During the what would the world be like if we never had stories like this told to us, i shudder to think. After that, I was blindfolded and transported two miles by motorcycle sidecar to another village and locked in a small building made of large stones. I told him to head SE so I could spot him out of the circular traffic jam. I never came face-to-face with either asshole but I emailed the flight lead recently and told him off that he was incompetent, got Scotty Wilson killed, cost the USAF an F-4, caused my Fathers premature death and was responsible for unimaginable hardships for Scottys widow and daughter not to mention my 6+ years in prison. Glad to see you made it home, I remember that in 1972, 3, 4 & 5 most of America was oblivious to the fact that there was still a war going on & had moved on. Site content may be used for any purpose without explicit permission unless otherwise specified. William A. Robinson, (USAF Ret. Great job! Wasnt much left for my remaining Six. 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. U.S. Marine Corps aircraft lost in combat included 193 fixed-wing and 270 rotary-wing aircraft. I quickly figured out that, because we were going to be late, our flight lead was cutting Alfa out and going directly to Bravo. 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. But that didnt keep the Triple Nickel (555th TFS) from calling themselves the Largest distributors of MiG parts in Southeast Asia. Not as of 05NOV66 they werent. I was an F4 driver at Chu Lai trying to cut the supply traffic through Laos, mostly around Hwy 9, near Tchepone. I wanted to wipe the blood away but my hands were tied behind my back. But the effort proved futile. 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. helicopter huey helicopters veterans saigon pilots cherrieswriter ahc cobra struck exploding tom2 landing Both were exactly right because the top of my parachute was practically in the bottom of the clouds right above me. U-21 losses need added It is sad that we lost so much blood and treasure in that endeavor. The result was the signing of the Paris Peace Accords on 27JAN1973 and the release of 591 POWs. I was starting to get the idea. Theyd land opposite direction on the same runway. Hap. One of our F-4s was not delivered by maintenance. I was O.K. 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. Only loss: 606058, destroyed on the ground during a VC attack on Tan Son Nhut, SVN on 14 June 1968. I live on Easy Street. 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. But I did not. It was a bittersweet event and Im so grateful I was able to attend. For those interested in learning more about the F4 Phantom air war , I Remember VietNam by William L Barker , Major USAFR (Ret) is a great book.This first person account is full of operational data and pilot insights.All aviation enthusiasts will appreciate its nuances. The flight call sign was Dogwood and we were number 2. 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. They did not want to lose their Skin in this deadly game while other Americans bravely went to war. And Mr. Crecca, again, I thank you. To those who try to insert politics, I agree that it is in extremely poor taste to try to make this such a venue. Your story sheds much light on what his experiences must have been like. Besides your contributions in F-4s, your time supporting other unfortunates in Hanoi does you honor. I hereby repeat all the usual thank yous, perhaps perfunctorily but with no less feeling. Cmon man, show some class! I, for one, will welcome additional tales of courage and flying on these pages. Mills words to heart whenever necessary. First loss: C-141A 65-9407 (62d Military Airlift Wing) destroyed in a night runway collision with a USMC A-6 at, Final loss: C-141A 66-0127 (4th Military Airlift Squadron, 62d MAW) crashed soon after take-off from, First loss: RB-66B 53-0452 (Det 1, 41st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 6250th Combat Support Group) which crashed 2223 October 1965 west of. It was less than a minute before I would be on the ground. We would have to fight if not listened to. Overcome with his Ivy League false sense of academic Superiority, he stupidly turned them down, not even a crucial, critical, disastrous war saving meeting. Pavlovs Dog reaction to his Cmon Back, Chief, I got em spotted. (Im a Sioux Indian, Born on a Dakota Rez.) compare electrolytes in sports drinks science project.

Thanks, again, for your story many more years of good health & happiness to you.

Thank you, Mr. Crecca! John Stuart Mill The mission was a retaliation strike on Hon Gay, North Vietnam, for the Gulf of Tonkin incident a few days earlier. 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. Every time I hear a piece of classical music I think of the courses you taught me in the prison camp. all i can do is thank you so much for allowing common people like myself to be inspired . 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.. 0000013135 00000 n My father was a Marine. List of aircraft losses of the Vietnam War, Dark Eagles: A History of the Top Secret U.S. Aircraft (1999). 0000003106 00000 n We did that maneuver three times until clear of the array of Yen Bai SAM sites. 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! Again- Bless you & Scotty! Messrs. Crecca and Wilson were asked by their nation to serve. In exchange, USAF F What was Lt. Lawrence doing while he was out there without supplies? Our Motto YOU YELL, WE SHELL LIKE HELL, OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY. My ungraceful arrival didnt raise much dust. Flew supplies into Vietnam but had less time there than John Kerry; which is not easy. Rest in Peace, dear Scotty. My father was at Danang in 67/68. 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. Ive yet to talk to anybody who thought that conflict was run even remotely competently, many still angry over what happened to them. God Bless you, Joe. I would like to hear from you at some point; [emailprotected]. In July 1964, Lt. Col. Lee Nan-ping's U-2 was shot down by a PLA SA-2 missile over Chenghai, China. It was very kind of you to drive the 40 miles and spend the time to honor the memory of my brother, your fellow employee at Flying Tigers and FedEx. Scotty hadnt regained consciousness. Thanks for telling our story Joe. VMFA-115. He flew to Russia and (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication. It must have occurred just before my own chute opened. To you gentlemen; Brett, Tim, Wade, Gordon, Cliff, Neil, Andy and Jerry who responded to the reprint of my 2017 article, Shot Down Over North Vietnam, I thank you for your kind remarks and expressions of patriotism. Later, they hit the heights. I then drew my .38 caliber service revolver, opened the cylinder, emptied all the ammunition and threw it away. They did so at enormous hardship and cost to themselves and to their families. The next thing I knew, I was back on the wooden stool facing my interrogator. If you do that, itll be your first time in harms way. Day after day intel would ask us to listen up for Buick 4, or Chevy 4, or whoever Number 4 who had been shot down while lead worked on getting his Mig. God bless you and may you enjoy a much well deserved retirement. The video sequence here is great. I didnt know the Marine who was killed as he lit a cigarette on Iwo Jima any more than I knew Scotty Wilson, and yet, thanks to that brief story by my father, and thanks to a longer and more detailed story by Joe Crecca, I feel I do know these servicemen. They never attack until they do it. Youd make a grand Socialist. 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. . In total, the United States military lost in Vietnam almost 10,000 aircraft, helicopters and UAVs (3,744 planes,[3] 5,607 helicopters[2] and 578 UAVs[1] ). I enjoyed your write up though I could see you squirming in your seat as it was unfolding. It was people! At about 1700 hours I was removed from my sumptuous quarters, blindfolded again and thrown bodily and face down onto the filthy bed of a small army truck. https://www.loc.gov/item/powmia/pwmaster_14608/. 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. Since the Vietnam war, no American pilot has successfully shot down five enemy planes to earn the title. In addition to all of your other talents, you write very well. I expect Patrick Walker and his ilk were those that fled the USA because they were chicken.

We strive for accuracy and fairness. After liftoff, caution must be exercised to avoid over-rotation. Other than the bullet-hole scar in his leg, which my father would sometimes say was caused by an Indians arrow (that story fit in well with the TV shows I was watching in the 1950s), growing up I never got any stories out of him about what war was like. 137543). b fearnits people like you ( and others who fled to Canada) who make those of us who answered the call sick to our stomachs! Its Memorial Day, 2020. 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. Since 366thTFW maintenance was overtaxed having to do all of its around-the-clock 24/7 functions, the flight leader had to turn down two airplanes before he found one that was combat ready and airworthy. After all that I suffered dont you dare tell me I had no business being there! Glad to hear you are on frequency. Graham MIA, Final loss: 670111 (474th TFW) mid-air collision over Cambodia, 16 June 1973, both crewmen rescued, First loss: 515287 to unknown cause 19 June 1965, 51-0071 (33d ARRS) shot down by AAA 14 March 1966, two crewmen killed, Only loss: KB-50J 48-0065 (421st Air Refueling Squadron Detachment) at, Two crashes in 1968, one 1969, all operational (non-combat), First loss: YQU-22A 68-10531 (554th RS, 553d RW) crashed due to engine failure on 11 June 1969, Final loss: QU-22B 70-1546 (554th RS) on 25 August 1972, pilot killed, First loss: 64-17969 (Det OL-8, 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing) suffered engine failure over Thailand on 10 May 1970, both crewmen ejected safely, Final loss: 64-17978 (Det OL-KA, 9th SRW) crashed on landing at, Only loss: 566690 (349th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron 100th SRW) which crashed on 8 October 1966 near Bien Hoa, SVN, Maj. Leo J Stewart ejected and was rescued. July 1964, Lt. Col. Lee Nan-ping 's U-2 was shot down five planes... 1964, Lt. Col. 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