of high-explosive surrounded by a thousand 1-inch diameter stainless steel balls inside the 6-foot long nose cone. Thanks for your service Joe, you are one of the countrys heros. 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. His remains were returned to the USA in April, 1986, and he is interred at the Air Force Academy Cemetery, Colorado Springs, Colorado. The USN was the only service which had been forced to learn power projection as the fundamental war-fighting technique. I had never before heard the details of his loss. Every year on the 18th of December I start an eleven day ritual of emails to the Vietnam air warriors on the anniversary of the first night of Operation Linebacker II lest we forget the courage and sacrifices of all those who risked all from that first night until the 29th both tactical air and especially the B-52 crews. The man who had less than an hour ago cautioned me against premature ejection had ejected. You softy, dont deserve the freedom which we veterans fought and died for! 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!. Joe Crecca would spend more than six years in various prison camps. It was noon. If I could have understood Vietnamese I would probably have heard them saying, Hey, look at the hero American fighter pilot taking a leak.. I looked first into the rear-view mirrors and could see only orange flames and inky smoke. 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. 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. The NVA never admitted to capturing them! Looking down toward my feet, I could see dozens of hands. 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. But for many years I wondered about what premonitions he also might have had that were similar to those Id had when I awakened. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling that thinks nothing is worth war is much worse. 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. Although I was only a few thousand feet away, I hadnt been able to hear the explosion. He told me to find him. All I was aware of was a short, sharp ringing sound and my white, silk parachute billowing above me. Yeh, the F-4s wings dont come off even from a SAM induced Spin. But with no guarantee to get the slot you wanted you made the right choice to bail out. 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. 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. The pain was unbearable except that I had to bear it whether I wanted to or not. Smoke would be pouring out of their engines. I dont know if they ever found the horse. 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. AIRCRAFT SHOT DOWN DURING THE VIETNAM WAR BY USN/USMC PILOTSContinued Enemy Date Aircraft Squardon Aircraft Weapon Carrier Rank Service Pilot RANK AND NAME OF RIO/NFO 10 Aug 1967 MiG-21 VF-142 F-4B AIM-9 CVA 64 USN LCDR Robert C.Davis LCDR Gayle O.Elie 26 Oct 1967 MiG-21 VF-143 F-4B AIM-7 CVA 64 USN LTJG Robert P. Hickey, Jr. LTJG Jeremy G.Morris I finally got him to talk and he said, Gary, it was just like Vietnam. Contact, followed by, Youre taking fuel, announced the boomer. Remains of fighter pilot shot down in WWII identified. when the canopy rails are parallel to the ground, the nose is 10-12 degrees up. 8081, Air War Vietnam Plans and Operations 19691975. Elizabeth Hartsook, Stuart Slade. MiG-21 Units of the Vietnam War. My head, no longer protected by my helmet, was now receiving direct hits from clubs, rocks, rifle butts and God-knows-what. At the very least, he had just been knocked out. I was always in awe of you guys flying the Phantom in the opressive heat and conditions of S.E. God Bless you, Joe, and all those who flew and fought in Vietnam. With both my palms up and a telling expression on my face, Don Ward knew that was the end of the conversation. In early April, combat flight operations began from detachments at Binh Thuy and Vung Tau. Thank you, Joe. VS-41 at NAS North Island retained four of the borrowed Broncos to be used for training replacement pilots and maintenance personnel. I could see small hooches (straw huts) on the ground. How do you look in the mirror? He said hes sorry I feel that way. Yep. He had the smoke trail spotted and wanted revenge. How far did he go on in the Air Force? On 3 January 1969 Light Attack Squadron Four (VAL-4) was commissioned at NAS North Island, California and after an intense period of training was transferred to Vietnam. A total of 17 four-ship flights were to hit a vast complex of oil and munitions storage and NVN troops. They were all well received. The political strategy of Rolling Thunder was absurd from the git-go. Of all those shot-down pilots, the experience apparently only made one uniquely qualified to be President. Outwardly grateful to Jesus Christ above all and to our United States military service members is the way of life I choose to live and pass on to my children. November 22, 1966, was selected as the day a massive air strike would be launched against the first of two high-priority targets in North Vietnam (NVN). Instead, Ill just say thanks, Joe Crecca, and thanks to God for men like you. Stay up to date with the latest articles and selections from our archives. How many MiGs were shot down during Vietnam War? Had it not been for President Nixon and the sheer courage of the B-52 and tactical aircrews, the POWs would never have returned. 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. The Communistss claimed 19 B-52s shot down to date. "You were right in the enemy's face with a. May God continue to bless you, Joe. ), Ways to get involved in the 2022 Election. Barney. Many times not all returned from their missions. Several of our birds went to Nam. He also stated that there were no MiG-17 aces. I confirmed this by dialing in Bravos coordinates and the needle pointed straight ahead. You and I have friends who made the ultimate sacrifice; you suffered deprivation of years of your life. Thanks for your service, Sir. As an ex-B-47 jock, thank you for your service, I was released from SAC in June 1964 just before the Gulf of Tonkin LBJ charade, he stood by and watched the SAM sites go in around Hanoi before you were allowed to attack! If you think I should not be called a hero, tell them, not me. We were to be a flight of four F-4C Phantoms. I, for one, will welcome additional tales of courage and flying on these pages. Sobering reading for every American ! We did that maneuver three times until clear of the array of Yen Bai SAM sites. Good or bad we all contributed and finally got the job done.May all our brothers and sisters that made the ultimate sacrifice, rest in peace. Have not seen him since 1962. The leaders claim was that we could easily have bingod into the RTAF base on the Thai border, so I should not have abandoned my flight leader. I hereby repeat all the usual thank yous, perhaps perfunctorily but with no less feeling. Hope you sre enjoying the golden years. It was less than a minute before I would be on the ground. Sign up for our free email newsletter, packed with tips, tricks and news for pilots. Despite being a first lieutenant, Scotty Wilson was in my opinion, the best stick in the 480thTactical Fighter Squadron. If the MiGs didnt come up, he couldnt have a chance to shoot one down. The United States lost 578 UAVs (554 over Vietnam and 24 over China). 83rd Arty 101ABN DIVARTY Scottys arms seemed to be at his sides and head slumped forward. I recommend . While my eyes and my thoughts were on flying out of enemy territory, my hands moved swiftly to the lower ejection handle while my body automatically assumed the correct ejection posture; back straight, legs extended, elbows tucked in close to the body, and BOOM. The author, during training on the F-4 Phantom. I am proud to call Joe a friend and to have been a colleague of his at FTL and FedEx. 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? The first and only fatal crash by an RAAF aircraft in Thailand. Like the Flat-Earthers who still dont believe we landed on the Moon. At the most fundamental level, we failed to evaluate the reasons why Germany, Korea, Vietnam and others were divided at the end of WWII. Both Aircrew members were Killed In-Action, Last VAL-4 loss: 155461 crashed on 9 February 1972. The Republic of Vietnam lost 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973. May God comfort those families who still wait and wonder.]. I am proud of you Joe and Scotty for your service and to be part of a community which recognises and should be proud of your example. One of our F-4s was not delivered by maintenance. 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. The USAF also lost F-4C Phantom 64-0755. U-8 losses need added Sayonara, engines! 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. Life saver: Severely damaged in combat, this Douglas A-1E was flown by Maj. Bernard Fisher on March 10, 1966, when he rescued a fellow pilot shot down over South Vietnam. From the refueling track exit over northern Thailand, our route took us over northern Laos and into North Vietnam. The next thing I knew, I was back on the wooden stool facing my interrogator. It is awful that people make bad decisions for selfish reasons. My brother got spit on when he landed in Atlanta on his way home. Its guys like you who Ive tried to be like when it became my turn to sit in the left seat. 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. Our birds were the E series and had the internal 20 MM and made good Mig.CAP birds. We held a mass intelligence briefing at wing HQ. Fortunately, my background as a briefer and operations duty officer enabled me to tell my accusers that the base they spoke of was still 250 miles from Chu Lai, and the runway was not suitable for F4s. Some were grabbing and pulling at my anti-g suit, flight suit and boots. Notes. In 1980 and 81, the McDonnell Douglas Plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma was remanufacturing F-4 fighters for the Air Force. At this moment the twin J-79 afterburners are briefly licking at the runway with two, huge, yellow-orange flames. Good lives were wasted for what? How did the Vietnam shot down the B-52? We can only hope that the current and subsequent generations will take J.S. 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. Sad to hear that your Dad didnt tell you much about his missions. Hi, Joe. 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. The door gunner Bobby Harris was KIA during the shoot down. I replied that I still had a positive lock to a radio nav-aid and if he could get us through the clouds I could get us to the target. You who kept the supplies coming to us were a vital part of the war effort. 33 years 6 months after his loss. But survival instincts and thorough ejection training were running the show. Glad you made it back. And the Officer Effectiveness Report (OER) of the guy leading our flight would be written by the DO. 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. It was about 0200 hours and the flares lit up the place like day. All these thoughts, survival instincts and USAF training synthesized into one, crystal clear and powerful inspiration. It suddenly dawned on me that he would not surrender his place on the controllers list and lose the chance for his Silver Star! Even at max takeoff weight, Scotty had to be careful not to exceed the landing gear limit airspeed of 250 knots with both afterburners cooking. Well, at least you tried. 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. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling that thinks nothing is worth war is much worse. Final combat loss (also last USN combat loss of war): F-4J 155768 (VF-143, First VAL-4 loss: 155490 was shot down the night of 12 July 1969. USAF/ Air National Guard (Retired). Scotty preflighted the weapons: six-M117, 750 lb. Jim witnessed the other pilot CW2 Richard Bauman and crew chief Craig Dix being captured. Dulles International Needs a name change. Galand himself would be shot down two months later. Presently it dishonors over 50,000 dead and how many maimed and wounded? One night I flew #2 to a newly crowned pentagon prince. Enroute, we learned USAF had discovered a major truck convoy up near the Plain of Jars, wanting help. How gracious of you to say semper fi; I believe we are brothers in the F4 community. I know exactly how you feel about combat decisions driven by hubris. [10] Estimates of North Vietnamese losses range from 131, as documented in North Vietnamese records; to 195, as claimed by U.S. On Sept. 12, 1968, F-100D pilot Capt. The Vietnam Years. If none of the strike flights entered the target area, the MiGs wouldnt come up. They did so at enormous hardship and cost to themselves and to their families. 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. This page was last edited on 13 January 2023, at 11:53. The clouds were reported to be at 10,000 ft. "Kos" and "Daily Kos" are registered trademarks of Kos Media, LLC. More aircraft would be shot down and pilots killed or captured. Of those servicepeople, 2,382 were killed while serving aboard UH-1 Iroquois, better known as the ubiquitous "Huey." Again- Bless you & Scotty! Twenty-one aircraft carriers conducted 86 war cruises and operated 9,178 total days on the line in the Gulf of Tonkin. 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. Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do & die.. I was asked the same questions over and over in an attempt to trip me up. Cmon man, show some class! Cheers! Some US fighter pilots had actually scored aerial kills in WWII, and were fighting again in the sky's over North Vietnam; Colonel Robin Olds had shot down German aircraft in aerial combat,. I am grateful to him for that, beyond measure. Gary, this was like Vietnam all over again!. God bless you, Sir. What could I possibly say to the President of the United States that he hadnt already heard 334 times before? One source reported that the North Vietnamese claimed to have shot down 218 U.S. manned aircraft in air to air combat in Vietnam, of those kills, 85 are not supported by U.S. records, while another 37 were attributed by the U.S. to surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft fire. Just recently back from the Academy F-4 Phantom ceremony. But, knowing this might be my only chance to talk before the fun and games began anew, I concocted a mission scenario that I hoped would be accepted as truth. We were together at MacDill in the F-4 but rotated at different times into SEA. But, instead of cutting through my throat, as Id imagined, the blade moved away, cutting the helmet strap. I live on Easy Street. So Scotty did the same check with a roll to the right with the same result. 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.
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