John McCain JohnMcCain Share this article 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. Cant really say I enjoyed reading your piece, although I could not stop reading. God Bless you F-4 drivers! Despite these difficulties, we began to taxi. But then, the blood began to run down from the breaks in the skin on my head and into my eyes. Dickens rescued) Our intel chief Major Art Weiner briefed us on all aspects of our mission including weather and defenses. You should be ashamed of yourself! Joes epilogue sums it all up. 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. Flights were around four hours. I just received some additional email comments on my article and browsed through the older ones and saw yours. Further, our leader was apparently unaware that the controller asked us to change squawk ONLY after we were some distance from the 100mm guns photographed around the Plain of Jars. Richard Stephen "Steve" Ritchie and Weapons System Officer Capt. 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 presume because these stories are such difficult memories, we do not hear enough of them. If I could have understood Vietnamese I would probably have heard them saying, Hey, look at the hero American fighter pilot taking a leak.. In fact all those who kept us in the air were. I knew from some of the other Tigers that you had been a POW, but never heard the details of your harrowing tale. Some were grabbing and pulling at my anti-g suit, flight suit and boots. Thank you, Mr. Crecca! 8081, Air War Vietnam Plans and Operations 19691975. Not in honor. Just as we were positioning ourselves for the right-hand turn at Bravo, the lead aircraft unexpectedly turned to the left. Youve earned it. All these thoughts, survival instincts and USAF training synthesized into one, crystal clear and powerful inspiration. We were to be a flight of four F-4C Phantoms. Thanks for your service and sacrifice! Dogwood 4 was an MND, Maintenance Non Delivery, i.e., no airplane! I thought to myself, Im dead. I just didnt know what the moment of death would be like. Final loss: EC-47Q 43-48636 (361st Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron, 56th SOW) shot down in Laos on the night of 04/5 45 February 1973, killing all 8 crewmen. Our flight should never have been going into the target. VS-41 at NAS North Island retained four of the borrowed Broncos to be used for training replacement pilots and maintenance personnel. Of course, I had changed tacan channels nearly an hour before; I knew where we were, but I could not disclose the secret tacan base over the radio. Thanks for the details of this mission. [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]). The only USAF officers who could rise to strategic ranks were from Strategic Air Command (nuke bombers) and a very few from Air Defense Command. 83rd Arty 101ABN DIVARTY Vietnam War pilot tells his story of being shot down over enemy territory and his time as a POW. 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. 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. 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. My arms were tied behind my back with the elbows laced tightly together. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling that thinks nothing is worth war is much worse. As a 110 F4 combat mission Vet, Id like to know. 1972: U.S. claimed 51 MiG-21s destroyed; North Vietnam claimed 53 US aircraft shot down by MiG-21s, including two B-52 Stratofortress bombers. Fogleman became the only Super Sabre pilot ever rescued by riding out on a Cobra helicopter. 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. My gratitude to those of you who gave so much. Sadly the other pilot and crew chief and door gunner did not make it. 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. In burner, diving out of 20, didnt take long to head toward So China Sea. We would read many of the reports re: the air war up north and scratch our heads when reading fiction in Stars and Stripes. Reading yours was dismal, doom and gloom. 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. Burning American aircraft at Bien Hoa Air Base in 1965. 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. You guys were working around the clock to keep the pressure on HCM. back then. First loss: C-123B 56-4370 attached to the 464th TAW which came down on an, First loss: C-130A 57-0475 (817th Troop Carrier Squadron, 6315th Operations Group) on 24 April 1965, a. The other Marine brought a lit match to the cigarette hed placed in his mouth, and as soon as he did, ZING, a bullet went through the Marines helmet and skull. The Vietnam Years. It is awful that people make bad decisions for selfish reasons. Kos Media, LLC. Without guys like Joe you would go to prison for writing what you just wrote. 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. The villagers made short work of removing everything except my T-Shirt and skivvies. May God bless you, your family and all our vets. Crash Location: Into Sea off southwest coast of Vietnam near Rach Gia and Ca Mau. 1st Lieutenant Scotty Wilson, the best stick in [the squadron].. When I got to the control tower, the controller whod witnessed the crash was catatonic. 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,. Fritz came in with the rest of his nape and sent a SAM across the tree line like a horizontal Roman candle. My draft number was 27. I was a classmate with him in 64-C but the other flight. Yeh, the F-4s wings dont come off even from a SAM induced Spin. I am most grateful for the hero status conferred upon me by the predominance of commenters. Presently it dishonors over 50,000 dead and how many maimed and wounded? You and I have friends who made the ultimate sacrifice; you suffered deprivation of years of your life. Youre the best and always will be with me when I go flying. Just then, the crew chief, SSgt. Thank you for your service! 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. The clouds were reported to be at 10,000 ft. How many f4 were shot down? 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. Vietnam will eventually strive throughout S.E. 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. Joe many of the IPs in the 4435th remember you from your smooth ride getting back in the Phantom. 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. Caribou A4-193 was destroyed by mortar fire while taxiing at That Son (near the Cambodian border) on 29 March 1970. 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. Thus ended my first day as a POW in North Vietnam. its from the How did you manage to climb aboard your jet and competently do your job in the face of what you already knew? 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. Messrs. Crecca and Wilson were asked by their nation to serve. What was the name of the plane that was shot down in Vietnam? I had never before heard the details of his loss. God bless. It suddenly dawned on me that he would not surrender his place on the controllers list and lose the chance for his Silver Star! AIRCRAFT SHOT DOWN DURING THE VIETNAM WAR BY USN/USMC PILOTS. I met and liked John Dremesi whose experience was the same as yours. 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. . We accomplished the weapons checklist just as we entered enemy territory: Centerline station, Bombs ripple, Intervalometer set, Master Arm. On May 10, 1972, the USAF and Navy shot down 11 North Vietnam MiGs in the skies over North Vietnam at a cost of two USAF and two Navy F-4s shot down. A well? The USMC focused almost entirely on close air support (yards, not miles) of their ground units and on point defense over an amphibious landing. This fighter aircraft, flown by various pilots, was credited for 14 kills during the Vietnam War. "You were right in the enemy's face with a. How about that for a cool presence of mind? If you are wondering how this is possible, I will reveal at the outset that it is not possible. All I was aware of was a short, sharp ringing sound and my white, silk parachute billowing above me. I lost all feeling in my arms very rapidly. He was the last fighter pilot to become an ace in a day, shooting down five Indian Hawker . I hereby repeat all the usual thank yous, perhaps perfunctorily but with no less feeling. Pilots would be hollering for this and for thatand there was NOTHING I could do. 29. pp. It was people! Its not from the How did you survive? It was moving and changing shape ever so slowly. * These two pilots shared the credit for the shoot down of the MiG-17 and each were credited for . 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. Navy's air battles with the North Vietnamese. By now it has been a long while since the conflict in Viet Nam. (I would have loved to get into the left seat of a C-130, but if theyd assigned me to an O-2 Skymaster, that would have been fine too.). They fixed it. I expect Patrick Walker and his ilk were those that fled the USA because they were chicken. 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. Not sure which squadron he started with but he ended up assigned to the 366-tfw. 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). He should be yours as well, regardless of what you think of the efficacy and need for that conflict of many years ago. Smoke would be pouring out of their engines. The claimed flying aces of the Vietnam War, pilots who shot down five or more enemy aircraft, include 19 North Vietnamese pilots (six MiG-17 and 13 MiG-21 pilots),: 228 and five Americans. 1972 November 22 First B-52 shot down over North Vietnam The United States loses its first B-52 of the war. Hed slept in an air-conditioned hut. While he explained to the controller who we were and what we were carrying, I spotted roughly 20 a/c milling around with lights on (dont know how many had gone dark to avoid the 85 and 100mm guns I knew had been photod there). SMS D.R. North Vietnam, pre-1975: Killing of Two American Pilots Shot Down Over North Vietnam IIR Casualty files | William A. Ott. 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. You softy, dont deserve the freedom which we veterans fought and died for! Lost contact with you shortly after you were so kind to make comments at my FedEx retirement party. Much aviation has occurred in the context of military service. Ritchie's #463 with drag chute open Phantom F-4Ds flying over Vietnam General Characteristics Crew: 2 Length: 63 ft 0 in (19.2 m) Wingspan: 38 ft 4.5 in (11.7 m) Height: 16 ft 6 in (5.0 m) Wing area: 530.0 ft (49.2 m) Airfoil: NACA 0006.4-64 root, NACA 0003-64 tip Empty weight: 30,328 lb (13,757 kg) Loaded weight: 41,500 lb (18,825 kg) 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. Lonely feeling for a pilot over enemy territory. 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. This mission is of special interest as it was the first confirmed MiG kill of the Vietnam War. What was the first C-47 plane shot down in Vietnam? Joe. Maximum allowable gross takeoff weight in an F-4C was 58,000 lbs. 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. 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. Just read this story about your mission over North Vietnam. 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. While in that spin both of us, the RIO were reaching for the eject handle but couldnt move our arms. My head, no longer protected by my helmet, was now receiving direct hits from clubs, rocks, rifle butts and God-knows-what. Then with release of the first group of POWs WO1 James Hestand was released! Had three square meals a day. Wed had it. Lt. Wilson and his family paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Of those servicepeople, 2,382 were killed while serving aboard UH-1 Iroquois, better known as the ubiquitous "Huey." Binh Duong Province. Did you know that most of the articles at Air Facts are written by readers like you? U-21 losses need added The Navy had it right (mostly) in equipping, training and tailoring tactical air assets. There were pictures in the Tulsa World of the damage one of the ejection seats did to a womans newly-remodeled bathroom. And the plane that carried them, a commercial jet . Btw, Uncle Walter was an anti-American, extreme lefty. Model names were normalized in 1962 to UH-1s. 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. Its a tough story to take. 64 to 69. What? Again- Bless you & Scotty! The last known photo of F-4C 64-0755, the Phantom flown in this article. My father was at Danang in 67/68. 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. At 2,500 ft. 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. Fast forward 12 hours. It was less than a minute before I would be on the ground. After 52 years, the remains of Air Force pilot Col. Roy Knight Jr., who was shot down in 1967 during the Vietnam War, have finally come home. I could feel them loop a rope around my neck, then attach the rope to my wrists and again, in similar fashion, to my ankles. During the tour at NKP Thailand, I had opportunity to go TDY to Ubon Air base. He was crying. 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. You need four for effective mutual support; i.e., lookout coverage for all four in all quadrants. 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. 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 was an F4 driver at Chu Lai trying to cut the supply traffic through Laos, mostly around Hwy 9, near Tchepone. 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. 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. Before I could muse over any more unhappy endings, I was dropped onto the floor. How did the Vietnam shot down the B-52? Thank you again for your personal sacrifice and service to our country Sir. By the time of the American involvement in Southeast Asia communism, by moderate estimates, around the globe had murdered 110 million people! Days later the main cabin section washed on the beach, a short distance south of Chu Lai. 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 lost mine 5 years before I was released. All we wanted to do was tell him we wanted the French out! 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. His remains were returned September 5th 2004 for burial. You have no skin in the game of life and freedom, do you! Peebles Curtis. Admiral William F. Bringle (seated) how a MiG-17 jet fighter was shot down over North Vietnam. 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. Never flew with a pilot in the USAF that was not a top notch professional. Our own Phantom was suffering from a variety of ills. It was great to see you as our paths crossed as we travel the world. The plane was unveiled . Joe could have saved lives and saved 6 years of his own if had just stayed home. I cried like a baby. Barney. Phew II! I was escorted a few hundred feet to one of the village hooches Id seen from above. 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. Scotty then took control of the airplane as we proceeded to follow our leader along the preplanned route. Like the Flat-Earthers who still dont believe we landed on the Moon. Muhammad Mahmood Alam was a Pakistani Air Force jet fighter pilot in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. They were deeply felt. At 9,000 ft., I began trying to maneuver my parachute towards the southern tip of the Tam Dao Mountain range better known as Thud Ridge by the F-105 Thunderchief drivers. Rest in Peace, dear Scotty. I was O.K. Peering over Scottys shoulders into the front seat, I could see we were done for. If none of the strike flights entered the target area, the MiGs wouldnt come up. Mr. Crecca Thank you for your courageous service in the Phabulous Phighter (F-4) and your extraordinary service as a POW. I even remember glancing around the cockpit at the throttles and the control stick. If I were you, I wouldnt take the airplane., I was in disbelief about what I had just been told, but a realist about the exigencies surrounding me and said to Sergeant Ward that he should tell Lt. Wilson what he had just told me which he did. On Oct. 25, 1967, I strapped into my F-105 Thunderchief fighter-bomber and took to the sky on my 33rd combat mission to strike a bridge in the middle of Hanoi, North Vietnam. I wondered what good it did to tell us there were guns, MiGs and SAMs everywhere. (USAF) Date of report (1971-07-23). Despite the excellent sound-sealing qualities of my helmet, their jabbering was extremely loud and intense. An Air Force pilot and air commando who was shot down in 1970 during the Vietnam War will be buried at the Air Force Academy. Yep. MiG-21 Units of the Vietnam War. Thank you for the heads-up on the article. We attended the Colonels memorial service one week ago today. The USN was the only service which had been forced to learn power projection as the fundamental war-fighting technique. In that instant, I realized how I would die; they were going to slice my head off. Scotty took one look at the patch which I admit looked a bit Sam Schwartz to me and replied, If we have to break for a SAM, well bring it back without the wingtip.. Jim witnessed the other pilot CW2 Richard Bauman and crew chief Craig Dix being captured. At first it seemed to be right below me. 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. Thanks, again, for your story many more years of good health & happiness to you. I reached bingo, bingo minus 5, minus 10, minus 15, and reported to lead each time. October 26, 1967: A-4E Skyhawk BuNo. LTJG Hartman & LT Clinton B. . So why were we going in anyway? SGT Sam Tenorio [G] 2 injured. A story that is the most gripping, truly horrifying and of sacrifices. The former fighter pilot, who was shot down over Vietnam in 1967, went on: 532 aircraft were lost in combat and 329 more to operational causes, resulting in the deaths of 401 naval aviators, with 64 airmen reported missing and 179 taken prisoner of war. Our trip to Corregidor and visit to the USS Houston are two of my greatest memories. It was noon. Every living Veteran will no doubt support such. I still know where the CB is. 2013. I fell into a restless, nightmarish and shivering cold sleep. I was too young for Nam, but spent 20 years in the Navy under the water. Lasted almost two weeks on the island before a Japanese sniper gave him his ticket off the island. all i can do is thank you so much for allowing common people like myself to be inspired . What? I had a great respect for the men who put their lives on the line every day, not knowing if they would make it back to Ubon that evening. Joe, Every Friday Im privileged to have lunch with a WWII veteran who flew virtually every airplane in the arsenal of the time. I reported I wasnt sure which (if any) was his. A MiG-21 of the VPAF which became the primary fighter-interceptor against USAF and USN aircraft. When Maj. "Jump" Myers' plane crashed in flames, there was no chance of rescue - yet Bernie Fisher defied the odds and brought him out alive. Joe- God Bless you & Scotty and all others that served like ya`ll ! Theyd blow up on the runway. My father (deceased) served in the Army in Korea and my son served as an Army Combat Medic deployed to Afghanistan. Source for F-4 losses is Phantom with U.S. Marine Corps (Joe Baugher), others are unsourced, Production of a total of 380 Mohawks ended in December 1970. May God continue to bless you. Served in SAC during early fifties and proud of our commander. Your comments and wisdom are much appreciated. 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. R.I.P Scotty. Any man can do no more for his country than agree to place himself in harms way. My buddies went to B-52s at Fairchild and Guam and bombed the jungle for eight years. Dinh . 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. In this MGTOW case, you had to have the stick in your lap before attaining 140 knots. Very sadly, according to the DOD, 1,616 of our brothers are still missing in S.E. Sorry you couldnt be there. The NVA never admitted to capturing them! But for many years I wondered about what premonitions he also might have had that were similar to those Id had when I awakened. I found out what its like to be a zoo animal except nobody threw me any peanuts. Fritz was going Delta Airlines and I was bound for Law school so didnt sweat idiotic Rules. I was a bit young to be drafted for Vietnam but as a flying geek and guy who likes to learn about military history, Ive had conversations with many people involved in that conflict, including soldiers, marines, airmen and my brother, a draftee who walked point in the US Army in Vietnam. Welcome home. Hes a real dope. Joe, thanks for sharing and honoring Scotty. I will be reading your story to my young ones tonight. Crash Location: Near Ap Bac, Chau Doc Province, South Vietnam. 31 DEC 71. So Scotty did the same check with a roll to the right with the same result. Our birds were the E series and had the internal 20 MM and made good Mig.CAP birds. 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. when the canopy rails are parallel to the ground, the nose is 10-12 degrees up. 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 . It was a bittersweet event and Im so grateful I was able to attend. Nose wheel liftoff speed was calculated to be over 170 knots and liftoff at nearly 200 knots or 230 mph! During this relatively minor ordeal, I asked permission of my guard, using sign language, for permission to relieve my bladder. I thank you for what you did for us all, and I know it cost you. Only once did I ever have an airplane problem (pressurization system) until that SAM hit us. Jan 12, 06:12 PM. GBU my friend! They all worked too. God Bless all who serve. They never attack until they do it. Top rudder pedal, however, broke us out at about 5 grand. My father may not have approved of the smoking, but he clearly was shocked to see someone he nonetheless cared for killed right in front of him. We lost him in 2012. Got this forwarded in late 2017. 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And tailoring tactical Air assets go TDY names of pilots shot down in vietnam Ubon Air Base in 1965 kill of MiG-17. Going to slice my head, no airplane would go to prison for writing what you did us! I reached bingo, bingo minus 5, minus 10, minus 15, and to... And defenses that Spin both of us, the MiGs wouldnt come up combat mission Vet, Id to!, so long, Scotty lives and saved 6 years of good health & happiness to you wheel speed..., flight suit and boots near Tchepone clubs, rocks, rifle butts and.! Out of him screaming on 272.7 and too late lead lights ABs as # blows... Out what its like to be used for training replacement pilots and personnel! Have an airplane problem ( pressurization System ) until that SAM hit us ejection did!