I did enjoy reading this and I am grateful for men like you. 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. It was great to get back to the sweltering heat, I gotta tell ya. NOTE: Misty numbers listed here were assigned after the war and relates to the order the pilot was assigned to the unit. It was great to hear your story again. 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. 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. I narrowly missed out on entering the AF Aviation Cadet Program in 1960, and after reading of your experience, Im not so sure that it wasnt a blessing in disguise. Our own Phantom was suffering from a variety of ills. Although I was only a few thousand feet away, I hadnt been able to hear the explosion. I wish you and yours peace and happiness all the days of your life. You softy, dont deserve the freedom which we veterans fought and died for! In addition to all of your other talents, you write very well. This requires the pilot to smoothly and precisely adjust control inputs to maintain takeoff attitude as the aircraft accelerates and the landing gear and flaps are retracted. I ask that you honor these costs and sacrifice, as I do. Never regretted. 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. Thank you President Nixon for my life and my freedom. Fearing the worst for him, I bid farewell to my fallen comrade, saying aloud, So long, Scotty. With only 300 feet to go, I prepared for my parachute landing. Hap. Well written as you brought each of us along with you in the cockpit as your descriptives of that entire mission were intense. I reached bingo, bingo minus 5, minus 10, minus 15, and reported to lead each time. But survival instincts and thorough ejection training were running the show. How many MiGs were shot down in Bolo? [9][10]:268. Some US fighter pilots had actually scored aerial kills in WWII, and were fighting again in the sky's over North Vietnam; Colonel Robin Olds had shot down German aircraft in aerial combat,. Im sorry that you had to suffer so much but you had no business what so for ever being there. Upon arrival at the Hoa Lo prison, I was placed in a dimly-lit room with light green, uneven walls. With over 70 years of hindsight and investigation there were a ton of mistakes. So, with that, you have to question the command and leadership, not the foot soldier. The first and only fatal crash by an RAAF aircraft in Thailand. The 1850 John Stuart Mill quote and your comment that you posted above is powerful and right on. Manacles were locked onto my wrists as well. Thanks for the story, Joe. We actually believed that the letters U.S. would frighten away any adversary who realized that we were in the confrontation. Hi, Joe. Scotty preflighted the weapons: six-M117, 750 lb. The first morning mission was "Misty 11" would be replaced by "Misty 21" then "Misty 31" and . It was the darkest moment of an amazing three weeks in Vietnam and I was quite happy to leave that place. The Navy had it right (mostly) in equipping, training and tailoring tactical air assets. 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? Our birds were the E series and had the internal 20 MM and made good Mig.CAP birds. Joined up and reported a suspected Truck Park near Finger Lakes since we had avoided calling in to Ask Permission and wait the usual half hour to allow the Russian Radar trainers time to get out courtesy of our GD State Dept. Mills words to heart whenever necessary. It was about 0200 hours and the flares lit up the place like day. Lasted almost two weeks on the island before a Japanese sniper gave him his ticket off the island. Joe, . Thank you for the heads-up on the article. Our standard load was 12-500s or 7 Nape. So what was The D.O.s name? Im an alumnus of the 480th TFS myself ( USAFE, 78-80) and wish you all the best . I presume because these stories are such difficult memories, we do not hear enough of them. 71-0316 (355th TFS) operational loss (non-combat) crash in Thailand on 11 January 1973 (pilot rescued) 70-0949 (354th TFW) shot down Laos on 17 February 1973 (Maj J.J. Gallagher rescued) 71-0305 (3rd TFS, 388th TFW) shot down in Cambodia on 4 May 1973 (1Lt T.L. I wanted to wipe the blood away but my hands were tied behind my back. Some were grabbing and pulling at my anti-g suit, flight suit and boots. There will always be those who dont get it. Using first-hand accounts from diary entries, letters, and family stories, Snyder revives experiences that are accessible and relevant both to historians and readers with a casual interest in . We were together at MacDill in the F-4 but rotated at different times into SEA. Yes, it is tainted with much uncertainty to which you allude. The next thing I knew, I was back on the wooden stool facing my interrogator. Several of our birds went to Nam. b fearnits people like you ( and others who fled to Canada) who make those of us who answered the call sick to our stomachs! SP4 John C. Hughes [G] 1 injured. Pilots lost control in low clouds during a night flare mission. 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. I finally got him to talk and he said, Gary, it was just like Vietnam. Secondly, everybody else all the other strike flights, 15 of them, one after the other were calling, Outbound for weather meaning the target area was socked in and it would be just plain stupid to drop into the clouds where it would be hard to locate the target and easy to get nailed by a SAM (Surface-to-Air Missile). Cheers! Theyd be shot up to hell. Have not seen him since 1962. 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. It was late November, the temperature was 40F, and all I had on were my underwear. Galand himself would be shot down two months later. They fixed it. D.L. But, knowing this might be my only chance to talk before the fun and games began anew, I concocted a mission scenario that I hoped would be accepted as truth. Good lives were wasted for what? You who kept the supplies coming to us were a vital part of the war effort. Its guys like you who Ive tried to be like when it became my turn to sit in the left seat. Charge of the Light Brigade. With the helmet strap no longer in existence, my helmet flew off like a slingshot. Sir, the airplane was in a SAM break two days ago. Instead, Ill just say thanks, Joe Crecca, and thanks to God for men like you. Both Aircrew members were Killed In-Action, Last VAL-4 loss: 155461 crashed on 9 February 1972. Well b fearn, you have a right to make your comment and your opinion, but I do not believe this is the time or place. 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. I wont embarrass you by calling you a hero, though you unquestionably are. At 10,000 ft, the automatic man-seat separation features operated exactly as advertised. The U.S records showing 5,607 helicopter losses[2]. Spent the day with Tom and Scottys brother Mark. Thank You for your service. According to what looks like a reasonably well-sourced page on Wikipedia, a total of 3,032 aircraft were lost to hostile action during the Vietnam War (the actual total was considerably higher, as these numbers don't include Army rotary-wing aircraft), which means at least that many pilots were shot down (yes, some were shot down more than once, but they are way more than offset by the many aircraft that had two pilots). The Republic of Vietnam lost 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973. 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. Asia. Wonderful story. Others had knives and were, to my complete surprise, cutting the clothing and equipment from my body. I was too busy inside the cockpit to see it happen but the other two Phantoms banked away sharply to assume the proper lateral spacing. Peebles Curtis. Looking down toward my feet, I could see dozens of hands. At this point I could only pray he would revive by the time he reached the ground. I have the greatest respect and admiration for you and other Vietnam POWs for your courage and what you had to endure. Some data to the soviets in Korea: The 324.IAD (Fighterdivision) 6738 missions. May God continue to bless you. Youd make a grand Socialist. Joe, I fly a POW/MIA flag below Old Glory everydayin honor of you, Scotty, and all the other heroes that sacrificed so much in that war. Only loss: 606058, destroyed on the ground during a VC attack on Tan Son Nhut, SVN on 14 June 1968. Did you know that most of the articles at Air Facts are written by readers like you? I taught math, physics, automotive theory and practice, and classical music in the Hanoi Hilton. Your writing is superb and I wonder if you have considered writing a book about your experience in the USAF. 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. God Bless you F-4 drivers! In addition to the roof, the toilet was destroyed! Sad to hear that your Dad didnt tell you much about his missions. Section leader had one Dud flash by just as we started to Split S from Control Warning. [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]). How many f4 were shot down? 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. The pilot Lieutenant Commander John S. McCain III, successfully ejected and was made Prisoner of War. All I was aware of was a short, sharp ringing sound and my white, silk parachute billowing above me. 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. How far did he go on in the Air Force? Just recently back from the Academy F-4 Phantom ceremony. May God comfort those families who still wait and wonder.]. Now, the frenzied noise was deafening. The Republic of Vietnam lost 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973. Thank you sir for your service. I always get chills reading these stories. Re-reading the bulk of the comments to my article was a pleasurable and uplifting experience. Jim witnessed the other pilot CW2 Richard Bauman and crew chief Craig Dix being captured. By that point the airflow over the isoclinic horizontal stabilizer was sufficient to start the nose up. 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. This description of your combat experience and captivity is the first time Ive heard it and that only adds to my admiration for you, Joe. Thank you for your service! From the refueling track exit over northern Thailand, our route took us over northern Laos and into North Vietnam. On Sept. 12, 1968, F-100D pilot Capt. Site content may be used for any purpose without explicit permission unless otherwise specified. (USAF) Date of report (1971-07-23). At the very least, he had just been knocked out. As I learned about him, I remember more of him lecturing rather than delivering the news. of an F-4), or I could man a missile silo in North Dakota. 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. Glad you made it home safe after 6 years in the north. Meadows God bless. I hereby repeat all the usual thank yous, perhaps perfunctorily but with no less feeling. I am forever beholding to you on so many fronts. Looser! 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. How many helicopters did America have in Vietnam? 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