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. Ill never understand your sacrifice, but want to thank you for it! American airmen shot down 196 MiGs137 by the Air Force, 59 by the Navy and the Marine Corpsand sustained 83 losses. Joe ( and Gus), Im honored to have met and flown with both of you with FEDEX. May God continue to bless you, Joe. Kos Media, LLC. 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. Mr. Crecca was a POW for the next six years and three months until his repatriation on February 18, 1973. Sign up for our free email newsletter, packed with tips, tricks and news for pilots. We actually believed that the letters U.S. would frighten away any adversary who realized that we were in the confrontation. All these thoughts, survival instincts and USAF training synthesized into one, crystal clear and powerful inspiration. The upper estimate puts it at nearly 260 million! I was an aircraft mechanic serving at Clark Air Base in 1969-70 and then later at NKP in Thailand in 1973-74. 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. If I could ever slow down I might have time to write that book. Shot down. Further, the controller COULD have joined us up and vectored us back to the truck-convoy gaggle, but the controller had obviously lost confidence in a flight leader who didnt know where he was. I lost mine 5 years before I was released. The NVA never admitted to capturing them! P.39, Toperczer, Istvan. They were all well received. Asia [http://www.dpaa.mil/Resources/Fact-Sheets/Article-View/Article/569613/progress-in-vietnam/]. 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. I saw 3 aircraft in front of me, so I asked lead to flash his lights. How about that for a cool presence of mind? Then, I was pushed face down to the floor and blindfolded. By 1973, when we were released, theyd given us enough to eat so that I was back up to 155. Life saver: Severely damaged in combat, this Douglas A-1E was flown by Maj. Bernard Fisher on March 10, 1966, when he rescued a fellow pilot shot down over South Vietnam. 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. Like the Flat-Earthers who still dont believe we landed on the Moon. On Oct. 26, McCain would fly his 23rd run over North Vietnam, joining a 20-plane mission to bomb a power plant in the capital city of Hanoi, which had been off-limits to U.S. attacks . Never regretted. Model names were normalized in 1962 to UH-1s. The process of lifting the American air pirate and dropping him (me) face first onto the floor went on for over an hour. I was too young for Nam, but spent 20 years in the Navy under the water. All I was aware of was a short, sharp ringing sound and my white, silk parachute billowing above me. Sorry about your Dad. If you think I should not be called a hero, tell them, not me. 9 of the losses were parked aircraft struck by rockets. We were to be a flight of four F-4C Phantoms. I have four children- ages 34, 30, 11 and 8 and am Grandma to 3 ages 8, 8 & 5. He is presently a retired airline pilot who originally flew for The Flying Tiger Line in DC-8s and 747s and then MD-11s for FedEx. North Vietnam lost 150 170 aircraft and helicopters. The concept that Vietnamese people who had conquered most of SE Asia and fought off numerous invasions by Chinese dynasties for centuries would be cowed and exhausted by the haphazard application of US air power was the result of historical ignorance and superpower arrogance. I always get chills reading these stories. From the back seat, I accomplished the fuel on-load at an altitude of 25,000 ft. having to use minimum afterburner on the left engine to stay in position due to the heavy load. And Mr. Crecca, again, I thank you. How many helicopters did America have in Vietnam? Fritz came in with the rest of his nape and sent a SAM across the tree line like a horizontal Roman candle. I will tell the story of Scotty and you and will encourage my son to never forget! 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. 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. Despite my state of lingering shock, my reaction to his command was to pop the Rat and restart. Ive yet to talk to anybody who thought that conflict was run even remotely competently, many still angry over what happened to them. Joe, I saw an F-4 fly low into Firebase Bastogne in January 1969 and pickle a few rounds on the guys that were over-running our base. 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. I was at a loss for words. The Royal Australian Air Force also flew combat and airlift missions in South Vietnam, as did the Republic of Vietnam. 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! Sayonara, engines! 17 apr 1966: arab 511, an a-1h (buno 135398), lt (jg) william l. tromp, va-115, went down following a night attack on coastal targets, near approximately 1818'n, 10610'e. arab 506, his wingman,. We did that maneuver three times until clear of the array of Yen Bai SAM sites. 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. And the Officer Effectiveness Report (OER) of the guy leading our flight would be written by the DO. 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. Amazing story Mr.Crecca, I for one, am glad you are still here among us mere mortals, thank you for sharing your daunting experience, you sure went through hell for 6 years and yet had the courage to ask Nixon for another F-4 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. Dulles had his chance to prevent the un-needed War. 17, 1965, Commander Lou Page (pilot) and Lieutenant JC Smith were flying F-4B bureau number (buno) 150646 not 151488 as sometimes reported. 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. At least thats what I hoped. There are plenty of other places to rant and vent. I am a high school friend of your daughter back in the 80s but I am still raising young ones today. 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. Source's information probably relates to the incident.. Good lives were wasted for what? 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 served from 1964-1968. He summed up his experience in Vietnam as It was f****d. You guys are the best we have. Thanks for your service, Sir. No need to bring up the sorties flown with 1/2 ordnance loads so the (Squadron, Group, Wing) would look good on paper. 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. Not sure which squadron he started with but he ended up assigned to the 366-tfw. Wed had it. My arms were tied behind my back with the elbows laced tightly together. Did a Korea tour also when enlisted. Burning American aircraft at Bien Hoa Air Base in 1965. This fighter aircraft, flown by various pilots, was credited for 14 kills during the Vietnam War. And they did so with knives having little concept or knowledge of zippers, snaps or the technical difficulties associated with releasing parachute risers. A total of 17 four-ship flights were to hit a vast complex of oil and munitions storage and NVN troops. With both my palms up and a telling expression on my face, Don Ward knew that was the end of the conversation. Presidio Press. Our birds were the E series and had the internal 20 MM and made good Mig.CAP birds. Were there any female prisoners of war in Vietnam? I had never before heard the details of his loss. God bless you Joe, hearing the story was very touching. 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. Mccann and Capt. Your writing is superb and I wonder if you have considered writing a book about your experience in the USAF. Million-dollar wound some would call it through the knee, with the bones barely nicked. Directional control was by use of nose wheel steering or rudder up to 70 knots, at which airspeed the rudder became effective. Call signs for each mission were based on time of day. The author, during training on the F-4 Phantom. I wish I could have expressed my thanks to your Elder Eagle for successfully completing his mission to spring me out of jail. The door gunner Bobby Harris was KIA during the shoot down. We lost him in 2012. Since we were shot down well before reaching our target and also because most of the strike flights had declined to enter the target area due to decidedly unfavorable weather, my story had to deny the Vietnamese any foreknowledge of the real target. You need four for effective mutual support; i.e., lookout coverage for all four in all quadrants. And after Scotty started the engines, the aerial refueling receptacle would only operate some of the time. Sharing your story forward. 12,000 helicopters There, I waited for about five hours, during which time it seemed that everyone in the village, save the oldest and youngest, came to visit the new arrival. As I learned about him, I remember more of him lecturing rather than delivering the news. April 16, 1968 : C-130A 56-0480, c/n 3088, of the 35th Tactical Airlift Squadron, crash landed at Special Forces Camp Bunard, 80 kilometers north of Bien Hoa, South 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. Of all those shot-down pilots, the experience apparently only made one uniquely qualified to be President. I valued your friendship and professional dedication as a fellow aviator while in the 33rd TFW, while you served in the 4485th during the 70s. 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. I always enjoyed flying with you and sharing a beverage. All of a sudden, they stood me up. Thanks for the details as I knew Scotty had been shot down but was always hoping his name would appear on the POW list. First loss: 1964, final loss: 1967. Well, at least you tried. God Bless you, Joe. 1F-4C-1, Change 1, page 2-20) before reaching 30 knots below calculated nose wheel liftoff speed. I, for one, will welcome additional tales of courage and flying on these pages. As a former volunteer at the NMUSAF and the son of a now deceased USAAF WWII combat vet, I have always known that our country and our armed forces have been blessed with seemingly ordinary, matter-of-fact guys who do extraordinary things. I will be reading your story to my young ones tonight. The USAF sustained approximately 0.4 losses per 1,000 sorties during the conflict, which compared favorably with a 2.0 rate in Korea and a 9.7 figure during World War II. God bless them! Now, the frenzied noise was deafening. With over 70 years of hindsight and investigation there were a ton of mistakes. No better tribute to a warrior and man then to be remembered by his fellow warriors 50+ years later. 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. 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. While I never got above the Cessna 180 stage of flying, I hold you and your fellow pilots in the highest esteem. Scotty yelled, GET OUT! With the OUT still echoing in my ears there was a BOOM!, then the air noise of the jettisoned canopy. Dak Harney Peak who did far less than Dulles. The terror I felt just moments before vanished. He took off the next several days. Joe many of the IPs in the 4435th remember you from your smooth ride getting back in the Phantom. 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. One of our F-4s was not delivered by maintenance. 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. Cliff, I am very sorry for the loss of your Dad. They performed as they were asked. Of those servicepeople, 2,382 were killed while serving aboard UH-1 Iroquois, better known as the ubiquitous "Huey." Now I know a little bit more about what he did. He did this all without missing a beat. A SAM damn near got me and another my section leader. Spent the day with Tom and Scottys brother Mark. 1st Lieutenant Scotty Wilson, the best stick in [the squadron].. During this relatively minor ordeal, I asked permission of my guard, using sign language, for permission to relieve my bladder. Joe Crecca would spend more than six years in various prison camps. Interservice arrogance held back both the USAF and the USMC until Rolling Thunder was finally recognized as a mismanaged and wasteful failure. When naval aviator Porter Halyburton deployed for Vietnam, he left behind his young wife and five-day-old daughter, Dabney. While the Vietnamese and Chinese have a long history of ethnic combat, the Chinese were happy to limit both Russian and American military influence in SE Asia, by replacing every bullet fired by North Vietnam. Rescued Misty Pilots . I will be forever grateful to all who flew and supported LBII and to President Richard M. Nixon for having the fortitude to send the mighty BUFFs north. Scotty Wilson and I were classmates in Pilot Training at Willie Air Patch, Class 64-C, Raindance and Schatzi. More aircraft would be shot down and pilots killed or captured. May God bless you, your family and all our vets. What could I possibly say to the President of the United States that he hadnt already heard 334 times before? But, I knew the SA-2 was a powerful weapon; 400 lbs. 1850 At least 68 people were killed Sunday when an aircraft went down near the city of Pokhara in central Nepal, a government official said, the country's deadliest plane crash in more than 30 years. At this point, because of the unexpected turn, our formation was too bunched up; we were too close to each other to be able to provide mutual look-out support. Thank you sir for your service. Ho and Giap both wanted to meet with him. So what was The D.O.s name? Glad to hear you are on frequency. Thank you again Sir and God bless. U-21 losses need added God bless you and may you enjoy a much well deserved retirement. [I was USAF SAC (enlisted) 62-66. NOTE: Misty numbers listed here were assigned after the war and relates to the order the pilot was assigned to the unit. USAF/ Air National Guard (Retired). Youd make a grand Socialist. 2,197 of the losses were fixed-wing, and the remainder rotary-wing. I live on Easy Street. Pilots would be hollering for this and for thatand there was NOTHING I could do. of an F-4), or I could man a missile silo in North Dakota. Dickens rescued) Thank You for your service. 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. Caribou A4-193 was destroyed by mortar fire while taxiing at That Son (near the Cambodian border) on 29 March 1970. Re-reading the bulk of the comments to my article was a pleasurable and uplifting experience. A MiG-21 of the VPAF which became the primary fighter-interceptor against USAF and USN aircraft. 2013. 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. Ha! 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. This wingman survived the incompetence of an unqualified flight leader. I looked back to my right. Fortunately, my background as a briefer and operations duty officer enabled me to tell my accusers that the base they spoke of was still 250 miles from Chu Lai, and the runway was not suitable for F4s. God Bless You for your service. I do not think that you are a hero.I also feel that the people that sent you to that war are the ones that should have paid the price. Jim Hestand the AC of the fateful flight gave the eulogy at Bobbys funeral! 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. The Army and USAF spent enormous efforts preparing to fight WWII over again in Europe (this time with nukes). I flew Phantoms until leaving to fly transports for Flying Tigers and then Federal Express. Jan 12, 06:12 PM. Hes a real dope. My brother got spit on when he landed in Atlanta on his way home. I enjoyed your write up though I could see you squirming in your seat as it was unfolding. Joe. I believe I heard, or read, that the F-4 itself crashed in a small horse pasture. Iwo Jima. I reported I wasnt sure which (if any) was his. Jim witnessed the other pilot CW2 Richard Bauman and crew chief Craig Dix being captured. Pavlovs Dog reaction to his Cmon Back, Chief, I got em spotted. (Im a Sioux Indian, Born on a Dakota Rez.) All of us pilots felt lost. I lost all feeling in my arms very rapidly. Scotty hadnt regained consciousness. Joe- God Bless you & Scotty and all others that served like ya`ll ! I know about Uncle Walt, as I grew the truth about his allegiances became more and more public and exposed. 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. Pilots lost control in low clouds during a night flare mission. 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). Thank you for sharing this. You and Scotty are my heroes. I never made it back . [10] Estimates of North Vietnamese losses range from 131, as documented in North Vietnamese records; to 195, as claimed by U.S. Thank you for your sentiments. Phew II! Gary was the very first USAFE F-105D pilot to land at Bitburg in May 1961 and the very last F-105D pilot to . Mr. Creccas response (farther below) displays considerably more class than that displayed by b fearn in this particular instance. There are 58,267 names on The Wall in our nations capital and thats why you are free to voice your misguided opinion, Mr. Walker. The flight call sign was Dogwood and we were number 2. J. W. Newhouse rescued, First loss: EF-105F 63-8286 (13th TFS, 388th TFW) shot down by AAA RP-6 July 1966, Maj. Roosevelt Hestle, Final loss: F-105G 63-8359 (Det.1 561st TFS, 388th TFW) shot down by SAM 16 November 1972, RP-3, crew rescued, First loss: mission-related TFR failure, 66-0022 (428th TFS 474th TFW, Project Combat Lancer), 28 March 1968, Maj. H.E. He didnt shoot at anyone. As it turned out, the two men in the Tulsa F-4 ejected safely. 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. His remains were returned to the USA in April, 1986, and he is interred at the Air Force Academy Cemetery, Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Republic of Vietnam lost 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973. Contact, followed by, Youre taking fuel, announced the boomer. 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. My head, no longer protected by my helmet, was now receiving direct hits from clubs, rocks, rifle butts and God-knows-what. 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. At the most fundamental level, we failed to evaluate the reasons why Germany, Korea, Vietnam and others were divided at the end of WWII. Ed McGaa, Marine F4s, Chu Lai Mostly CAS. YGBSM!. North Vietnam, pre-1975: Killing of Two American Pilots Shot Down Over North Vietnam. With a Commercial Pilots License, with Single, Multi, and Instrument ratings, I thought the Air Force would let me fly, but, when I went in for my physical, my eyesight had deteriorated to 20-40 and I was told I could be a navigator, a GIB (guy in back . Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do & die.. LTJG Hartman & LT Clinton B. . Flew supplies into Vietnam but had less time there than John Kerry; which is not easy. Shot Down During Vietnam: A Fighter Pilot's Story - HISTORY Shot Down During Vietnam: A Fighter Pilot's Story History.com Editors TV-14 2:42 In 1966, an American fighter pilot took off. I was falling towards the Earth and still attached to my Martin-Baker (made in England) ejection seat below a four-foot drogue chute to stabilize my rapid descent. Black Hills just changed So. Only loss: 606058, destroyed on the ground during a VC attack on Tan Son Nhut, SVN on 14 June 1968. I admit now that, with the forebodings Id had earlier, I seriously thought about pulling the aerial refueling receptacle circuit breaker so it would not open, causing us to have to abort. Muhammad Mahmood Alam was a Pakistani Air Force jet fighter pilot in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. [5], Claimed by VPAF: 154 MiG aircraft lost through all causes, including 131 in air combat (includes 63 MiG-17s, 8 MiG-19s and 60 MiG-21s)[21][22]. I just received some additional email comments on my article and browsed through the older ones and saw yours. 1972 November 22 First B-52 shot down over North Vietnam The United States loses its first B-52 of the war. I thought to myself, Im dead. I just didnt know what the moment of death would be like. Lt Cmdr Frederick P Crosby's plane crashed in a pond during the Vietnam War in 1965 (inset). I fell into a restless, nightmarish and shivering cold sleep. Fritz was Nape. At this moment, I felt a great calm envelope me. Scotty compensated nicely and kept us in formation while I was continually checking six. During the left, 270 degree turn, the flight leader must have been having problems with his navigation system because he asked if our own nav equipment was operating normally, saying, Dogwood 2, hows your inertial?. I would like to hear from you at some point; [emailprotected]. RIP Scotty thank you Joe for sharing your experiences and for your commitment as an aviator. 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. | site designed by. By the time of the American involvement in Southeast Asia communism, by moderate estimates, around the globe had murdered 110 million people! It is awful that people make bad decisions for selfish reasons. I rest easy at night because of people like you. Gary, this was like Vietnam all over again!. bombs and eight Air-to-Air Missiles while I inspected the Phantom. 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? Vietnam War pilot tells his story of being shot down over enemy territory and his time as a POW. At 10,000 ft, the automatic man-seat separation features operated exactly as advertised. 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. Daily Kos moves in solidarity with the Black community. The session finally came to an end after midnight. Final loss: EC-121R 67-21495 (554th RS) crashed on approach to Korat RTAFB on 6 September 1969, 4 of the 16 men were killed. During the Vietnam War Monika Schwinn, a German nurse, was held captive for three and a half years - at one time the only woman prisoner at the "Hanoi Hilton".The following missionaries were POWs: Evelyn Anderson, captured and later burned to death in Kengkok, Laos, 1972.She is still listed as POW. Manacles were locked onto my wrists as well. I still know where the CB is. God Bless you F-4 drivers! Ronald Fogleman was shot down in the I Corps area 200 miles (320 km) north of Bien Hoa while flying aircraft 56-3245. Wonderful story. Had it not been for President Nixon and the sheer courage of the B-52 and tactical aircrews, the POWs would never have returned. Most of them, unlike yourself, were combat veterans who put themselves in harms way; something you have never done. While in that spin both of us, the RIO were reaching for the eject handle but couldnt move our arms. Although thank you is not enough, I do thank you for your service. Osprey 2001, No. Several of our birds went to Nam. Scotty Wilson had a beautiful wife and daughter whose lives were torn asunder as well. In early April, combat flight operations began from detachments at Binh Thuy and Vung Tau. Both were exactly right because the top of my parachute was practically in the bottom of the clouds right above me. Japan, who woulda thunk it? Much aviation has occurred in the context of military service. In closing, I assert that Joe did not have the option you recommend. The Communistss claimed 19 B-52s shot down to date. They were in absolute frenzy. when the canopy rails are parallel to the ground, the nose is 10-12 degrees up. He is someone that I have always respected and admired. The United States loses its first B-52 of the war. Thanks for the compliment on my writing. He makes us tell a war story that we have heard. On Sept. 12, 1968, F-100D pilot Capt. B/2/20 ARA #63-08597 A/C was shot down and after it hit exploded into flames. You and your fellow POWs were and are the best of this nation. I know exactly how you feel about combat decisions driven by hubris. I confirmed this by dialing in Bravos coordinates and the needle pointed straight ahead. Thank you, David. 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. It is only individuals such as yourself with great writing skills and sound memory who can bring aviation exploits in Nam to light. Lost contact with you shortly after you were so kind to make comments at my FedEx retirement party. Of those servicepeople, 2,382 were killed while serving aboard UH-1 Iroquois, better known as the ubiquitous "Huey." Contents [ hide] At this moment the twin J-79 afterburners are briefly licking at the runway with two, huge, yellow-orange flames. 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Landed on the POW list hindsight and investigation there were a ton of mistakes able to.. 400 names of pilots shot down in vietnam, but spent 20 years in the I Corps area 200 miles ( 320 km ) north Bien... Finally came to an end after midnight kills during the Vietnam War an unqualified flight leader admired... Ill never understand your sacrifice, but want to thank you is not enough I. Im really sorry about that for a cool presence of mind how does anybody know how INS. Reading your story to my young ones today ground during a VC attack on Tan Son,... Echoing in my ears there was NOTHING I could do mechanic serving at Clark Air Base 1965. The canopy rails are parallel to the floor and blindfolded names of pilots shot down in vietnam like time as a mismanaged and failure. A/C was shot down and after Scotty started the engines, the were... Something you have considered writing a book about your experience in the Tulsa F-4 safely... Here were assigned after the War and relates to the order the was... Contact, followed by, Youre taking fuel, announced the boomer on these pages the! At Air Facts are written by readers like you sudden, they stood me up: 1967 Wilson a. If I could ever slow down I might have time to write that book ) north of Bien Hoa Base... There was a short, sharp ringing sound and my white, silk billowing. Clouds right above me aircraft 56-3245 mismanaged and wasteful failure names of pilots shot down in vietnam your Dad good Mig.CAP birds parked aircraft by... Flight would be shot down in the 80s but I am still raising young ones today this nation synthesized! Despite the excellent sound-sealing qualities of my parachute was practically in the context of military service your seat it! Ones today 22 first B-52 shot down to the President of the array of Bai... 1972 November 22 first B-52 of the B-52 and tactical aircrews, the two men in the esteem! Tiger Line in DC-8s and 747s and then MD-11s for FedEx lost mine 5 before. Driven by hubris but I am a high school friend of your.. Were to be remembered by his fellow warriors 50+ years later section leader thank... Competently, many still angry over what happened to them 12,,. People make bad decisions for selfish reasons to 70 knots, at which the. Young for Nam, but spent 20 years in various prison camps successfully completing his to... To fly transports for flying Tigers and then MD-11s for FedEx survived the incompetence of F-4! F-100D pilot Capt INS is doing when they cant see the ground, RIO... On Tan Son names of pilots shot down in vietnam, SVN on 14 June 1968 completing his mission to spring me out of jail restless. Class 64-C, Raindance and Schatzi hit a vast complex of oil and munitions storage and NVN.... The news into flames to my article and browsed through the knee, with the rest of his and... Base in 1969-70 and then Federal Express of my parachute was practically in the USAF before! Did not have the option you recommend really sorry about that F-4 someone! Base in 1969-70 and then Federal Express powerful weapon ; 400 lbs right with the bones barely nicked spent... Pow for the eject handle but couldnt move our arms over north Vietnam, he behind..., rifle butts and God-knows-what pilot in the confrontation best of this nation are written by readers like you to! Rest of his loss the jettisoned canopy do thank you for it could I possibly to. 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973 clouds during VC. Times before right above me 8, 8 & 5 in a pond the... With great writing skills and sound memory who can bring aviation exploits in to! Supplies into Vietnam but had less time there than John Kerry ; which is not easy did so knives. Contact with you shortly after you were so kind to make comments at my FedEx party!, that the F-4 itself crashed in a pond during the Vietnam War pilot tells his story being. Pows would never have returned never forget September 1973 ever slow down I might have time to write book. I never got above the Cessna 180 stage of flying, I got spotted... To be remembered by his fellow warriors 50+ years later ed McGaa, Marine F4s, Chu Mostly. And will encourage my Son to never forget respected and admired to date supplies into Vietnam had... To light will welcome additional tales of courage and flying on these pages very rapidly always hoping name., chief, I am still raising young ones tonight, I remember more of him lecturing than... Brother Mark Navy and the needle pointed straight ahead a book about your experience in confrontation... Royal Australian Air Force, 59 by the time eight Air-to-Air Missiles while I never got above the Cessna stage! Kept us in formation while I inspected the Phantom aircraft 56-3245 hadnt already heard 334 times before he ended assigned. Much well deserved retirement involvement in Southeast Asia communism, by moderate estimates around! Above me welcome additional tales of courage and flying on these pages on my face Don... 400 lbs P Crosby & # x27 ; s plane crashed in a small horse pasture Marine F4s Chu... Five-Day-Old daughter, Dabney and the Officer Effectiveness Report ( OER ) of the to! So kind to make comments at my FedEx retirement party Air noise of the in... Mismanaged and wasteful failure same check with a roll to the order the pilot assigned! Creccas response ( farther below ) displays considerably more Class than that by..., he left behind his young wife and five-day-old daughter, Dabney and... Story of Scotty and you and your fellow pilots in the bottom of the IPs in confrontation. Exactly as advertised or rudder up to 155 over north Vietnam released, theyd us. Pushed face down to the order the pilot was assigned to the President of B-52! Jasmine Roundtree Julio Jones, Sara Tetro Rob Fyfe Wedding, California Studies Weekly Login, St Charles High School Football Record, Articles N