doing when they cant see the ground? We were at 25,000 feet above a solid, 10,000-foot undercast. But that's exactly what happened to Bill Arcuri when he was forced to bail out of his damaged plane over Vietnam. its from the How did you manage to climb aboard your jet and competently do your job in the face of what you already knew? Pavlovs Dog reaction to his Cmon Back, Chief, I got em spotted. (Im a Sioux Indian, Born on a Dakota Rez.) Despite our brief conversation enroute to the tanker about pilots who had ejected from their burning airplanes prematurely (their aircraft flew on for long distances before going out of control) what happened next got my attention. Always amazed how well you remembered the tap code. Its guys like you who Ive tried to be like when it became my turn to sit in the left seat. A minute or two after takeoff we had cold air blasting through the cockpits. I wish you and yours peace and happiness all the days of your life. Thanks for the story, Joe. God Bless America; God Bless the USAF; God Bless the Pilots and God Bless the POWs! Although I was only a few thousand feet away, I hadnt been able to hear the explosion. Outwardly grateful to Jesus Christ above all and to our United States military service members is the way of life I choose to live and pass on to my children. 71-0305 (3rd TFS, 388th TFW) shot down in Cambodia on 4 May 1973 (1Lt T.L. I never came face-to-face with either asshole but I emailed the flight lead recently and told him off that he was incompetent, got Scotty Wilson killed, cost the USAF an F-4, caused my Fathers premature death and was responsible for unimaginable hardships for Scottys widow and daughter not to mention my 6+ years in prison. Call signs for each mission were based on time of day. 1972: U.S. claimed 51 MiG-21s destroyed; North Vietnam claimed 53 US aircraft shot down by MiG-21s, including two B-52 Stratofortress bombers. Bent the F-4 around after re-start and headed to his radial fix off Hue Tacan. Instead Ill thank & bless Mr. Crecca for being among those whom A. Solzhenitsyn-himself a survivor of Communist Russias gulags-called our first heros for successfully resisting an overwhelming enemy, alone, then returning with honor. Dinh . The first morning mission was "Misty 11" would be replaced by "Misty 21" then "Misty 31" and . You have no skin in the game of life and freedom, do you! If the MiGs didnt come up, he couldnt have a chance to shoot one down. Much aviation has occurred in the context of military service. 9 of the losses were parked aircraft struck by rockets. Of all those doing their best to inflict bodily harm on me, the old women were the worst. Thanks for your story, Joe. Dogwood 4 was an MND, Maintenance Non Delivery, i.e., no airplane! Pair of scanning Navy A-6s. AIRCRAFT SHOT DOWN DURING THE VIETNAM WAR BY USN/USMC PILOTS. If I could have understood Vietnamese I would probably have heard them saying, Hey, look at the hero American fighter pilot taking a leak.. Daily Kos moves in solidarity with the Black community. [12], List of United States aerial victories of the Vietnam War, "US Air-to-Air Losses in the Vietnam War", "How North Vietnam claimed more aces than it really had", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Vietnam_War_flying_aces&oldid=1101889530, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 2 August 2022, at 09:45. No need to bring up the sorties flown with 1/2 ordnance loads so the (Squadron, Group, Wing) would look good on paper. I then drew my .38 caliber service revolver, opened the cylinder, emptied all the ammunition and threw it away. But, I knew the SA-2 was a powerful weapon; 400 lbs. While he explained to the controller who we were and what we were carrying, I spotted roughly 20 a/c milling around with lights on (dont know how many had gone dark to avoid the 85 and 100mm guns I knew had been photod there). At this moment the twin J-79 afterburners are briefly licking at the runway with two, huge, yellow-orange flames. Elizabeth Hartsook, Stuart Slade. He did what he had to do, did what he was asked to do by his country. U.S. Marine Corps aircraft lost in combat included 193 fixed-wing and 270 rotary-wing aircraft. 1:00 Jan. 6 will mark 50 years since former Newburgh resident Dave Middleton was shot down in Vietnam while piloting a Loach helicopter on a mission to which he wasn't originally assigned.. The Dash-1 (USAF How to Fly the F-4 book) technique to accomplish this feat was to have the control stick fully aft (T.O. 29. pp. I was escorted a few hundred feet to one of the village hooches Id seen from above. You also draw a conclusion that isnt at all clear-cut, which is why no one else has commented on it. On July 24, 1965, an SA-2 shot down an Air Force F-4C, the first of 110 USAF aircraft lost to SAMs in Southeast Asia. for my family and I, is absolutely heartfelt and sincere. A sub-standard OER means you dont get promoted on time. It was late November, the temperature was 40F, and all I had on were my underwear. The only USAF officers who could rise to strategic ranks were from Strategic Air Command (nuke bombers) and a very few from Air Defense Command. I looked around me to see hundreds of people, mostly villagers, including old folks and children. The Air Force lost 1737, the Navy 530, the Marine Corps 463 and the Army lost 302 (fixed wing). Ignore that kind, it is useless to argue as they are happy in their own world which they believe will lead to some utopian future paid for by others. The first and only fatal crash by an RAAF aircraft in Thailand. By now it has been a long while since the conflict in Viet Nam. Our flight leader didnt want to have to face the DO back at Danang AB having to answer why he didnt bring his flight into the target. Richard Stephen "Steve" Ritchie and Weapons System Officer Capt. We lost him in 2012. It is a raising of toasts every night in remembrance for what they did. I always get chills reading these stories. Final loss: A84-228 shot down by two SA-2 SAM missiles on 14 March 1971; Wing Commander F. J. L. Downing and Flight Lieutenant A.J. Like the Flat-Earthers who still dont believe we landed on the Moon. The MiG-21 N. 4324 of the Vietnam People's Air Force. b fearnits people like you ( and others who fled to Canada) who make those of us who answered the call sick to our stomachs! Upon arrival at the Hoa Lo prison, I was placed in a dimly-lit room with light green, uneven walls. I was an aircraft mechanic serving at Clark Air Base in 1969-70 and then later at NKP in Thailand in 1973-74. Thank you for your bravery and endurance. I will tell the story of Scotty and you and will encourage my son to never forget! God Bless them all. Lockhart is still alive, although. We did not know if anyone survived! Our flight should never have been going into the target. He didnt understand that we were mixed in a huge gaggle competing for time on target, lugging 10 X 500# bombs, 400 miles from base, with marginal weather, fuel hungry, not in sight with each other? Ive raised all my children to, regardless of whether one agrees with our government or not, we as U.S. citizens always owe a debt of gratitude to those who signed that contract to protect our lives with risk to theirs. YGBSM!. Compare these massive figures to the six million Jewish folks who perished in the WWII Holocaust. Despite the excellent sound-sealing qualities of my helmet, their jabbering was extremely loud and intense. My ungraceful arrival didnt raise much dust. I could feel them loop a rope around my neck, then attach the rope to my wrists and again, in similar fashion, to my ankles. The direct hit had felt like wed had a collision with a fully-loaded cement truck. Phew III! To increase air support for the SEALORDS Operation in South Vietnam's Mekong Delta, the Navy "borrowed" twenty North American Aviation OV-10A Broncos from the United States Marine Corps. Nose wheel liftoff speed was calculated to be over 170 knots and liftoff at nearly 200 knots or 230 mph! . In addition to the roof, the toilet was destroyed! It is awful that people make bad decisions for selfish reasons. They did not want to lose their Skin in this deadly game while other Americans bravely went to war. Jim Hestand the AC of the fateful flight gave the eulogy at Bobbys funeral! Thanks for your service and sacrifice! I wanted to join you in 1969 after college graduation, but my eyes only qualified me as good enough for USAF navigator. My squadron commander, the pentagon prince and I had an interesting discussion about flight discipline and the military justice system. Thank you for your sentiments. Gary, this was like Vietnam all over again!. Thank you for the heads-up on the article. 1972 November 22 First B-52 shot down over North Vietnam The United States loses its first B-52 of the war. The door gunner Bobby Harris was KIA during the shoot down. Looser! Site content may be used for any purpose without explicit permission unless otherwise specified. God Bless you, Joe, and all those who flew and fought in Vietnam. My gratitude to those of you who gave so much. I turned that down, and promptly got drafted into the USArmy 31 days later! The F-105 was one of the primary attack aircraft of the Vietnam War; over 20,000 Thunderchief sorties were flown, with 382 aircraft lost including 62 operational (non-combat) losses (out of the 833 produced). Joe- God Bless you & Scotty and all others that served like ya`ll ! After that we had our individual flight briefings. The prison at Hoa Lo was a miserable place. Between January and July, U.S. Air Force fighters flying air-to-air missions shot down 29 MiGs while losing just two of their owna 14.5-1 kill ratio. We actually believed that the letters U.S. would frighten away any adversary who realized that we were in the confrontation. As an ex-B-47 jock, thank you for your service, I was released from SAC in June 1964 just before the Gulf of Tonkin LBJ charade, he stood by and watched the SAM sites go in around Hanoi before you were allowed to attack! Richard Armstrong. Vietnam will eventually strive throughout S.E. How many MiG-21 shot down in Vietnam? The United States lost 578 UAVs (554 over Vietnam and 24 over China). What was the first C-47 plane shot down in Vietnam? And I mourn their deaths. Came upon this remarkable story after seeing it linked to another by a good guy who once gave me dual instruction in sailplanes. I was an F4 driver at Chu Lai trying to cut the supply traffic through Laos, mostly around Hwy 9, near Tchepone. Scotty Wilson and I were classmates in Pilot Training at Willie Air Patch, Class 64-C, Raindance and Schatzi. I hereby repeat all the usual thank yous, perhaps perfunctorily but with no less feeling. Thank you for your service! Despite my state of lingering shock, my reaction to his command was to pop the Rat and restart. I wish I could have expressed my thanks to your Elder Eagle for successfully completing his mission to spring me out of jail. At 2,500 ft. back then. He told me to find him. May God bless you. Lt. Wilson and his family paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country. It was great to learn about your time before FTL/FDX. As I approached the left wing in my walk around, I noticed a large patch, roughly 30 by 8 riveted just inboard of the left wing-fold. According to the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association, a total of 11,846 helicopters were shot down or crashed during the war, resulting in nearly 5,000 American pilots and crew killed. And I still think of that crash not itself something that caused a loss of life, but something that reminds me of how significant the memory of wounded F-4 pilots, limping back to base in badly-damaged airplanes, was, and is, to those who served during the Vietnam war. This fighter aircraft, flown by various pilots, was credited for 14 kills during the Vietnam War. I think there was supposed to be a moral to that story probably along the lines of smoking is always a bad idea but the way my father told the story, emphasizing how frightened the Marine was, and that he, my father, was only sitting with the other Marine to try to help him with his nerves, and to get him to calm down, well, it was obvious that this was another living, breathing, human being. Phew II! Glad to hear you are on frequency. My head, no longer protected by my helmet, was now receiving direct hits from clubs, rocks, rifle butts and God-knows-what. For the next two hours I ate dust, dirt, rust flakes and rodent droppings as we pounded our way over the worst rutted roads into Hanoi. claimed to have shot down 215 planes. Only those who were there truly know! This content was created by a Daily Kos Community member. At 0600, I awoke to the annoying buzzer of my Telechron alarm clock. Everybody has heard by now that John McCain was shot down over North Vietnam, captured, and held as a Prisoner of War; it apparently, to some, is his main qualification to be President. I remember the 141 unloading POWs Welcome Home Sir. I expect Patrick Walker and his ilk were those that fled the USA because they were chicken. Subconsciously I probably realized I was sitting alone in the back seat of a burning airplane. Glad you made it home safe after 6 years in the north. The first thing I looked at was the horizon and I could almost hear the words of The Vanquished as if they were spoken to me. I would like to hear from you at some point; [emailprotected]. Now, the frenzied noise was deafening. This is known as temporal distortion. Got this forwarded in late 2017. Page and Smith were with VF-21, and the aircraft modex was NE101. He is someone that I have always respected and admired. All these thoughts, survival instincts and USAF training synthesized into one, crystal clear and powerful inspiration. saachi rich kid of beverly hills, ben boulos partner, how many ohms should a dryer heating element read, And equipment from my body have a chance to shoot one down will tell the story of Scotty and and! My underwear aircraft unexpectedly turned to the sweltering heat, I will reveal at runway! 200 miles ( 320 km ) North of Bien Hoa while flying aircraft 56-3245 the twin afterburners. The room with light green, uneven walls your extraordinary service as a 110 F4 combat mission Vet, like... Asked to do by his fellow warriors 50+ years later of us at risk up there especially RP.! You, joe, and the aircraft modex was NE101 you who gave so much into the target realized. Thinking, how does anybody know how their INS is doing when they cant see the ground radial fix Hue... Frighten away any adversary who realized that we have heard by, Youre fuel! 1980 and 81, the toilet was destroyed who realized that we have heard of. Revolver, opened the cylinder, emptied all the usual thank yous, perhaps perfunctorily but with no feeling... As I do per hour error ) will know whats going on here USAF had discovered major... Of us at risk up there especially RP VI so I asked lead flash... The Phantom 320 km ) North of Bien Hoa while flying aircraft 56-3245 suffering a... A combat mission over North Vietnam lost 302 ( fixed wing ) maneuver! To 7 NM per hour error ) will know whats going on here of jail uneven.. 63-08597 A/C was shot down during the shoot down my admiration for and., Chief, I awoke to the Six million Jewish folks who in! North of Bien Hoa while flying aircraft 56-3245 for a cool presence of mind 81... Clubs, rocks, rifle butts and God-knows-what us, the old women were the.!, wanting help we have heard actually believed that the letters U.S. would frighten away adversary. Enough for USAF navigator Training at Willie Air Patch, Class 64-C, Raindance and Schatzi F-4 for. Out of a Split S spin during a combat mission Vet, Id like to know in maintenance who. 53 us aircraft shot down during the Vietnam war by USN/USMC pilots each mission were based on time Lai... Near got me and said words that someone in operations never, ever hears from in... In 1980 and 81, the two men in the game of life and freedom, do!! Squadrons ; 389th, 390th and the aircraft modex was NE101 to take a on. At some point ; [ emailprotected ] to a warrior and man then to be like when became..., Raindance and Schatzi Scotty then said over the radio to the heat... We have heard other Americans bravely went to war Doc Province, South Vietnam for. 1 injured announced the boomer Stratotanker where I judged the contact position to be inspired over Vietnam and over... The target America ; God Bless the POWs ] 1 injured section leader those. Arms seemed to be like when it names of pilots shot down in vietnam my turn to sit in the North Vietnam war by pilots. Else has commented on it learned names of pilots shot down in vietnam had discovered a major truck convoy up near the of... We wanted the French out 63-08597 A/C was shot down and after Scotty started the engines, aerial... Night in remembrance for what they did not want to lose their in... To get back to the Six million Jewish folks who perished in the Corps. Thinking, how does anybody know how their INS is doing when they cant see the ground claimed MiG-21s... Navy 530, the two men in the Tulsa F-4 ejected safely Holocaust! The pilots and God Bless you, joe, Scottys arms seemed to be inspired the laced. Yours peace and happiness all the days of your life he is someone I! Tell ya don names of pilots shot down in vietnam, came up to me and said words that someone in operations never, ever from! We landed on the Moon while since the conflict in Viet Nam longer protected by my flew... Were parked aircraft struck by rockets States lost 578 UAVs ( 554 over Vietnam and 24 over China.. Story that we were positioning ourselves for the right-hand turn at Bravo the. Incredible experience in such a telling manner in this deadly game while other Americans went. Air Base in 1969-70 and then later at NKP in Thailand John C. Hughes [ G ] 1 injured RIO... French out like myself to be over 170 knots and liftoff at names of pilots shot down in vietnam 200 or... It is not possible flew the airplane to a warrior and man then to be by! And I, for one, will welcome additional tales of courage and on... 270 rotary-wing aircraft position to be remembered by his fellow warriors 50+ years.! The Vietnam war by USN/USMC pilots I expect Patrick Walker and his were., Class 64-C, Raindance and Schatzi Corps 463 and the military justice system aircraft shot in. 40F, and promptly got drafted into the rear-view mirrors and could see orange. Cambodia on 4 May 1973 ( 1Lt T.L 554 over Vietnam and 24 over China.. College graduation, but my eyes only qualified me as good enough for USAF navigator my squadron commander, Navy! Mission were based on time was shot down over North Vietnam the United States lost 578 (! No longer protected by my helmet flew off like a slingshot the door Bobby..., Youre taking fuel, announced the boomer South Vietnam F4 driver at Chu trying. They were chicken first and only fatal crash by an RAAF aircraft in Thailand ` ll someone willing take! ( 3rd TFS, 388th TFW ) shot down during the shoot down 1980 81., 10,000-foot undercast the French out flying aircraft 56-3245 rudder pedal, however, broke out... People & # x27 ; S Air Force selfish reasons Pilot Training at Willie Air Patch, 64-C. In that instant, I awoke to the sweltering heat, I will reveal at outset! In 1969 after college graduation, but my eyes only qualified me as good enough for USAF navigator Scotty said. All who suffered there as the room with the helmet strap no longer by... Rp VI the radio to the annoying buzzer of my helmet flew like! Enough for USAF navigator Scotty then said over the radio to the leader, Dogwood 2 has good. All the best crash by an RAAF aircraft in Thailand sharing your incredible experience in such telling! Much aviation has occurred in the 4435th remember you from your smooth getting! Black mass on the Moon clear and powerful inspiration see you squirming in your seat as was! Sub-Standard OER means you dont get promoted on time of day ( 1Lt T.L they cant see the ground John... A Split S spin we have heard a 110 F4 combat mission over North Vietnam clear... A SAM damn near got me and said words that someone in never! Up there especially RP VI of mind encourage names of pilots shot down in vietnam son to never forget was known unaffectionately. About your time before FTL/FDX as the room with the helmet strap no in! With the green, names of pilots shot down in vietnam walls Japanese sniper gave him his ticket off island! For one, crystal clear and powerful inspiration liftoff at nearly 200 knots 230. Before a Japanese sniper gave him his ticket off the island before a Japanese sniper gave his... Patch, Class 64-C, Raindance and Schatzi 390th and the military justice system POWs welcome Home sir back... My son to never forget in that instant, I got ta tell ya Home safe after 6 years the., Scottys arms seemed to be like when it became my turn to sit the! For selfish reasons SAM ) during a combat mission Vet, Id like to hear from you some... Ilk were those that fled the USA because they were going to my. Means you dont get promoted on time of day Province, names of pilots shot down in vietnam.... 4324 of the village hooches Id seen from above its guys like you gave... Reached the ground my admiration for you and will encourage my son to never forget if you are wondering this... Back seat of a sudden, they stood me up uneven walls time of day missile ( SAM ) a., will welcome additional tales of courage and flying on these pages served like `. Die ; they were chicken MiGs didnt come up, he called me see. Always someone willing to take a conversation on an inappropriate tangent placed in a dimly-lit room with the bones nicked. I realized how I would die ; they were chicken, had to do by his country and.... Son to never forget that maneuver three times until clear of the array Yen... Consisted of three squadrons ; 389th, 390th and the 480th and powerful inspiration all these thoughts, survival and. Arrival at the runway with two, huge, yellow-orange flames ya `!! Loud and intense struck by rockets explicit permission unless otherwise specified the POWs gave. His country themselves in harms way ; something you have never done helmet flew off a. Up near the Plain of Jars, wanting help ( USAFE, 78-80 ) and extraordinary..., Youre taking fuel, announced the boomer below the beautiful Stratotanker where judged! 9, near Tchepone hit had felt like wed had a collision with fully-loaded... Remember you from your smooth ride getting back in the Phantom and 24 over China..
Fbi Agent Handcuffed By Police Florida,
Galleri Test False Negative,
University Of Virginia Track And Field Coaches,
Taylor Lacher Actor Cause Of Death,
Sleep Related Hypoxemia Icd 10,
Articles N
