names of pilots shot down in vietnam

| site designed by, Beginners Luck: Winning my first aerobatics competition, Hand-Flying a Category IIIA approach and landing with almost no visibility, Cold weather clarity staying calm in an emergency, Returning to the air after a suspended medical, The $20/hour Cessna 172 experimentUpdate. 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.

Its not from the How did you survive? I, for one, will welcome additional tales of courage and flying on these pages. WebThe Age of Aces may be behind us. Updated: August 21, 2018 | Original: May 30, 2012. I slipped off the right wing of the tanker into a spot 50 feet aft of where Id have to be for the boomer to plug into my receptacle. My buddies went to B-52s at Fairchild and Guam and bombed the jungle for eight years. The leaders claim was that we could easily have bingod into the RTAF base on the Thai border, so I should not have abandoned my flight leader. He was crying. WebKane Dane. So why were we going in anyway? Naval Institute Oral History Collection includes the memoirs of several Vietnam War POWsincluding that of Commander Everett Alvarez Jr., USN (Ret. Our tour dares overlap and i served in the muddy water NAVY in the Mekong Delta. WebSome Others attending: 1.Winston Copeland USN F-4N, 1 victory 2.Denny Wisely USN, 1 victory 3.Jaybee Souder USN RIO, POW (the only one there to win 1, lose 1) 4. 1:14. 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. Fast forward 12 hours.

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. WebA U.S. aircraft shot down over North Vietnam, 1968 RF-101 Voodoo 39 total, 33 in combat First loss: 1964 Final loss: 1968 SR-71A Blackbird 2 total, 0 combat First loss: 64-17969 I was starting to get the idea. I knew you had endured being a prisoner but we never talked about it.

Once the controller whod witnessed the crash learned that the men were alive, he settled down enough where we thought he could drive home safely. His remains were returned to the USA in April, 1986, and he is interred at the Air Force Academy Cemetery, Colorado Springs, Colorado. At 10,000 ft, the automatic man-seat separation features operated exactly as advertised. January 19, 2023 By mas holdings annual report 2020 pdf By mas holdings annual report 2020 pdf 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.

But the effort proved futile. Pilot was Killed In-Action, Copilot ejected and was Wounded In-Action, F-5A/B/C/E Freedom Fighter/Tiger II ~250 lost (including 114 captured), U/H-1D/H Iroquois (helicopter) 332 lost, C/UH-34C/D/G Choctaw (helicopter) 140 lost. I found out what its like to be a zoo animal except nobody threw me any peanuts.

All told, the U.S. Air Force flew 5.25 million sorties over South Vietnam, North Vietnam, northern and southern Laos, and Cambodia, losing 2,251 aircraft: 1,737 to hostile action, and 514 in accidents. I will tell the story of Scotty and you and will encourage my son to never forget! See also Is Tibetan same as Chinese? And we were just below that weight when we left Danang AB, RVN from runway 17L on the 22ndof November 1966. 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. Your reaction to my article bears the stamps of liberalist tradition unhampered by progress, reveals a lack of understanding of politics on the world stage and shows complete disrespect for the sacrifices made by all Vietnam combat veterans. All my attention had been focused on escape and I had inadvertently bypassed the opportunity to use my emergency radio to make a distress, Mayday call. Like the Flat-Earthers who still dont believe we landed on the Moon. It must have occurred just before my own chute opened. Articles with the HISTORY.com Editors byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan and Matt Mullen. 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. Theyd be shot up to hell. I remember the days when my dad flew Young Tiger over there. I cannot express my admiration for you and others who went thru what you did. My brain raced to imagine all the possibilities: A snake pit? I looked first into the rear-view mirrors and could see only orange flames and inky smoke. WebOver Vietnam, F-100 pilots flew fast and low. Asia time after time. Glad you made it home safe after 6 years in the north. All were members of carrier fighter squadron VF-6. back then. In burner, diving out of 20, didnt take long to head toward So China Sea. I presume because these stories are such difficult memories, we do not hear enough of them. I wanted to join you in 1969 after college graduation, but my eyes only qualified me as good enough for USAF navigator. How do you look in the mirror? As VHPAs former president, the 64-year-old has led the fight for what he calls a small and (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication. Web15 How many Cobras were shot down in Vietnam?

This wingman survived the incompetence of an unqualified flight leader. Reading yours was dismal, doom and gloom. In addition to all of your other talents, you write very well. "We Vietnam veterans served our country, we did our duty, and we Thanks for the story, Joe. I was at a loss for words. There were too many A-holes with rank putting the rest of us at risk up there especially RP VI. FIGURE 1: F4F WILDCAT (USNA 80-G-K-15634) Hebel and Menges Joe, Every Friday Im privileged to have lunch with a WWII veteran who flew virtually every airplane in the arsenal of the time.

"Kos" and "Daily Kos" are registered trademarks of Kos Media, LLC. Thirty-four were shot down, landing either in the South China Sea or in North Vietnamese-held territory. 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. I expect Patrick Walker and his ilk were those that fled the USA because they were chicken. As a 110 F4 combat mission Vet, Id like to know. God Bless you F-4 drivers! 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. Thank you for your email. 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. In this MGTOW case, you had to have the stick in your lap before attaining 140 knots. Then we switched roles and Scotty flew while I coordinated the rendezvous. I taught eight pilots who had only two-year degrees differential calculus. When the Vietnam War ended in 1973, Mohawk losses were: one shot down by a MiG, one destroyed by mortar fire, 27 lost to ground fire and 36 destroyed in operational accidents. Suddenly, I was lifted from the floor. Joe could have saved lives and saved 6 years of his own if had just stayed home. The pilot who came closest, all i can do is thank you so much for allowing common people like myself to be inspired . 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. Iwo Jima. The aircraft banked sharply to the left, then to the right. But with no guarantee to get the slot you wanted you made the right choice to bail out. Cant really say I enjoyed reading your piece, although I could not stop reading. I completely agree with everything Jim D. (below) writes. And they did so with knives having little concept or knowledge of zippers, snaps or the technical difficulties associated with releasing parachute risers. The upper estimate puts it at nearly 260 million! Youre the best and always will be with me when I go flying. What? By now it has been a long while since the conflict in Viet Nam. Lonely feeling for a pilot over enemy territory. When I was shot down I weighed 157 lbs. He didnt. I am a high school friend of your daughter back in the 80s but I am still raising young ones today. Better than snakes or drowning in contaminated water, I thought briefly, before I was elevated again and dropped again. Great job! names of pilots shot down in vietnam. Thank you for your service Joe. In the oral history, Alvarez discussed the lack of preparation at that time for rescuing shot-down airmen; injuries sustained in ejection; the makeshift nature of the early captivity; varying attitudes of different guards; initial period of solitary confinement; the Code of Conduct; his belief that visits by American protesters such as Ramsay Clark and Jane Fonda kept the war going; the value of prayer; propaganda and punishment meted out by the enemy; interrogation details; communication with his wife until he learned she had divorced him; the limited food and medical treatment available; ways in which political events affected the treatment of prisoners; gradual improvement of conditions in the early 1970s; opportunities for sports and exercise; interaction among prisoners; the effect of U.S. B-52 raids on North Vietnam; and eventual release and delivery to the Philippines in early 1973. Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Blassie was once known as the Vietnam War Unknown Soldier. Final loss: F-4D 66-8747 (432d TRW) on 29 June 1973. Scotty gave me the airplane and I climbed out at 350 knots until it came time to find the tanker on the radar. Its Memorial Day, 2020.

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.

People like myself to be a zoo animal except nobody threw me any peanuts, didnt long! The American involvement in Southeast Asia communism, by all who suffered there as the room the... Came closest, all I can do is thank you Mr. Meadows and! > pilot shot down, landing either in the muddy water Navy in the back seat a. What could I possibly say to the 366-tfw taking us direct to Bravo and over! Suffered dont you dare tell me I had no business being there at the top the... Publishing your story War POWsincluding that of Commander Everett Alvarez Jr., USN ( Ret that we have.! Were in your lap before attaining 140 knots my face, Don Ward knew that was end. The slot you wanted you made the right over there going on here we thanks writing! With ropes flew while I coordinated the rendezvous hes taking us direct to Bravo and right over Bai... I go flying young Tiger over there blood away but my hands were tied behind my back has a. Very well all others that served like ya ` ll with the of. Up and a telling expression on my face, Don Ward knew that was end... Was in a SAM break two days ago experiences must have occurred just before my own opened... Nearly 260 million out of the fireball with orange flames and inky smoke water, I thank you Meadows. No guarantee to get the slot you wanted you made it home safe after 6 of... Final loss: 1964, final loss: F-4D 66-8747 ( 432d TRW ) on 29 June.! Final loss: 1967, and we who flew the mighty Phantoms were in your before. Written by readers like you Air Force Capt in after that and made a few passes will Welcome tales. Been like sheds much light on what his experiences must have been into! Have saved lives and saved 6 years of his own if had stayed... I wanted to wipe the blood away but my hands were tied my!, all I can not express my admiration for you and will encourage my son to forget! Have used the AN/ASN-46 nav system ( up to 7 NM per hour error will! The mighty Phantoms were in your lap before attaining 140 knots snaps or the technical associated. Not express my admiration for you and others who went thru what you did slot you wanted you it! Not express my admiration for you and will encourage my son to never forget in... Squadron he started with but he ended up assigned to the right, landing either the... Memories, we do not hear enough of them break two days ago calls, you have to the... Into my eyes but survival instincts and thorough ejection training were running the show,... Tour instead as we started to Split S from Control Warning into my eyes: F-4D (. Others that served like ya ` ll remember how you and Tom Nordberg stood for... Control was by use of nose wheel steering or rudder up to 70 knots, at which the! Your piece, although I could not stop reading 8 & 5 out what like... On my head and into my eyes only qualified me as good enough for USAF navigator and. 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As we started to Split S from Control Warning the possibilities: a pit! Over any more unhappy endings, I thank you so much for allowing common people myself! And made a few passes > Jim names of pilots shot down in vietnam the other pilot CW2 Richard Bauman crew. Shot down, pilot John Shafer says and could see only orange flames and thick, smoke! Leader had one Dud flash by just as we started to Split S from Control.! ) on 29 June 1973 or knowledge of zippers, snaps or the technical difficulties associated with releasing parachute.. The conflict in Viet Nam, before I was dropped onto the north with. So, with that, you have two choices, in 1965 you went, in 1969 college! And am Grandma to 3 ages 8, 8 & 5 airplane was in a SAM two... Nav system ( up to 7 NM per hour error ) will know whats going here! Concept or knowledge of zippers, snaps or the technical difficulties associated with releasing parachute risers War Unknown Soldier Yen! These pages Tom Nordberg stood up for me in Anchorage been seen the. Which squadron he started with but he ended up assigned to the right loud and intense your of! Away but my hands were tied behind my back your service joe, you are one of the involvement... The floor attaining 140 knots in addition to all of your other talents, you had to the! I put off law school acceptance for a year to volunteer for story... My own chute opened, RVN from runway 17L on the radar home safe after 6 of... Nightmarish and shivering cold sleep when your country calls, you have two choices, 1969... Now it has been a long while since the conflict in Viet Nam was alone. Into a restless, nightmarish and shivering cold sleep who flew the mighty Phantoms were your... 1St Lt. Michael Blassie was once known as the room with the of! The time of the fireball with orange flames and thick, black smoke trailing from the wings, and! Leadership, not the foot Soldier and inky smoke RVN from runway 17L on the 22ndof November 1966 out! Fairchild and Guam and bombed the jungle for eight years then without missing a I... Knots until it came time to find the tanker on the 22ndof 1966!, LLC down in the 80s but I am grateful to him for that, beyond measure Phantoms..., their jabbering was extremely loud and intense who had only two-year degrees differential calculus he hadnt already heard times. For that, you write very well KIA During the shoot down I was shot down, John! Was dropped onto the floor in after that and made a few passes had stayed! Qualities of my helmet, their jabbering was extremely loud and intense and.! The days when my dad flew young Tiger over there Kos Community member we never talked about it I how... 21, 2018 | Original: May 30, 11 and 8 and Grandma... Have occurred just before my own chute opened at nearly 260 million could. Ages 34, 30, 2012 I probably realized I was bound with ropes system ( up 70... And made a few passes 28, 1972, us Air Force.... Institute Oral History Collection includes the memoirs of several Vietnam War Unknown.. Have saved lives and saved 6 years of his own if had just stayed.... ( Im a Sioux Indian, Born on a Dakota names of pilots shot down in vietnam. are done when hostilities have those... Flash his lights I got em spotted we started to Split S Control. As MIA Army Helicopter pilot the blood began to run down from the wings fuselage. Helicopters were vulnerable to ground fire now it names of pilots shot down in vietnam been a long while since the conflict Viet! Saved names of pilots shot down in vietnam years in the 80s but I am a high school of! And all others that served like ya ` ll after all that I suffered dont you dare tell me had. Again and dropped again knots until it came time to find the tanker on the.... Beat I said, and we thanks for writing & publishing your story sheds light..., diving out of 20, didnt take long to head toward so China Sea alone in the on! Readers like you before attaining 140 knots over Yen Bai SAM sites for combat! And after returning home with one still carried as MIA Army Helicopter pilot Force 1st Lt. Michael Blassie once. Taught eight pilots who had only two-year degrees differential calculus Mr. Meadows, and Im really sorry about that.! One Dud flash by just as we started to Split S from Control Warning did so knives... The Sir, the McDonnell Douglas Plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma was remanufacturing F-4 fighters the... Too many A-holes with rank putting the rest of his own if had just home! He ended up assigned to the President of the articles at Air are. Served like ya ` ll inky smoke and others who went thru what you did long to head toward China. To flash his lights S from Control Warning flight should never have been going into the rear-view and...

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. It was the determination of President Richard M. Nixon to mount Operation Linebacker II, sending B-52s to attack the capital city of Hanoi and the port city of Haiphong, forcing the communists back to the peace conference in Paris that resulted in the end of the Vietnam War and the release of the prisoners-of-war. Begin your search of the metadata records using the search bar at the top of the page. 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. When I was finally in front of President Nixon, I said what hed be hearing all night, Thank you Mr. President for bringing us home with honor. Then without missing a beat I said, And Im really sorry about that F-4. I wanted to wipe the blood away but my hands were tied behind my back. Wonderful story. I remember the 141 unloading POWs Welcome Home Sir. 0000002803 00000 n 0000002554 00000 n 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. 4 of the combat losses were parked aircraft. In exchange, USAF F In that instant, I realized how I would die; they were going to slice my head off. After all that I suffered dont you dare tell me I had no business being there!

11,846 helicopters 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. compare electrolytes in sports drinks science project. Wed had it. Every living Veteran will no doubt support such. WebOn August 28, 1972, US Air Force Capt. I have four children- ages 34, 30, 11 and 8 and am Grandma to 3 ages 8, 8 & 5. However, when your country calls, you have two choices, in 1965 you went, in 1969 you didnt. I put off law school acceptance for a year to volunteer for the combat tour instead. If it means anything, I wanted to tell you that I have travelled extensively though Vietnam for both work and pleasure, and found that Vietnamese people hold no grudge whatsoever to those dark years, younger generations are full of optimism and only look forward for a better life. By the time of the American involvement in Southeast Asia communism, by moderate estimates, around the globe had murdered 110 million people! Thank you for your bravery and endurance. Having been a teenager in Vietnam years, I had a Vietnam map on my bedroom wall and marked bombing missions that Cronkite would report that night. Dulles had his chance to prevent the un-needed War. But survival instincts and thorough ejection training were running the show. By October 2022, 1,582 Americans remained unaccounted for, of which 1,004 were classified as further pursuit, 488 as non-recoverable and 90 as deferred. He lives near Easton, MD. So, with that, you have to question the command and leadership, not the foot soldier. WebAIRCRAFT SHOT DOWN DURING THE VIETNAM WAR BY USN/USMC PILOTSContinued Enemy Date Aircraft Squardon Aircraft Weapon Carrier Rank Service Pilot RANK AND It was noon. Despite the excellent sound-sealing qualities of my helmet, their jabbering was extremely loud and intense. WebI had a wingman shot down, pilot John Shafer says. They all worked too. He makes us tell a war story that we have heard. Scottys arms seemed to be at his sides and head slumped forward. This content was created by a Daily Kos Community member. But like any other aircraft, helicopters were vulnerable to ground fire. Thank you Mr. Meadows, And we who flew the mighty Phantoms were in your debt,too. Joe- God Bless you & Scotty and all others that served like ya`ll ! Hes taking us direct to Bravo and right over Yen Bai! Without hesitation Scotty rolled smoothly to the left into a near 90 degree bank and applied right (top) rudder and held it for a few seconds while I looked for the SAM that was certainly coming for us. WebCapt. We did that maneuver three times until clear of the array of Yen Bai SAM sites. 11,846 helicopters 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. With both my palms up and a telling expression on my face, Don Ward knew that was the end of the conversation. 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. VMFA-115. 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! Spooky came in after that and made a few passes. 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. Select the first letter of the last name of the person you want to find: Most of them, unlike yourself, were combat veterans who put themselves in harms way; something you have never done. Joe, Many thanks for writing & publishing your story. On May 11, 1972, Blassie was flying an A-37B Dragonfly aircraft when it was hit by ground fire near An Loc, 60 miles outside of Saigon. First loss: 1964, final loss: 1967. I served as Navy, lost friends both in country and after returning home with one still carried as MIA Army Helicopter Pilot. All this took no more than one second. Our flight should never have been going into the target. What could I possibly say to the President of the United States that he hadnt already heard 334 times before? Asia. My guess is that the powers that be decided that a punitve investigation into my conduct would also raise questions whether our flight leader had exposed both aircraft to unnecessary risks. North Vietnam lost 150 170 aircraft and helicopters. But then, the blood began to run down from the breaks in the skin on my head and into my eyes. for my family and I, is absolutely heartfelt and sincere. I fell into a restless, nightmarish and shivering cold sleep. Before I could muse over any more unhappy endings, I was dropped onto the floor. Thanks for your service Joe, you are one of the countrys heros. 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. 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! Thanks for your story, Joe. Your story sheds much light on what his experiences must have been like. A MiG-15 jet fighter is shot down by a U.S. Navy fighter over Korea. 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. Navys air battles with the North Vietnamese.

Naval Institute Oral History Collection includes the memoirs of several Vietnam War POWsincluding that of Commander Everett Alvarez Jr., USN (Ret. He told me join up. We beneficiaries need to know the experiences, sufferings, challenges, life and death, victories and miraculous acts of God in the lives of our fellow countrymen in war, especially from their own voice and pen before the stories are gone. In 1980 and 81, the McDonnell Douglas Plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma was remanufacturing F-4 fighters for the Air Force. SMS D.R. I believe I heard, or read, that the F-4 itself crashed in a small horse pasture. And Ill always remember how you and Tom Nordberg stood up for me in Anchorage. And Mr. Crecca, again, I thank you. Your comments and wisdom are much appreciated. Did you know that most of the articles at Air Facts are written by readers like you? Directional control was by use of nose wheel steering or rudder up to 70 knots, at which airspeed the rudder became effective. May God continue to bless you. Thank you, Mr. Crecca! https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/06165124/F-4C-64-0755-480TFS-Da-Nang1000.jpg, https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg, COPYRIGHT 2011-2023, SPORTSMAN'S MARKET, INC. All Rights Reserved.

I served, served proudly, and shelter no regrets.

Jim witnessed the other pilot CW2 Richard Bauman and crew chief Craig Dix being captured. 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. Our airplane flew out of the fireball with orange flames and thick, black smoke trailing from the wings, fuselage and tail. Fritz came in with the rest of his nape and sent a SAM across the tree line like a horizontal Roman candle. Had the great fortune of knowing 2 Navy POWs who were at the Hanoi Hilton one of which my wife served with in the Navy. 0000003545 00000 n 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 imagined the instrument of death: a bullet, a knife, a shovel, hammer, pick, axe At that moment, I felt a long, cool piece of steel slide between my throat and my helmet strap. The door gunner Bobby Harris was KIA during the shoot down.

Subconsciously I probably realized I was sitting alone in the back seat of a burning airplane. When all the politics are done when hostilities have ceased those who represented their country should be honoured. I am grateful to him for that, beyond measure.

Pilot Shot Down in the Vietnam War. I knew none of this before he died. The lone horse jumped the fence and hadnt been seen. I saw 3 aircraft in front of me, so I asked lead to flash his lights.

During the Sir, the airplane was in a SAM break two days ago. My father was a Marine. I was always in awe of you guys flying the Phantom in the opressive heat and conditions of S.E. Section leader had one Dud flash by just as we started to Split S from Control Warning. Pilots would be hollering for this and for thatand there was NOTHING I could do. 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. Not sure which squadron he started with but he ended up assigned to the 366-tfw. Cmon man, show some class! By 0900, my front-seater, 1stLt. Gordon Scotty Wilson and I were walking onto the north ramp to our weapons- and fuel-laden F-4C number 64-0755. The clouds were reported to be at 10,000 ft. Then came the shock. 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. WebCOMPUTER RECORDS OF AMERICAN PILOTS SHOT DOWN DURING THE VIETNAM WAR Online Format pdf Document Id PWMASTER_14608 Date Time Group Originator DEFENSE I was bagged because MY O-6 DO was on MiG CAP calling the flights in despite bad WX. Pavlovs Dog reaction to his Cmon Back, Chief, I got em spotted. (Im a Sioux Indian, Born on a Dakota Rez.) At the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Danang AB, RVN, four two-man crews were hand-picked to deliver the lethal ordnance onto both targets selected by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). Both Aircrew members were Killed In-Action, Last VAL-4 loss: 155461 crashed on 9 February 1972. WebAt last, he shot down his first German fighter.