ON December 5, 6, and 7, 1969 a massive 3-day rescue effort was conducted for the 2-Man crew of anF-4C Phantom (Callsign Boxer 22) shot down in Mu Gia Pass,The Deadliest Air Space in History of Air Warfare.. One of my biggest regrets in life is that I failed to interview Gary, Dan Autrey and Bob Jasperson via Zoom about Garys two MiG kills and another mission where Gary and Dan were attacked by two MiG-21s that fired four Atoll heat-seeking missiles at them 53 miles north of Hanoi. It is fair to acknowledge the Republic F-105 Thunderchief was a plane thrust into a mission that was largely misunderstood, frequently evolving, and very different from what the Thud was originally designed for, low-level, supersonic nuclear strike missions. The Aviation Geek Club: The first official American aerial victory of the Vietnam War was scored on Apr. The NCLS is the USAFAs flagship event on character and leadership. 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. The first attack was unsuccessful. I feel that I ejected somewhere between 3500 and 3000 feet and could see as I descended that Longboat Key was a mass of Mangroves and I steer my parachute toward the only clearing I could see. By the time the fights were over and the Americans were gone the Mig pilot realized he was out of gas and wouldnt have enough gas to fly a regular approach and landing. Watch the video. Unlike his outwardly attractive but structurally dubious aircraft, Capt. Pumpkin soup became our staple food source, along with a baguette of French bread. I told him there were none. He got 7 kills and became a national treasure so Ho Chi Minh pulled him out of combat and limited him to instructing for the next few years. One crew member did not. Soat gave a diplomatic answer too, but while the group was laughing or otherwise distracted, he whispered to the questioner, I think we both know the answer to that. Total non-pilot crew members was 2,712. On September 12, 1972, Major Retterbush and Lt Daniel Autrey took down a MiG-21 using the M61A1 20mm automatic gun. The first interpreter was a woman who had to interpret a stranger-than-usual southern Vietnamese dialect into a northern dialect so the other interpreter could understand before translating it into English. Over Vietnam, F-100 pilots flew fast and low. Paul was picked up by a MacDill rescue helicopter, and flown to the MacDill base hospital. The answer is NO, it brought down only ONE Mig; and the guy who it brought down told the story. Louis Page, Lt. John Smith, Lt. David Batson and Lt. Cmdr. The Americans went out on the internet and invited any/all of us who had tangled with Migs during the war, or who were just interested in it, to attend the meeting both to get good looks at the Mig pilots up close and personal and to add to the stories. About 8-10 months ago a retired Marine colonel named Charlie Tutt assembled a group of aviators to go to Hanoi, Vietnam, to meet with some Mig pilots from the war. Here is the text of Lances Medal of Honor citation: While on a flight over North Vietnam, Capt. On November 18, 1968, just six days after the first Wolf mission was flown out of the 8th TFW, Ubon RTAFB, Major Benjamin Ray Battle (433rd TFS) and 1st. The Republic of Vietnam lost 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973. Conversely, the Soviet Union sources claim to have shot down 800 UN aircraft, while the US claims to have lost only 100 aircraft in combat. Lemay, Harkins, Westmoreland, Abrams, and Maxwell Taylor, were WWII Realistically, far too many to tell in a single day. Alvarez was the first naval aviator captured by the North Vietnamese and the longest-held U.S. POW. It involved 24 Thuds, six of which were shot down. He was a hero. To increase air support for the SEALORDS Operation in South Vietnam's Mekong Delta, the Navy "borrowed" twenty North American Aviation OV-10A Broncos from the United States Marine Corps. It is not only a fitting inscription for the lives and sacrifices of F-105 Thunderchief pilots like USAF Capt. OK this isnt an F-4 video, but its a great fighter video. The North Vietnamese, thinking that the Paris peace talks would lead to a cessation of hostilities, changed their attitude towards the segregation of FNGs and FOGs and their ability to communicate with each other, and removed the bamboo and tar paper fences. The Thunderchief looked the part of a supersonic fighter. I never got a chance to meet or talk to anyonein the air forceabout the engagements and saves, butIwouldsurelylove to. What struck me about the photo I found of Capt. So, we continued an idiotic intervention on behalf of a corrupt regime.. Images that shaped my boyhood impression of what it means to be a hero. Nine American former pilots and one RIO hosted the meeting with thirteen Vietnamese pilots. This excellent Memorial Day appropriate article starts: I visited with three old friends recently at a park in my town. Although in terrific pain from his severe wounds and brutal beatings and torture from his captors, Sijan had not disclosed any information other than what the Geneva Convention guidelines allowed (name, date of birth, service, rank, and service number). 10. A helicopter rescue crew had to locate downed fighter pilot Victor Vizcarra is a Spanish actor. Below the chiseled figure of F-105 Thunderchief fighter pilot Lt. Karl W. Richter the Biblical inscription of Isaiah 6:8 reads: Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Please leave your comments below. In total, the United States military lost in Vietnam almost 10,000 aircraft, helicopters and UAVs (3,744 planes, 5,607 helicopters and 578 UAVs ). The Legend of the Vietnam War's Mystery Fighter Ace Col. Nguyen Tomb was the conflict's most lethal dogfighter, if he even existed by SEBASTIEN ROBLIN Col. Nguyen Tomb or "Toon" is one of the. I mean, we could have nuked Hanoi, and game over. He immediately volunteered to ferry an F-105 over to Thailand where he knew he would be put in the action. How many helicopter pilots shot down in Vietnam? When the Blues took off the Viets were all eyes to the skies and you could see by their smiles and gestures that some of them were flying right along with the Blues. The 390th Bomb Group lost 176 of its 275 assigned aircrafts. This is a list of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II.The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces.The recipient must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an "enemy of the United States . 3. Then in October, 1972, US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger announced Peace is at hand. Global Security, "A War too Long: The USAF in Southeast Asia 19611975", http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/virtual_disk_library/index.cgi/1025775/FID1977/NAVY/Chap_3.pdf, USMC HELO LOSSES(19621973) by aircraft type, "The OV-1 Mohawk Remembered Firsthand: Piloting the Mohawk in Vietnam", "SE Asia and Vietnam: Royal Australian Air Force", "Image Galleries 2009 - Department of Defence", " - - www.skywar.ru", U.S. Air-to-Air Victories during the Cold War, Wars in Yugoslavia, and Anti-Terror War, Widow travels to Vietnam after 40 years and finds her MIA husband's Marine Corps F-4 jet crash site in Que Son Mtns, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_aircraft_losses_of_the_Vietnam_War&oldid=1147434639, First loss: A-1E 52-132465 (1st Air Commando Squadron [ACS], 34th Tactical Group [TG]) shot down during night training mission on 29 August 1964 near, Final loss: A-1H 52-139738 (1st Special Operations Squadron, 56th Special Operations Wing) which was shot down 28 September 1972 (pilot was rescued by an, First loss: 710310 (355th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 354th TFW) on 2 December 1972 shot down on a, Final loss: 700945 (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 45 November 1962, killing the 3 crew, Final loss: A-26A 64-17646 (609th SOS, 56th SOW) lost over Laos on the night of 78 July 1969, killing both crewmen, First loss: AC-119G 52-5907 (Det.1, 17th SOS, 14th SOW) which crashed on take-off from, Final loss: AC-119K 53-7826 (18th SOS, 56th SOW out of, First losses were operational (non-combat) mid-air collision 2 B-52F 57-0047 and 57-0179 (441st Bomb Squadron, 320th Bomb Wing), 18 June 1965, South China Sea during air refueling orbit, 8 of 12 crewmen killed, Final loss: B-52D 55-0056 (307th Bomb Wing Provisional) to SAM 4 January 1973, crew rescued from Gulf of Tonkin. Edmund's work as a teacher, administrator, and researcher has given him a unique perspective on how students learn and what educators can do to foster a love of learning in their students. The text of the sales page that mentions Dan and his front seater Gary Retterbush. 5. Our navy Phantom crew who made ace, Randy Duke Cunningham and his RIO, Willy Driscoll, were there. I was lucky to have served with Busch in the 35th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Korat Air Base, Thailand, in 1972. Frecce Tricolori Pilot Dies In Ultralight Crash In Northeast Italy, Reports: Russian Fighters Trying To Dogfight U.S. I highly recommend the series, but it does bring back the pain of losing 58,200 Americans, 2 million civilians on both sides, 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters and 200,000 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers. Based on a database received from the Pentagon, we estimate that over 40,000 helicopter pilots served in the Vietnam War. Lt.Gen. Its journalistically and politically indelicate to write about any historical military aircraft as bad or dangerous, so we will handle the F-105 and its history over Vietnam objectively and respectfully. Clint Johnson USN A-1, 1 victory P.463, Migs over North Vietnam: The Vietnam People's Air Force in Combat, 196575, Stackpole Military History, Crashed while attempting emergency landing, Phantom with U.S. Marine Corps (Joe Baugher), List of United States aerial victories of the Vietnam War, South Viet Nam Airforce VNAF Equipment. Red Crown calls on the radio that blue bandits (MiG-21s) are at a range and bearing close to Lark 3, Gary and Dans call sign. A C-47 was the very first USAF aircraft lost in the SEA conflict, C-47B 44-76330 (315th Air Division) on TDY at. During another brief interview, a Viet pilot said his most dreaded adversary was the navy F-8 Crusader, that it was the hardest to fight against as it had a gun. They were short of gunners on helicopters, because the life expectancy was somewhere between 13 and 30 days, he said. Title COMPUTER RECORDS OF AMERICAN PILOTS SHOT DOWN DURING THE VIETNAM WAR Online Format pdf Document Id PWMASTER_14608 Date Time Group Originator DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Names Lee, Charles Richard Bisz, Ralph Campion Source Number 5946 Comments NAMES AND INCIDENTS LIST, COMPUTER SEARCH, POW-F/H, CRS-HSY REPORT Country North Vietnam, pre-1975 This page was last edited on 30 March 2023, at 23:03. P.39, Toperczer, Istvan. The last two men were fighter pilots a Navy A-4 pilot and a USAF F-100 pilot. I must mention, however, that our pal JackFingersOne GunEnsch seemed to do the heavy-lifting because he was everywhere at one time. 2. My impression is the series is neutral. An icon. Bandits coming into the strike route 350 for 53. Translation: MiGs are 53 miles almost due north of Hanoi approaching the F-4 bombers that were being escorted by Lark flight, a flight of four strike escort F-4Es lead by the commander of the 35th TFS, Lt. Col. Lyle Beckers (he also shot down two MiGs that summer). According to research by The Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association there were about 12,000 helicopters that served in the Vietnam War (specific tail numbers for 11,827 from all services), out of which 5,086 were destroyed. [1], There were about 11,846 U.S helicopters that served in the Vietnam War. It was interesting to have him read about both of my encounters with Mig-21s to me. He had successfully bombed his target and was exiting the area when his aircraft was struck by an SA-2 Guideline surface-to-air missile (SAM). Different from the aircraft itself the men who flew the F-105 Thunderchief, like USAF Captain Samuel E. Waters, were absolutely dependable no matter the odds or the mission. Lt.Gen. "Statistics About the Vietnam War" has a personnel break down The airborne command post directed my four ship flight of F-4s to rendezvous with an F-4 that had a loran bombing system. Our squadron was TDY from Kunsan Air Base, Korea, during the most intense time of the air war over North Vietnam in the summer and fall of 1972. Im in the back row 6th guy from the left. Isnt it a very powerful statement about what kind of people we are? Although a rescue force was able to retrieve him quickly, Lt. Richter died in the rescue helicopter on his way back to safety. Lt. Richter flew his first F-105 Thunderchief combat mission only four days after arriving in Southeast Asia. He said after they made that rule the claims died down a lot. One of those fighter pilots was Ray Lewis, who was shot down in July 1966. 8. Be sure that you are always searching This Collection in the box to the left Click on a collection item to view the complete original document and its associated metadata. Im headed back to Port Orange after a fantastic adventure in San Diego with some of my old fighter squadron friends and others from my days at NAS Miramar. How many U.S. helicopters were lost in Vietnam? 9. 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. ! BIG LAUGHS again by both the Viets and the US crews. When our guys got to the SAM site they found out all of the missiles had been removed. Of those servicepeople, 2,382 were killed while serving aboard UH-1 Iroquois, better known as the ubiquitous "Huey.". Phng Vn Qung MiG-19 1 victory There was a cloud under-cast so the steady lights from the airplanes caused the clouds below to be illuminated with an eerie light. 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. Samuel E. Waters was that his image, and the similar images of men, fighter pilots, like him shaped my impression of what a real man truly was. The device gave crews audio and visual input whenever a radar beam struck the Phantom. Gary ejected one second before his airplane blew up. They were the Thud drivers, the pilots of the Republic F-105 Thunderchief. Inscription. He had only one kill and nobody there had fought a 19 so Quang gave us a brief on the 19. It is awarded for gallantry in action while . I was immediately captured and imprisoned in the infamous Hanoi Hilton, spending my first month of captivity in solitary confinement in a section of the prison known as Heartbreak Hotel. down helicopters, men that were not pilots, just members of the Eventually, with the addition of more recent shoot-downs, the population of our 2060 foot cell grew to 48 prisoners. Suffering terribly from exhaustion, malnutrition, and disease, he was soon transported to Hanoi, under the attentive care of both Craner and Gruters. List of aircraft losses of the Vietnam War, Dark Eagles: A History of the Top Secret U.S. Aircraft (1999). Contents of this blog/website may not be used without author's prior written permission. The enemy simulated a SAM launch to distract Gary and Dan while two MiG-21s attacked them from their low six oclock position. My dear friend Bob Jeffery was there. Home Kent State University How Many Huey Helicopters Were Shot Down In Vietnam? . He said that was the best advise he had gotten so far and I told him I normally gave out advice too younger and lesser experienced aviatorsand there wasnt even a charge for it. for US Forces.
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