Scotty Wilson had a beautiful wife and daughter whose lives were torn asunder as well. I had never before heard the details of his loss. This mission is of special interest as it was the first confirmed MiG kill of the Vietnam War. The pilot Lieutenant Commander John S. McCain III, successfully ejected and was made Prisoner of War. R. Cole rescued, Final loss: 57-0922 (435th TFS, 8th TFW) operational loss due to engine failure on 14 May 1967 in Thailand, pilot name unknown, survived, First loss: 624371 (36th TFS, 6441st TFW) written off from battle damage over Laos 14 August 1964, at Korat, Thailand, Final loss: 610153 (44th TFS, 355th TFW) shot down Laos 23 September 1970, pilot Capt. All this took no more than one second. We were together at MacDill in the F-4 but rotated at different times into SEA. A sub-standard OER means you dont get promoted on time. I took one last look at the horizon. If you are wondering how this is possible, I will reveal at the outset that it is not possible. They would persistently be trying to attack me while the militia men unemotionally fended them off. 28 NOV 67. At 2,500 ft. Thank you President Nixon for my life and my freedom. 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. I dont know if they ever found the horse. The Republic of Vietnam lost 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973. 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. The villagers made short work of removing everything except my T-Shirt and skivvies. But there was no SAM. You need four for effective mutual support; i.e., lookout coverage for all four in all quadrants. Ho and Giap both wanted to meet with him. RIP Scotty thank you Joe for sharing your experiences and for your commitment as an aviator. 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. SP4 John C. Hughes [G] 1 injured. Burning American aircraft at Bien Hoa Air Base in 1965. Gary was the very first USAFE F-105D pilot to land at Bitburg in May 1961 and the very last F-105D pilot to . I enjoyed your write up though I could see you squirming in your seat as it was unfolding. I saw 3 aircraft in front of me, so I asked lead to flash his lights. If not for an Air Force ROTC deferment, I was most definitely headed to Vietnam. I received my draft notice right after I joined the USAF. Thanks for the story, Joe. Its a real shame but they ruined a perfectly good pair of nearly new, highly-polished USAF flying boots with zippers; they cut right through the damn zippers! Only those who were there truly know! And they did so with knives having little concept or knowledge of zippers, snaps or the technical difficulties associated with releasing parachute risers. List of aircraft losses of the Vietnam War. I wish I could have expressed my thanks to your Elder Eagle for successfully completing his mission to spring me out of jail. The direct hit had felt like wed had a collision with a fully-loaded cement truck. Public Servants who screw -up Big, Big time do not deserve such glorified recognition. Although I was only a few thousand feet away, I hadnt been able to hear the explosion. 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. From the refueling track exit over northern Thailand, our route took us over northern Laos and into North Vietnam. May God continue to bless you, Joe. I ask that you honor these costs and sacrifice, as I do. I dont know how I would have reacted, but I do know it took a better man than me to have endured such hardships and not have become a bitter resentful person. All these thoughts, survival instincts and USAF training synthesized into one, crystal clear and powerful inspiration. A Shau Valley. My gratitude to those of you who gave so much. Lonely feeling for a pilot over enemy territory. I found out what its like to be a zoo animal except nobody threw me any peanuts. We were going to make it. I remember the days when my dad flew Young Tiger over there. Messrs. Crecca and Wilson were asked by their nation to serve. As to the hollow, mean-spirited comment immediately preceding, the Bible admonishes that one not answer a fool according to his folly. So I wont. I looked back to my right. But survival instincts and thorough ejection training were running the show. No better tribute to a warrior and man then to be remembered by his fellow warriors 50+ years later. So Scotty did the same check with a roll to the right with the same result. Galand himself would be shot down two months later. Joe, Many thanks for writing & publishing your story. I remember the 141 unloading POWs Welcome Home Sir. This farmer pilot is Nguyn Vn By who died on Sept. 21, 2019 at the age of 83. Wed had it. I think of you often and was looking forward to seeing you again. When naval aviator Porter Halyburton deployed for Vietnam, he left behind his young wife and five-day-old daughter, Dabney. I presume because these stories are such difficult memories, we do not hear enough of them. Every living Veteran will no doubt support such. His unit was flying in support of South Vietnamese troops fighting in Laos. 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. Suddenly, I was lifted from the floor. I knew from some of the other Tigers that you had been a POW, but never heard the details of your harrowing tale. This room was known, unaffectionately, by all who suffered there as the room with the green, bumpy walls. Seated on a small, wooden stool, the interrogation began in the usual way with, Name, rank, serial number and date of birth. When I refused to reply to any further questions except by repeating my name, rank, serial number and date of birth, my interrogating officer, in a most sinister way, and in a very convincing manner said, Crecca, you will die in Vietnam. In a matter of minutes I was bound with ropes. Ive yet to talk to anybody who thought that conflict was run even remotely competently, many still angry over what happened to them. 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. The Communistss claimed 19 B-52s shot down to date. I will tell the story of Scotty and you and will encourage my son to never forget! 1LT ALDRICH ROBERT HENRY BNR 12/27/1971154013 HMM-165 WO1 ALEXANDER BARRY KENNETH KIA 09/22/196968-513/68-23 71 AHC CPT ALEXANDER DAVID LEE KIA 02/06/197170-20 67-18493178 ASHC Both Aircrew members were Killed In-Action, Last VAL-4 loss: 155461 crashed on 9 February 1972. He wasnt much of a story teller and I didnt think to ask him about his service until after he died. It was then that I could see a shapeless, black mass on the ground. In 1973, American POWs finally came home. Thanks for your service and sacrifice! I yelled on the intercom, Deep six check! How many MiGs were shot down in Bolo? You have no skin in the game of life and freedom, do you! The lone horse jumped the fence and hadnt been seen. I was a classmate with him in 64-C but the other flight. https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/06165124/F-4C-64-0755-480TFS-Da-Nang1000.jpg, https://airfactsjournal-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/06142440/Air-Facts-Logo340.jpg, COPYRIGHT 2011-2023, SPORTSMAN'S MARKET, INC. All Rights Reserved. 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. Many times not all returned from their missions. I served as Navy, lost friends both in country and after returning home with one still carried as MIA Army Helicopter Pilot. 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. 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. Of those servicepeople, 2,382 were killed while serving aboard UH-1 Iroquois, better known as the ubiquitous "Huey." Thank you, David. It is hard to imagine just surviving. If your anti-Vietnam War feelings are still that strong, I dare you to walk up to a highly-decorated Vietnam combat veteran, preferably a Marine or Soldier and vent your anti-war feelings to him, face-to-face! A well? Crecca/Wilson International would be my recommendation in honor of a deceased F4 pilot and a 6 year POW since the F4 was the most numerous of Vietnam War aircraft casualties. I was asked the same questions over and over in an attempt to trip me up. Russian source: 65 MiG-21s, 5 MiG-19s, 75 MiG-17s lost through all causes. Youve earned it. Theyd blow up in midair, before they ever got to the runway. Meadows The session finally came to an end after midnight. I knew none of this before he died. A MiG-21 of the VPAF which became the primary fighter-interceptor against USAF and USN aircraft. I was at a loss for words. Got this forwarded in late 2017. The bomb release button was now hot! The United States lost 578 UAVs (554 over Vietnam and 24 over China). I hereby repeat all the usual thank yous, perhaps perfunctorily but with no less feeling. 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. Dog boned Six and direct hit, had to send some Russian Techs to the Beyond. I would spend the next six years and three months in five different prison camps around the city and countryside in North Vietnam; the farthest very near to the Chinese border. God Bless America and her brave warriors! Joe- God Bless you & Scotty and all others that served like ya`ll ! It must have occurred just before my own chute opened. Welcome home. Asia time after time. Have not seen him since 1962. I believe I heard, or read, that the F-4 itself crashed in a small horse pasture. 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. 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. Had three square meals a day. Thanks, again, for your story many more years of good health & happiness to you. When I was shot down I weighed 157 lbs. Smoke would be pouring out of their engines. In addition to all of your other talents, you write very well. The blade began moving back and forth. 12,000 helicopters The last known photo of F-4C 64-0755, the Phantom flown in this article. 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. It was great to learn about your time before FTL/FDX. But, instead of cutting through my throat, as Id imagined, the blade moved away, cutting the helmet strap. I was concentrating on Scotty and my eyes were focused only on him. It was another scene of temporal distortion. Two were pilots, two Air Force weapon systems officers, and two Navy radar intercept officer; both awarded an aerial-kill claim for each enemy aircraft shot-down. NOTE: Misty numbers listed here were assigned after the war and relates to the order the pilot was assigned to the unit. My father was a Marine. 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. . 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. 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. I then looked at myself to see if I was in one piece. 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,. 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. 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 . His remains were returned September 5th 2004 for burial. via Vietnamese News Agency Photo via Bert Hester, www.preservingourhistory.com By Rebecca Grant AIR FORCE Magazine / February 2013 75 Fogleman became the only Super Sabre pilot ever rescued by riding out on a Cobra helicopter. Thank you for sharing this. Our Motto YOU YELL, WE SHELL LIKE HELL, OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY. Yep. A C-47 was the very first USAF aircraft lost in the SEA conflict, C-47B 44-76330 (315th Air Division) on TDY at. He summed up his experience in Vietnam as It was f****d. You guys are the best we have. Im sorry that you had to suffer so much but you had no business what so for ever being there. Fogleman became the only Super Sabre pilot ever rescued by riding out on a Cobra helicopter. Scotty then said over the radio to the leader, Dogwood 2 has a good inertial. Pilots who have used the AN/ASN-46 nav system (Up to 7 NM per hour error) will know whats going on here. Lasted almost two weeks on the island before a Japanese sniper gave him his ticket off the island. The USAF also lost F-4C Phantom 64-0755. 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. His first pass was- G D- Chief, 200 long. I was way back in trail, tree top, plenty of time to do 2 football fields short. God bless them! John Stuart Mill This wingman survived the incompetence of an unqualified flight leader. Maximum allowable gross takeoff weight in an F-4C was 58,000 lbs. !Cheers my friend. Energy Management Clich or Exactitude? Compare these massive figures to the six million Jewish folks who perished in the WWII Holocaust. Ed McGaa, Marine F4s, Chu Lai Mostly CAS. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling that thinks nothing is worth war is much worse. Dickens rescued) Final loss: 70-0945 (354th TFW) shot down in Cambodia on 25 May 1973 (Capt Jeremiah Costello KIA) First loss: B-26B 44-35530 (Detachment 2A, 1st ACG) shot down in IV CTZ on the night of 4-5 November 1962, killing the 3 crew It was you who were suffering in the oppressive heat & humidity. Thank you for your sentiments. God bless you Joe, hearing the story was very touching. The icing on the cake came when he admitted to the controller that he did not know his position, because his tacan was spooling; he didnt realize we were out of tacan range. At the very least, he had just been knocked out. 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. I have four children- ages 34, 30, 11 and 8 and am Grandma to 3 ages 8, 8 & 5. Phew III! 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. After all that I suffered dont you dare tell me I had no business being there! Joe, Youd make a grand Socialist. 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! Jan 12, 06:12 PM. As a 110 F4 combat mission Vet, Id like to know. Top rudder pedal, however, broke us out at about 5 grand. 2,197 of the losses were fixed-wing, and the remainder rotary-wing. As the nose rises, pitch attitude must be controlled to achieve a nose-high attitude of 10 to 12 degrees. Had it not been for President Nixon and the sheer courage of the B-52 and tactical aircrews, the POWs would never have returned. Charles Barbin DeBellevue successfully shot down a North Vietnamese-flown Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 from their McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II. Section leader had one Dud flash by just as we started to Split S from Control Warning. The next thing I knew, I was back on the wooden stool facing my interrogator. Hope you sre enjoying the golden years. Thanks for your story, Joe. When I got to the control tower, the controller whod witnessed the crash was catatonic. Lost through all causes my thanks to your Elder Eagle for successfully completing his mission to spring out! With a fully-loaded cement truck, OPEN 24 HOURS a DAY i.e., lookout coverage for all in. His mission to spring me out of jail own chute opened deferment, will... 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Successfully shot down i weighed 157 lbs of me names of pilots shot down in vietnam so i asked lead to his., Dabney over in an F-4C was 58,000 lbs Home Sir got to the runway a collision with roll.
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