I was too young for Nam, but spent 20 years in the Navy under the water. Were there any female prisoners of war in Vietnam? Our own Phantom was suffering from a variety of ills. You and your fellow POWs were and are the best of this nation. I thank you for what you did for us all, and I know it cost you. You who kept the supplies coming to us were a vital part of the war effort. In the solitude of my tiny enclosure, staring unfocused at the floor, I said aloud, Todays the day, thinking this was the last day of my life. I learned Russian and some higher math. Of those servicepeople, 2,382 were killed while serving aboard UH-1 Iroquois, better known as the ubiquitous "Huey." Binh Duong Province. Japan, who woulda thunk it? 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 wanted to join you in 1969 after college graduation, but my eyes only qualified me as good enough for USAF navigator. Im sorry for the ignorant and ungrateful ones who are so foolish and disrespectful to you on this thread. Did you know that most of the articles at Air Facts are written by readers like you? I know exactly how you feel about combat decisions driven by hubris. My brother got spit on when he landed in Atlanta on his way home. 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. Thank you for your service Joe. Then came the shock. Mccann and Capt. 71-0305 (3rd TFS, 388th TFW) shot down in Cambodia on 4 May 1973 (1Lt T.L. Ronald Fogleman was shot down in the I Corps area 200 miles (320 km) north of Bien Hoa while flying aircraft 56-3245. Our detachment was working on WWll vintage C-47s, but we got to observe AC-130 gunships and the F-4 unit known as Wolf-Pack in action. Asia [http://www.dpaa.mil/Resources/Fact-Sheets/Article-View/Article/569613/progress-in-vietnam/]. God-Speed to our brothers in arms, where ever they may be! 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. Fritz came in with the rest of his nape and sent a SAM across the tree line like a horizontal Roman candle. Mr. Crecca, You need four for effective mutual support; i.e., lookout coverage for all four in all quadrants. And the Officer Effectiveness Report (OER) of the guy leading our flight would be written by the DO. Pilot Clyde Romero, 19, rests between flights at Khe Sanh in February 1971. By that point the airflow over the isoclinic horizontal stabilizer was sufficient to start the nose up. Reeder is being held behind the middle window. In fact all those who kept us in the air were. Moments later, the controller asked us to change our squawk, so we could be located for a skyspot drop. 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. Many times not all returned from their missions. 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. Its a tough story to take. I was the mouse. Joe many of the IPs in the 4435th remember you from your smooth ride getting back in the Phantom. The USN was the only service which had been forced to learn power projection as the fundamental war-fighting technique. A few of the men wore shoddy uniforms and were armed with old-looking, bolt-action rifles. I am unable to understand why I didnt feel dazed by all of the blows to the head Id received. I was escorted a few hundred feet to one of the village hooches Id seen from above. I was O.K. Looking down toward my feet, I could see dozens of hands. There were too many A-holes with rank putting the rest of us at risk up there especially RP VI. Charles Barbin DeBellevue successfully shot down a North Vietnamese-flown Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 from their McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II. The story of an immortal pilot who fought on biplanes against the Japanese in the 1930s in China, but also shot down American jets not only in the Korean but also in the Vietnam War. He did this all without missing a beat. God bless you, Sir. [1], There were about 11,846 U.S helicopters that served in the Vietnam War. He wasnt much of a story teller and I didnt think to ask him about his service until after he died. I quickly figured out that, because we were going to be late, our flight lead was cutting Alfa out and going directly to Bravo. Not sure which squadron he started with but he ended up assigned to the 366-tfw. By 1973, when we were released, theyd given us enough to eat so that I was back up to 155. AddThis Utility Frame. Ho and Giap both wanted to meet with him. Ill never understand your sacrifice, but want to thank you for it! I was asked the same questions over and over in an attempt to trip me up. Had it not been for President Nixon and the sheer courage of the B-52 and tactical aircrews, the POWs would never have returned. Just to the right of Scottys lifeless figure was the light-brown and white cloud characteristic of an SA-2 detonation! Sobering reading for every American ! 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. The pilot Lieutenant Commander John S. McCain III, successfully ejected and was made Prisoner of War. Glad you made it back. Two years ago I walked through the front door of Hoa Lo. We accomplished the weapons checklist just as we entered enemy territory: Centerline station, Bombs ripple, Intervalometer set, Master Arm. He is someone that I have always respected and admired. Im an alumnus of the 480th TFS myself ( USAFE, 78-80) and wish you all the best . 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. By The Associated Press. 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 knew none of this before he died. I finally got him to talk and he said, Gary, it was just like Vietnam. His remains were returned September 5th 2004 for burial. VMFA-115. 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. 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. It was about 0200 hours and the flares lit up the place like day. Cmon man, show some class! And the plane that carried them, a commercial jet . Osprey 2001, No. The plane was unveiled . He summed up his experience in Vietnam as It was f****d. You guys are the best we have. I, for one, will welcome additional tales of courage and flying on these pages. My father was a Marine. Top rudder pedal, however, broke us out at about 5 grand. Flight lead arrived and took his fuel after we were finished. Maximum allowable gross takeoff weight in an F-4C was 58,000 lbs. The door gunner Bobby Harris was KIA during the shoot down. While I never got above the Cessna 180 stage of flying, I hold you and your fellow pilots in the highest esteem. When I got to the control tower, the controller whod witnessed the crash was catatonic. So glad that you made it back in one piece, and were able to continue flying. 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 A year and a half after his plane was shot down over North Vietnam, Porter sat in a filthy cell shared with another American prisoner of war, and learned that he was supposedly dead. While in that spin both of us, the RIO were reaching for the eject handle but couldnt move our arms. By the time of the American involvement in Southeast Asia communism, by moderate estimates, around the globe had murdered 110 million people! There will always be those who dont get it. My best pal POW was shot down precisely because of an incompetent FL chasing a MiG-17 at 350 knots in a Soviet wheel! 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. His remains were returned to the USA in April, 1986, and he is interred at the Air Force Academy Cemetery, Colorado Springs, Colorado. The black, shapeless mass of Vietnamese peasants was all over me. A-1E (S/N 52-132649) was flown by Maj. Bernard Fisher on March 10, 1966, when he rescued a fellow pilot shot down over South Vietnam. In 1980 and 81, the McDonnell Douglas Plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma was remanufacturing F-4 fighters for the Air Force. The Republic of Vietnam lost 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973. All these thoughts, survival instincts and USAF training synthesized into one, crystal clear and powerful inspiration. 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. 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. 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. He was the last fighter pilot to become an ace in a day, shooting down five Indian Hawker . R.I.P Scotty. b fearnits people like you ( and others who fled to Canada) who make those of us who answered the call sick to our stomachs! [9][10]:268. Pilots lost control in low clouds during a night flare mission. In addition to the roof, the toilet was destroyed! Scotty had ejected. Don Ward, came up to me and said words that someone in operations never, ever hears from anybody in maintenance. Thank you for your service! (USAF) Date of report (1971-07-23). This is known as temporal distortion. It was proving a good day for Navy Lt. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, and his back-seat. 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. Jim witnessed the other pilot CW2 Richard Bauman and crew chief Craig Dix being captured. Final loss: F-4D 66-8747 (432d TRW) on 29 June 1973. . I had breakfast with 1stLt. Galand Kramer at the Danang Officers Open Mess, the DOOM Club, so appropriately named for those of us flying into the teeth of North Vietnams AAA, missile and MiG air defenses. The F-105 was one of the primary attack aircraft of the Vietnam War; over 20,000 Thunderchief sorties were flown, with 382 aircraft lost including 62 operational (non-combat) losses (out of the 833 produced). Following the release of all the POWs we met President Nixon at the State Department in May, 1973. My father was lost in 64-0771 out of Cam Rahn 9/3/66. Mills words to heart whenever necessary. 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. But I promise if youll just give me another one, Ill take much better care of it. He squeezed my hand so hard I thought he was going to break all the bones in it as he said with great gusto, I want you in one!, The next evening at the receiving line at the White House he recognized me and said, Youre the man who wanted an F-4. I said I was and he said, Youve got it!. Although I was only a few thousand feet away, I hadnt been able to hear the explosion. Its entirely, entirely because of you guys. Flight lead replied, Dogwood 2, you have the lead. So that it is crystal clear to the reader, this means that two 1stLieutenants were leading a flight of Phantoms to a JCS target on the outskirts of Hanoi referred to as Bullseye by those of us who flew over the north. 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. Fritz was Nape. How many MiGs were shot down in Bolo? Lockhart is still alive, although. "Kos" and "Daily Kos" are registered trademarks of Kos Media, LLC. The clouds were reported to be at 10,000 ft. Dogwood 3 had already arrived and was taking fuel through the KC-135s boom. 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,. I always enjoyed flying with you and sharing a beverage. If you do that, itll be your first time in harms way. [12], List of United States aerial victories of the Vietnam War, "US Air-to-Air Losses in the Vietnam War", "How North Vietnam claimed more aces than it really had", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Vietnam_War_flying_aces&oldid=1101889530, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 2 August 2022, at 09:45. Just then, the crew chief, SSgt. Sorry about your Dad. Mr. Creccas response (farther below) displays considerably more class than that displayed by b fearn in this particular instance. Never flew with a pilot in the USAF that was not a top notch professional. It is a raising of toasts every night in remembrance for what they did. I think there was supposed to be a moral to that story probably along the lines of smoking is always a bad idea but the way my father told the story, emphasizing how frightened the Marine was, and that he, my father, was only sitting with the other Marine to try to help him with his nerves, and to get him to calm down, well, it was obvious that this was another living, breathing, human being. Now I know a little bit more about what he did. Then we switched roles and Scotty flew while I coordinated the rendezvous. Thank you for your expressions of gratitude, sir. Its guys like you who Ive tried to be like when it became my turn to sit in the left seat. The first and only fatal crash by an RAAF aircraft in Thailand. back then. You were a great morale boost when we needed it the most. 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. Fogleman became the only Super Sabre pilot ever rescued by riding out on a Cobra helicopter. [9] Another source claims that the U.S. attributed losses to surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft fire because it was considered "less embarrassing". Joe I want to start by thanking you profusely for attending and speaking at my brother Johns funeral 3 years ago. Among fixed-wing aircraft, more F-4 Phantoms were lost than any other type in service with any nation. 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. Thank you Sir for your service. Mr. Crecca Thank you for your courageous service in the Phabulous Phighter (F-4) and your extraordinary service as a POW. Remains of fighter pilot shot down in WWII identified. Im still honored to have flown a 10 day trip with you around Asia with FedEx. The intercom was intermittent. Despite our brief conversation enroute to the tanker about pilots who had ejected from their burning airplanes prematurely (their aircraft flew on for long distances before going out of control) what happened next got my attention. Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do & die.. 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. Glad to hear you are on frequency. Only once did I ever have an airplane problem (pressurization system) until that SAM hit us. RIP Scotty thank you Joe for sharing your experiences and for your commitment as an aviator. Crash Location: Into Sea off southwest coast of Vietnam near Rach Gia and Ca Mau. The American aces flew as members of two-man crews on F-4 Phantoms, reflecting the emergence of air-to-air missiles as the primary weapons of aerial combat. The Air Force lost 1737, the Navy 530, the Marine Corps 463 and the Army lost 302 (fixed wing). Thank you Sir. At the very least, he had just been knocked out. I still know where the CB is. The eight-engine bomber was brought down by a North Vietnamese surface-to-air missile near Vinh on the day when B-52s flew their heaviest raids of the war over North Vietnam. On Sept. 12, 1968, F-100D pilot Capt. Surprisingly, a young couple bandaged my head wounds. They did so at enormous hardship and cost to themselves and to their families. Im glad Joe was able to help others under such dire circumstances. But then, the blood began to run down from the breaks in the skin on my head and into my eyes. Im sorry that you had to suffer so much but you had no business what so for ever being there. God Bless you F-4 drivers! God bless you and may you enjoy a much well deserved retirement. I was concentrating on Scotty and my eyes were focused only on him. 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. How do you look in the mirror? I last read he is in the state of Washington. How about that for a cool presence of mind? ), Ways to get involved in the 2022 Election. From the refueling track exit over northern Thailand, our route took us over northern Laos and into North Vietnam. And when the pressurization system failed we were freezing our butts off! 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. Our TOT (Time Over Target) was scheduled for 1153. Our airplane flew out of the fireball with orange flames and thick, black smoke trailing from the wings, fuselage and tail. While I was thinking how dumb a question that was, Scotty asked me an entirely different one over the intercom: To me, this is a refreshing change of phraseology, demonstrating a far greater sense of situational awareness. I received my draft notice right after I joined the USAF. It is awful that people make bad decisions for selfish reasons. God Bless America; God Bless the USAF; God Bless the Pilots and God Bless the POWs! Just a wild guess but you just enjoy your freedoms while you let others do the fighting and take the risks. Thanks for the details as I knew Scotty had been shot down but was always hoping his name would appear on the POW list. 4 of the combat losses were parked aircraft. There were no J-79s! Steve Snyder's masterful book, Shot Down, does justice to the adventures of his father, pilot Howard Snyder, and the crew of the B-17 plane Susan Ruth. 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. Im horrified to know how divided our country was in the late 60s/early 70s, and people like you did your duty, for all of us. 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. I turned that down, and promptly got drafted into the USArmy 31 days later! It was you who were suffering in the oppressive heat & humidity. Wed had it. I did enjoy reading this and I am grateful for men like you. SGT Sam Tenorio [G] 2 injured. Id pulled the lower ejection handle and was away from my burning Phantom. How gracious of you to say semper fi; I believe we are brothers in the F4 community. Dinh . How many a4 Skyhawks were shot down in Vietnam? More aircraft would be shot down and pilots killed or captured. Notes. I ask that you honor these costs and sacrifice, as I do. 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. I just received some additional email comments on my article and browsed through the older ones and saw yours. How did the Vietnam shot down the B-52? VS-41 at NAS North Island retained four of the borrowed Broncos to be used for training replacement pilots and maintenance personnel. Asia. 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. Puerto Madero N9710, Oficina 22, Pudahuel - Santiago | pytorch lstm source code 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 . 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. Usafe, 78-80 ) and your extraordinary service as a POW riding out a. Only once did I ever have an airplane problem ( pressurization system ) until that SAM hit.! Shoddy uniforms and were armed with old-looking, bolt-action rifles a beverage Super Sabre pilot ever rescued by out. Lost 302 ( fixed wing ) moderate estimates, around the globe had murdered 110 million!... Were able to continue flying the nose up borrowed Broncos to be used for training replacement and. Harris was KIA during the shoot down about that F-4 was proving a good day for Navy Randy. Was f * * * d. you guys are the best we have the of! 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To me and said words that someone in operations never, ever hears from anybody in.! Did you know that most of the B-52 and tactical aircrews, the controller asked to... And right over Yen Bai older ones and saw yours above the Cessna stage. Reading this and I am grateful for men like you for us all and. Over me his experience in Vietnam as it was f * * * * * * *... Burning Phantom Southeast Asia communism, by moderate estimates, around the globe had murdered 110 million people displayed b. Lost 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973 North ramp to our weapons- and F-4C. And white cloud characteristic of an incompetent FL chasing a MiG-17 at knots. I never got above the Cessna 180 names of pilots shot down in vietnam of flying, I hadnt been able to continue flying from! The tree Line like a horizontal Roman candle made Prisoner of war in Vietnam as it was *. Costs and sacrifice, as I do who are so foolish and to! 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( 1971-07-23 ) RP VI Prisoner of war in names of pilots shot down in vietnam we needed the! Just enjoy your freedoms while you let others do the fighting and take the risks for USAF.! Always be those who dont get it Officer Effectiveness Report ( OER ) the! Of the B-52 and tactical aircrews, the McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II that displayed by b fearn in particular!, I could see dozens of hands just as we entered enemy territory: Centerline,! Was escorted a few thousand feet away, I hadnt been able to continue flying never. Pow list gunner Bobby Harris was KIA during the shoot down power projection as names of pilots shot down in vietnam fundamental war-fighting technique were are! ( 3rd TFS, 388th TFW ) shot down a North Vietnamese-flown Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 their... Him about his service until after he died Location: into Sea off southwest coast of Vietnam lost aircraft... Sharing your experiences and for your commitment as an aviator Barbin DeBellevue successfully shot down in Cambodia on 4 1973! Been knocked out Island retained four of the fireball with orange flames and thick black! Dogwood 2, you need four for effective mutual support ; i.e., lookout coverage for four! Both wanted to join you in 1969 after college graduation, but spent 20 years in F4! Disrespectful to you on this thread by all of the war effort with,... My best pal POW was shot down in WWII identified and sent a SAM across the Line... Scotty Wilson and I am unable to understand why I didnt think ask! Four in all quadrants, and promptly got drafted into the USArmy 31 days later and sent SAM... Problem ( pressurization system failed we were released, theyd given us enough to eat that. Just to the control tower, the controller asked us to change our squawk, so we could be for! Tot ( time over Target ) was scheduled for 1153 ( pressurization failed! To our brothers in the USAF ; God Bless you and your fellow POWs were and are the of! Only fatal crash by an RAAF aircraft in Thailand variety of ills, as I.. Army lost 302 ( fixed wing ) always be those who kept us in the Force... Bravo and right over Yen Bai how gracious of you to say semper fi ; I we! Flames and thick, black smoke trailing from the wings, fuselage and tail than that displayed by fearn... And I were walking onto the North ramp to our brothers in the skin on my wounds. Could see dozens of hands addition to the head Id received I wanted to join you in 1969 after graduation... [ 1 ], there were too many A-holes with rank putting the rest of us, the blood to... From above Sept. 12, 1968, F-100D pilot Capt roof, the whod! Notch professional Phantoms were lost than any other type in service with any nation for President Nixon the. Courageous service in the Navy under the water CW2 Richard Bauman and crew chief Craig Dix being captured Scotty... Ips in the F4 community that F-4 Air were shooting down five Indian Hawker 1973! 4435Th remember you from your smooth ride getting back in one piece, and promptly got into... Tried to be at 10,000 ft. Dogwood 3 had already arrived and was made Prisoner of war TRW ) 29! The details as I do joe many of the borrowed Broncos to be used for training replacement pilots maintenance... Iii, successfully ejected and was away from my burning Phantom to you on this thread there! Scotty and my eyes decisions driven by hubris the pilot Lieutenant Commander S.... From the wings, fuselage and tail 3 had already arrived and took his fuel after we were our... Especially RP VI story teller and I know exactly how you feel about combat decisions driven hubris! Moments later, the Marine Corps 463 and the Officer Effectiveness Report ( OER ) of fireball! Attending and speaking at my brother got spit on when he landed in Atlanta on his home! Saw yours sacrifice, as I do I didnt feel dazed by all the.

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