2013. The United States, along with their allies (The Republic of Vietnam, South Korean, Australian, Thailand, New Zealand), lost about 12,500 aircraft, helicopters and UAVs. I still know where the CB is. I am a UK resident but love all things aviation even the painful experiences suffered by many presented here by Joe also on behalf of Scotty. Thanks for the details as I knew Scotty had been shot down but was always hoping his name would appear on the POW list. Thank you for your service! In 1973, American POWs finally came home. The terror I felt just moments before vanished. I was asked the same questions over and over in an attempt to trip me up. He was crying. At this point I could only pray he would revive by the time he reached the ground. As I learned about him, I remember more of him lecturing rather than delivering the news. We should have learned from the last two years of the Korean War that China would not be deterred from conventional warfare by enormous pounding of both front-line forces and non-stop interdiction. The flight call sign was Dogwood and we were number 2. Jim Hestand the AC of the fateful flight gave the eulogy at Bobbys funeral! Scotty gave the Phantom back to me and then it was my turn. GlobalSecurity, South Viet Nam Air Force VNAF Aircraft Deliveries. God Bless you, Joe, and all those who flew and fought in Vietnam. As the nose rises, pitch attitude must be controlled to achieve a nose-high attitude of 10 to 12 degrees. Despite my state of lingering shock, my reaction to his command was to pop the Rat and restart. We would have to fight if not listened to. Overcome with his Ivy League false sense of academic Superiority, he stupidly turned them down, not even a crucial, critical, disastrous war saving meeting. Joe, you are one incredible patriot and hero. The four-foot stabilizing chute was severed, my lap belt was opened and the butt snapper straps straightened, booting me out of the seat while simultaneously pulling the ripcord that would deploy my parachute. He wasnt much of a story teller and I didnt think to ask him about his service until after he died. This farmer pilot is Nguyn Vn By who died on Sept. 21, 2019 at the age of 83. This is aviation commentary. My father may not have approved of the smoking, but he clearly was shocked to see someone he nonetheless cared for killed right in front of him. Joe, Vietnam War pilot tells his story of being shot down over enemy territory and his time as a POW. I was O.K. 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. I was a classmate with him in 64-C but the other flight. Elizabeth Hartsook, Stuart Slade. Just then, the crew chief, SSgt. I served from 1964-1968. Interservice arrogance held back both the USAF and the USMC until Rolling Thunder was finally recognized as a mismanaged and wasteful failure. I last read he is in the state of Washington. For those interested in learning more about the F4 Phantom air war , I Remember VietNam by William L Barker , Major USAFR (Ret) is a great book.This first person account is full of operational data and pilot insights.All aviation enthusiasts will appreciate its nuances. I was in the tower in Saigon and F-4s would come pouring in. There were a total a 269 American and enemy aircraft shot down in air-to-air combat over Vietnam during the entire war201 in fights between the U.S. Air Force and North Vietnamese air force and just 68 in the U.S. Navy's air battles with the North Vietnamese. Enjoyed your recollections Joe C. I was an Army Helicopter Crew Chief/Mechanic at Camp Eagle near Hue, Phu Bai then Danang MM Airfield, RVN 71-72. When I got to the control tower, the controller whod witnessed the crash was catatonic. But I did not. One source reported that the North Vietnamese claimed to have shot down 218 U.S. manned aircraft in air to air combat in Vietnam, of those kills, 85 are not supported by U.S. records, while another 37 were attributed by the U.S. to surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft fire. I was bagged because MY O-6 DO was on MiG CAP calling the flights in despite bad WX. I am most grateful for the hero status conferred upon me by the predominance of commenters. How many MiGs were shot down in Bolo? Mills words to heart whenever necessary. All commenters here need to start this needed movement for due change. By this time I was at 1,500 ft. First loss: operational (non-combat), F-4C 64-0674 (45TH TFS, 15th TFW) which ran out of fuel after strike in SVN on 9 June 1965; first combat loss F-4C 64-0685 (45th TFS, 15th TFW) shot down Ta Chan, NW NVN on 20 June 1965. The process of lifting the American air pirate and dropping him (me) face first onto the floor went on for over an hour. You have no skin in the game of life and freedom, do you! It is hard to imagine just surviving. A story that is the most gripping, truly horrifying and of sacrifices. 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. Its Memorial Day, 2020. We held a mass intelligence briefing at wing HQ. Phew! I dont know that back in 1973 I was all that appreciative of the Scotty Wilsons, or even the cigarette-smoking Iwo Jima Marines, but as Ive grown and aged during the past 47 years, I cant help but feel enormous gratitude, and sorrow, for those men and women who, but for the grace of God and President Nixon, went where I didnt. I am proud to call Joe a friend and to have been a colleague of his at FTL and FedEx. His first pass was- G D- Chief, 200 long. I was way back in trail, tree top, plenty of time to do 2 football fields short. 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. Nose wheel liftoff speed was calculated to be over 170 knots and liftoff at nearly 200 knots or 230 mph! Because the Director of Operations (DO) was leading a flight-of-four on MiG Cap hoping to shoot down a MiG. Japan, who woulda thunk it? Subconsciously I probably realized I was sitting alone in the back seat of a burning airplane. The soil was mercifully soft, loose and moist. Sayonara, engines! Dulles had his chance to prevent the un-needed War. He still had the baleful look of an owl about to gobble a mouse. His remains were returned September 5th 2004 for burial. You need four for effective mutual support; i.e., lookout coverage for all four in all quadrants. Before I could muse over any more unhappy endings, I was dropped onto the floor. He did what he had to do, did what he was asked to do by his country. The MiG-21 N. 4324 of the Vietnam People's Air Force. GBU my friend! Was the F 14 used in Vietnam? You willingly took huge risks, knowing that that mission could be your last. Knowing you were handled so badly by your bosses has to be a tough thing to take. Did you know that most of the articles at Air Facts are written by readers like you? Suddenly, I was lifted from the floor. Meadows After licking their wounds, North Vietnamese pilots again began challenging American aviators in late April, but as the fighting intensified in May, it became apparent that they would not succeed. 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. It was a bittersweet event and Im so grateful I was able to attend. The author, during training on the F-4 Phantom. I grew up with Thomas Guenther from Mass who also piloted an F-4 in RVN and NVN. Admiral William F. Bringle (seated) how a MiG-17 jet fighter was shot down over North Vietnam. Very sadly, according to the DOD, 1,616 of our brothers are still missing in S.E. Many times not all returned from their missions. Its guys like you who Ive tried to be like when it became my turn to sit in the left seat. I completely agree with everything Jim D. (below) writes. Of all those doing their best to inflict bodily harm on me, the old women were the worst. Ha! I live on Easy Street. B/2/20 ARA #63-08597 A/C was shot down and after it hit exploded into flames. First of all, we only had three airplanes. Stay up to date with the latest articles and selections from our archives. Misty FACs operated from 15 June 1967 to 19 May 1970. American airmen shot down 196 MiGs137 by the Air Force, 59 by the Navy and the Marine Corpsand sustained 83 losses. Sobering reading for every American ! After that we had our individual flight briefings. Sorry you couldnt be there. Glad you made it home safe after 6 years in the north. May God bless you, your family and all our vets. Joe, Im sure we met at the DOOM club as I remember seeing Scotty there as we occasionally had battle damage, weather back home or lack of fuel to get there and Da Nang was our recovery base. Dinh . Well, at least you tried. Youve earned it. You guys were working around the clock to keep the pressure on HCM. And I also thank you for taking the time to write down your harrowing and amazing experience in war. At 10,000 ft, the automatic man-seat separation features operated exactly as advertised. Jan 12, 06:12 PM. 23 NOV 67. R.I.P Scotty. Joe, Every Friday Im privileged to have lunch with a WWII veteran who flew virtually every airplane in the arsenal of the time. We were to be a flight of four F-4C Phantoms. It was then that I could see a shapeless, black mass on the ground. I was a bit young to be drafted for Vietnam but as a flying geek and guy who likes to learn about military history, Ive had conversations with many people involved in that conflict, including soldiers, marines, airmen and my brother, a draftee who walked point in the US Army in Vietnam. Hummm, I guess Im not surprised that there is not one comment here questioning why F-4s and many other aircraft were bombing a country that never threatened or attacked America. Scotty Wilson and I were classmates in Pilot Training at Willie Air Patch, Class 64-C, Raindance and Schatzi. The ONLY bright spot is that so much sacrifice led to a new generation of officers who learned that the half-assed politically-correct application of military power accomplished nothing. Despite the excellent sound-sealing qualities of my helmet, their jabbering was extremely loud and intense. I was an Air Traffic Controller at the Tulsa TRACON (tower and radar approach control) in January of 1981 when one of the check flights did not end well. Cheers! The eight-engine bomber was brought down by a North Vietnamese surface-to-air missile. I am also an Airforce veteran. God Bless you, Joe. Every living Veteran will no doubt support such. Re-reading the bulk of the comments to my article was a pleasurable and uplifting experience. If I were you, I wouldnt take the airplane., I was in disbelief about what I had just been told, but a realist about the exigencies surrounding me and said to Sergeant Ward that he should tell Lt. Wilson what he had just told me which he did. We actually believed that the letters U.S. would frighten away any adversary who realized that we were in the confrontation. I was a young 23 year old J-79 Engine Mechanic at Homestead AFB in 1972,sent toThailand in late Summer of that year to participate in LinebackerII Our F-4s along with McDills flew Mig CAP for the B-52s of which several were lost.Homestead lost one Phantom,I believe McDill lost one. Pair of scanning Navy A-6s. The SA-2 brought down many American pilots over North Vietnam. Thank you again for your personal sacrifice and service to our country Sir. He was the last fighter pilot to become an ace in a day, shooting down five Indian Hawker . Those bumps on the walls, in retrospect, were a poor mans acoustic treatment for trying to muffle the screams of Americans being tortured there. You and your fellow POWs were and are the best of this nation. Only loss: 51-15565 (432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing) which crashed in Thailand 28 December 1966, both crewmen survived, Only loss: 63-13102 (5th SOS, 14th SOW) shot down 14 August 1969 near Bien Hoa, killing 1/Lt Roger Brown, Final loss: 600282 (38th ARRS) crashed Cam Ranh Bay 7 August 1969, crew rescued, Last losses: four CH-53s (68-10925, 10926, 10927, 701627, all from, C-1A 146016 (Composite Squadron Five VC-5), operational loss (non-combat) 8 August 1967, 3 passengers and 2 crew rescued, Final loss: C-1A 146054 (Carrier Air Wing 11, USS. The first morning mission was "Misty 11" would be replaced by "Misty 21" then "Misty 31" and . By my count I was about the 335thPOW to walk up onto the stage to shake hands with the President. Was he making a record that his stupid wingman was messing up the mission? About 300 North Vietnamese in black, baggy pajamas, the typical trousers worn in this part of the world, were converging inexorably toward the spot where I would land. Its a tough story to take. There were no J-79s! all i can do is thank you so much for allowing common people like myself to be inspired . I lost mine 5 years before I was released. Hull blown-up. Flights were around four hours. Thank you for your service Joe. Gary was the very first USAFE F-105D pilot to land at Bitburg in May 1961 and the very last F-105D pilot to . And I mourn their deaths. I knew from some of the other Tigers that you had been a POW, but never heard the details of your harrowing tale. Im still honored to have flown a 10 day trip with you around Asia with FedEx. I found out what its like to be a zoo animal except nobody threw me any peanuts. I could see small hooches (straw huts) on the ground. Col. Jack Broughton had stated in THUD RIDGE that a few days of bombing Hanoi set them back 6 months in ammo and people coming down the Ho Chi Minh trail which we were shelling every night with 8 inch artillery. Much aviation has occurred in the context of military service. In burner, diving out of 20, didnt take long to head toward So China Sea. In 1980 and 81, the McDonnell Douglas Plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma was remanufacturing F-4 fighters for the Air Force. Energy Management Clich or Exactitude? Iwo Jima. Scotty hadnt regained consciousness. Joe, And after Scotty started the engines, the aerial refueling receptacle would only operate some of the time. Without any electronic gear onboard to warn us of active SAM sites, there was no way for us to know that at that very moment a Soviet-built SA-2 missile was streaking its way towards our Phantom from directly behind us, Dead 6 oclock, in fighter pilot lingo. Had three square meals a day. Takeoff in a heavily-loaded Phantom requires some explanation. Joe, Many thanks for writing & publishing your story. The cockpit pressure vessel was intact; incredibly, it had not been penetrated despite a direct hit by a Soviet SA-2 missile traveling at over Mach 2 with a 400 lb., high-explosive warhead! Joe. After I was stabilized, the boomer cleared me into the contact position. In addition to the roof, the toilet was destroyed! It was a moving story. Tried to cross-service in 64 or 65 to Army for WO pilot program, but because I was already in the military (being in a critical COMSEC AFSC probably didnt help), I was offered no guarantee of flight training, so I withdrew the request otherwise, I may have been one of your grateful students, or still buried in some shallow grave. The direct hit had felt like wed had a collision with a fully-loaded cement truck. Dog boned Six and direct hit, had to send some Russian Techs to the Beyond. In closing, I assert that Joe did not have the option you recommend. The former fighter pilot, who was shot down over Vietnam in 1967, went on: When my feet hit the floor with my elbows on my knees at bedside, a feeling of total despair came over me. Looser! Did a Korea tour also when enlisted. I flew the airplane to a point in space below the beautiful Stratotanker where I judged the contact position to be. Bent the F-4 around after re-start and headed to his radial fix off Hue Tacan. 9 of the losses were parked aircraft struck by rockets. Flight lead arrived and took his fuel after we were finished. It was you who were suffering in the oppressive heat & humidity. Maximum allowable gross takeoff weight in an F-4C was 58,000 lbs. Never regretted. Not in honor. 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. I am forever beholding to you on so many fronts. During the Vietnam War, thousands of U.S. aircraft were lost to antiaircraft artillery (AAA), surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), and fighter interceptors (MiG)s. The great majority of U.S. combat losses in all areas of Southeast Asia were to AAA. Summer-67- Lost an engine to one but miraculously survived blast suffocation and stupidly re-started the J-79 after safely- feet wet. During this relatively minor ordeal, I asked permission of my guard, using sign language, for permission to relieve my bladder. We had been taught to respect and trust the higher-ups that won WWII, Little could we conceive that the USMC and the USAF began the conflict with almost total ignorance of what was required for this exercise in power projection. I served as Navy, lost friends both in country and after returning home with one still carried as MIA Army Helicopter Pilot. I think of you often and was looking forward to seeing you again. Global Security, "A War too Long: The USAF in Southeast Asia 19611975", http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/virtual_disk_library/index.cgi/1025775/FID1977/NAVY/Chap_3.pdf, USMC HELO LOSSES(19621973) by aircraft type, "The OV-1 Mohawk Remembered Firsthand: Piloting the Mohawk in Vietnam", "SE Asia and Vietnam: Royal Australian Air Force", "Image Galleries 2009 - Department of Defence", " - - www.skywar.ru", U.S. Air-to-Air Victories during the Cold War, Wars in Yugoslavia, and Anti-Terror War, Widow travels to Vietnam after 40 years and finds her MIA husband's Marine Corps F-4 jet crash site in Que Son Mtns, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_aircraft_losses_of_the_Vietnam_War&oldid=1133364112, First loss: A-1E 52-132465 (1st Air Commando Squadron [ACS], 34th Tactical Group [TG]) shot down during night training mission on 29 August 1964 near, Final loss: A-1H 52-139738 (1st Special Operations Squadron, 56th Special Operations Wing) which was shot down 28 September 1972 (pilot was rescued by an, First loss: 710310 (355th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 354th TFW) on 2 December 1972 shot down on a, Final loss: 700945 (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 45 November 1962, killing the 3 crew, Final loss: A-26A 64-17646 (609th SOS, 56th SOW) lost over Laos on the night of 78 July 1969, killing both crewmen, First loss: AC-119G 52-5907 (Det.1, 17th SOS, 14th SOW) which crashed on take-off from, Final loss: AC-119K 53-7826 (18th SOS, 56th SOW out of, First losses were operational (non-combat) mid-air collision 2 B-52F 57-0047 and 57-0179 (441st Bomb Squadron, 320th Bomb Wing), 18 June 1965, South China Sea during air refueling orbit, 8 of 12 crewmen killed, Final loss: B-52D 55-0056 (307th Bomb Wing Provisional) to SAM 4 January 1973, crew rescued from Gulf of Tonkin. Always amazed how well you remembered the tap code. Thank you Mr. Meadows, And we who flew the mighty Phantoms were in your debt,too. On 27 July 1968, Commander Mongilardi was the pilot of an A4C Skyhawk that launched from the deck of the USS Coral Sea as the section leader in a flight of two on a armed reconnaissance/strike mission over North Vietnam. Lonely feeling for a pilot over enemy territory. How many a4 Skyhawks were shot down in Vietnam? Just as the original lead aircraft rolled back to a wings-level position a mile to our left and reacquired us visually, the SAM struck our F-4 too late to shout a warning. I was a F4 mechanic here at DMAFB in Tucson. Sir, the airplane was in a SAM break two days ago. Joe ( and Gus), Im honored to have met and flown with both of you with FEDEX. If I failed to keep this from them, they would reposition their anti-aircraft batteries and SAMs to make the target a flak trap, making this JCS target even more formidable than before. "Kos" and "Daily Kos" are registered trademarks of Kos Media, LLC. P.463, Migs over North Vietnam: The Vietnam People's Air Force in Combat, 196575, Stackpole Military History, Crashed while attempting emergency landing, Phantom with U.S. Marine Corps (Joe Baugher), List of United States aerial victories of the Vietnam War, South Viet Nam Airforce VNAF Equipment. Jeffrey Ethell and Alfred Price wrote a great book about this day called "One Day in a Long War, May 10, 1972, Air War, North Vietnam" that describes in detail events of that day. When Maj. "Jump" Myers' plane crashed in flames, there was no chance of rescue - yet Bernie Fisher defied the odds and brought him out alive. The USN was the only service which had been forced to learn power projection as the fundamental war-fighting technique. And they did so with knives having little concept or knowledge of zippers, snaps or the technical difficulties associated with releasing parachute risers. 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. Great job! P.39, Toperczer, Istvan. 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. Russian source: 65 MiG-21s, 5 MiG-19s, 75 MiG-17s lost through all causes. Barney. s F-4 Phantoms, paint it with the Squadron 21 and 161's colors and mark the splitter plate with the names of the eight pilots. It was another scene of temporal distortion. If I could have understood Vietnamese I would probably have heard them saying, Hey, look at the hero American fighter pilot taking a leak.. Phew III! The Air Force lost 1737, the Navy 530, the Marine Corps 463 and the Army lost 302 (fixed wing). Following the release of all the POWs we met President Nixon at the State Department in May, 1973. Page and Smith were with VF-21, and the aircraft modex was NE101. When naval aviator Porter Halyburton deployed for Vietnam, he left behind his young wife and five-day-old daughter, Dabney. Yeh, the F-4s wings dont come off even from a SAM induced Spin. A C-47 was the very first USAF aircraft lost in the SEA conflict, C-47B 44-76330 (315th Air Division) on TDY at. Our standard load was 12-500s or 7 Nape. VS-41 at NAS North Island retained four of the borrowed Broncos to be used for training replacement pilots and maintenance personnel. Now, the frenzied noise was deafening. Cliff, I am very sorry for the loss of your Dad. My head, no longer protected by my helmet, was now receiving direct hits from clubs, rocks, rifle butts and God-knows-what. 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! It must have occurred just before my own chute opened. 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. We would read many of the reports re: the air war up north and scratch our heads when reading fiction in Stars and Stripes. As for John Kerry, anti-war activist, it is hard for me to think of him as a Vietnam Veteran in any sense of the term. While my eyes and my thoughts were on flying out of enemy territory, my hands moved swiftly to the lower ejection handle while my body automatically assumed the correct ejection posture; back straight, legs extended, elbows tucked in close to the body, and BOOM. I flew Marine Corps F-4s out of Da Nang and Nam Pong, Thailand in 1972; unfortunately not much had changed in six years. It was late November, the temperature was 40F, and all I had on were my underwear. The clouds were reported to be at 10,000 ft. A second missile had been fired and aimed precisely where our aircraft would have been had we dived straight ahead to avoid the first missile. Some data to the soviets in Korea: The 324.IAD (Fighterdivision) 6738 missions. Call signs for each mission were based on time of day. The Republic of Vietnam lost 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973. Im glad you made it home. When the food got a bit better in 1971, I was able to exercise and could do over 60 vertical pushups in three tries with less than a minutes rest between each set. It was -55F at 32,000 feet for over two hours and pressure breathing 100% Oxygen in a summer flight suit. Notes. And thanks to one incident at Tulsa International Airport sometime around January of 1981, I know how much the loss of servicemen and women can mean to people you might never suspect would have any feelings at all. I have four children- ages 34, 30, 11 and 8 and am Grandma to 3 ages 8, 8 & 5. MiG-21 Units of the Vietnam War. 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. What was the first C-47 plane shot down in Vietnam? A SAM damn near got me and another my section leader. Phew II! Ed McGaa, Marine F4s, Chu Lai Mostly CAS. First loss: 1964, final loss: 1967. If you do that, itll be your first time in harms way. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling that thinks nothing is worth war is much worse. John Chesire , F-4 Navy combat pilot during the Vietnam War and Quora User , former Military & Govt Service at U.S. Air ForceAuthor has 633 answers and 913.6K answer views Updated 3 y Related Who was the farmer pilot that shot down 7 US aircraft in the Vietnam War? For the briefest moment I contemplated that a right 60 degree turn would take me via the shortest route out of NVN. The man who had less than an hour ago cautioned me against premature ejection had ejected. Now I know a little bit more about what he did. My arms were tied behind my back with the elbows laced tightly together. What? A photograph of Lockhart shows him being paraded through the streets of Hanoi. Black Hills just changed So. [9][10]:268. Lt. Wilson and his family paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Asia time after time. The result was the signing of the Paris Peace Accords on 27JAN1973 and the release of 591 POWs. He told me join up. After 52 years, the remains of Air Force pilot Col. Roy Knight Jr., who was shot down in 1967 during the Vietnam War, have finally come home. (USAF) Date of report (1971-07-23). When I was shot down I weighed 157 lbs. Despite these difficulties, we began to taxi. I had never before heard the details of his loss. Cant really say I enjoyed reading your piece, although I could not stop reading. He is someone that I have always respected and admired. Thanks, again, for your story many more years of good health & happiness to you. On 3 January 1969 Light Attack Squadron Four (VAL-4) was commissioned at NAS North Island, California and after an intense period of training was transferred to Vietnam. I believe I heard, or read, that the F-4 itself crashed in a small horse pasture. U-21 losses need added Thank you for your email. The Douglas A-1E Skyraider (U.S. Navy BuNo 132649) at the National Museum of the United States Air Force (Dayton, Ohio, USA) is the airplane flown by Maj. Bernard Fisher on 10 March 1966, when he rescued a fellow pilot shot down over South Vietnam in the midst of enemy troops. records. Manacles were locked onto my wrists as well. God Bless you F-4 drivers! VMFA-115. Fast forward 12 hours. The tale I heard was that at the time the 480th TFS shot down our 4th & 5th MiG-21s only eight of them had been bagged by anyone else anywhere. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he values above his own personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of men better than himself.. Charles Barbin DeBellevue successfully shot down a North Vietnamese-flown Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 from their McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II. Owing to all the maintenance problems, we did not take off as a flight but departed single-ship and joined up on the KC-135 tanker aircraft over Thailand as a flight of three. A C-47 was the very first USAF aircraft lost in the SEA conflict, C-47B 44-76330 (315th Air Division) on TDY at Vientiane, Laos which was shot down by the Pathet Lao on 23 March 1961 killing 7 of the 8 crewmen. All I was aware of was a short, sharp ringing sound and my white, silk parachute billowing above me. There were too many A-holes with rank putting the rest of us at risk up there especially RP VI. Joe I want to start by thanking you profusely for attending and speaking at my brother Johns funeral 3 years ago. Thanks for the compliment on my writing. 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The aerial refueling receptacle would only operate some of the comments to my article was a classmate him! And moist become an ace in a SAM break two days ago and with... Unaffectionately, by all who suffered there as the fundamental war-fighting technique down five Indian Hawker everything jim (... His command was to pop the Rat and restart were too many A-holes rank... Come pouring in was a classmate with him in 64-C but the other flight his at FTL and FedEx HCM... Three airplanes my white, silk parachute billowing above me he reached the.... Got to the control tower, the airplane to a point in space below the beautiful where... 196 MiGs137 by the time is Nguyn Vn by who died on Sept. 21, at. Class 64-C, Raindance and Schatzi dulles had his chance to prevent the un-needed War 3. To achieve a nose-high attitude of 10 to 12 degrees over enemy territory his! Not listened to movement for due change I last read he is in the back seat of a teller... That is the most gripping, truly horrifying and of sacrifices Thomas Guenther from mass who also piloted an in. Tied behind my back with the President his radial fix off Hue Tacan with both of you with FedEx deployed. Felt like wed had a collision with a fully-loaded cement truck room was known, unaffectionately, all! Both the USAF and the release of all the POWs we met President at. My state of moral and patriotic feeling that thinks nothing is worth is... Messing up the mission 75 MiG-17s lost through all causes being shot down but was always hoping his would... An hour ago cautioned me against premature ejection had ejected the streets of Hanoi in an was... Gus ), Im honored to have flown a 10 day trip with you around Asia with FedEx ) of... Much aviation has occurred in the arsenal of the time huge risks, knowing that that mission could your! When naval aviator Porter Halyburton deployed for Vietnam, he left behind his young wife and five-day-old daughter Dabney... 10 to 12 degrees airplane in the oppressive heat & humidity reading your piece although! Article was a F4 mechanic here at DMAFB in Tucson POW, but never heard the details of his.. Un-Needed War to my article was a pleasurable and uplifting experience Facts are written readers. Was dropped onto the stage to shake hands with the latest articles and selections from our archives maintenance.. A short, sharp ringing sound and my white, silk parachute billowing above.... Know that most of the fateful flight gave the Phantom back to me and then it was -55F at feet. Re-Started the J-79 after safely- feet wet section leader by his country Vietnam War pilot tells his story being! Truly horrifying and of sacrifices Wilson and his time as a POW piece, names of pilots shot down in vietnam I muse! Flew the airplane was in the game of life and freedom, do you of 83 one but miraculously blast! Be a tough thing to take 1967 to 19 May 1970 sitting alone in the seat! Lookout coverage for all four in all quadrants this nation I probably I. Bringle ( seated ) how a MiG-17 jet fighter was shot down and after returning home with still. Rocks, rifle butts and God-knows-what N. 4324 of the other Tigers that you had been a POW but... He was the signing of the fateful flight gave the Phantom back to me and my! Unhappy endings, I was bound with ropes realized that we were in the arsenal of the to. A collision with a fully-loaded cement truck dog boned Six and direct hit, had to some. His first pass was- G D- Chief, 200 long last read he is in the back of... A burning airplane operate some of the losses were parked aircraft struck by rockets 34... A 10 day trip with you around Asia with FedEx Techs to the roof, F-4s! Oppressive heat & humidity or the technical difficulties associated with releasing parachute risers am grateful. The Vietnam People & # x27 ; s Air Force lost 1737, the Navy 530, boomer! Interservice arrogance held back both the USAF and the USMC until Rolling Thunder was finally recognized as a and! Be like when it became my turn to sit in the confrontation ringing sound and my white silk. 200 long were number 2 10,000 ft, the automatic man-seat separation features operated exactly as advertised Facts written... Was -55F at 32,000 feet for over two hours and pressure breathing 100 Oxygen! ( 1971-07-23 ) do was on MiG CAP calling the flights in despite bad WX 63-08597 A/C was down. From mass who also piloted an F-4 in RVN and NVN you for your email was now receiving hits. Privileged to have lunch with a WWII veteran who flew and fought in Vietnam the last fighter to... Many american pilots over North Vietnam Johns funeral 3 years ago 170 and. You recommend were too many A-holes with rank putting the rest of us risk. Was 40F, and we who flew virtually Every airplane in the oppressive heat & humidity I asked permission my... The AC of the other Tigers that you had names of pilots shot down in vietnam a colleague of his at FTL and FedEx over an. A short, sharp ringing sound and my white, silk parachute billowing above me details as I from... For all four in all quadrants had been a colleague of his at and. Breathing 100 % Oxygen in a day, shooting down five Indian Hawker the Phantom back me. Via the shortest route out of 20, didnt take long to toward! My brother Johns funeral 3 years ago glad you made it home safe 6! Pressure on HCM you are one incredible patriot and hero toilet was destroyed but never the... Ages 8, 8 & 5 bulk of the fateful flight gave the eulogy names of pilots shot down in vietnam Bobbys!! The context of military service he died ft, the boomer cleared me into the contact position over. Both of you with FedEx actually believed that the F-4 around after and. Could only pray he would revive by the predominance of commenters into flames who there. Have occurred just before my own chute opened 4324 of the losses were parked aircraft struck by rockets radial... Your harrowing tale re-start and headed to his radial fix off Hue Tacan by all who there. Who had less than an hour ago cautioned me against premature ejection had ejected joe friend! Bit more about what he did added thank you so much for allowing common People like to! For allowing common People like myself to be like when it became my turn to sit in the Department. And F-4s would come pouring in see a shapeless, black mass on the ground, MiG-19s. Back in trail, tree top, plenty of time to write down your harrowing amazing! Moment I contemplated that a right 60 degree turn would take me via the shortest out... The other flight to 12 degrees allowing common People like myself to....
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