First loss: Canberra A84-231 disappeared on 3 November 1970 on a night bombing mission in the northern 1st Corps Tactical Zone region of. Thank you sir for your service. Nose wheel liftoff speed was calculated to be over 170 knots and liftoff at nearly 200 knots or 230 mph! You and Scotty are my heroes. 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. A lifelong non-smoker who was on a never-ending mission to convince people not to smoke, my father did eventually tell me of a scared Marine, who, early during the battle for Iwo Jima, asked my father to sit with him in a shallow bomb crater and smoke a cigarette. 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. List of aircraft losses of the Vietnam War, Dark Eagles: A History of the Top Secret U.S. Aircraft (1999). Only those who were there truly know! 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. If you are wondering how this is possible, I will reveal at the outset that it is not possible. 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. I remember the days when my dad flew Young Tiger over there. Sayonara, engines! Sign up for our free email newsletter, packed with tips, tricks and news for pilots. It was great to learn about your time before FTL/FDX. We did not know if anyone survived! In 1973, American POWs finally came home. Richard Stephen "Steve" Ritchie and Weapons System Officer Capt. A C-47 was the very first USAF aircraft lost in the SEA conflict, C-47B 44-76330 (315th Air Division) on TDY at. Glad you made it back. I flew Phantoms until leaving to fly transports for Flying Tigers and then Federal Express. Thank you, David. 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,. Of those servicepeople, 2,382 were killed while serving aboard UH-1 Iroquois, better known as the ubiquitous "Huey." A natural reaction. 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. 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. Scotty had ejected. I was a young 23 year old J-79 Engine Mechanic at Homestead AFB in 1972,sent toThailand in late Summer of that year to participate in LinebackerII Our F-4s along with McDills flew Mig CAP for the B-52s of which several were lost.Homestead lost one Phantom,I believe McDill lost one. May God bless you, your family and all our vets. 33 years 6 months after his loss. 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. I was bagged because MY O-6 DO was on MiG CAP calling the flights in despite bad WX. Section leader had one Dud flash by just as we started to Split S from Control Warning. Joe Crecca was a USAF F-4C Phantom pilot who served during the Vietnam War and was shot down by a Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) while on a deep strike to a target very near the capitol city of Hanoi on November 22, 1966. He wasnt much of a story teller and I didnt think to ask him about his service until after he died. Youd make a grand Socialist. Joe. But for many years I wondered about what premonitions he also might have had that were similar to those Id had when I awakened. It was a moving story. North Vietnam, pre-1975: Killing of Two American Pilots Shot Down Over North Vietnam IIR Casualty files | William A. Ott. My mom, as she promised my father she would, visited my fathers grave at the National Cemetery in Grand Prairie on Saturday, left an American Flag, which, regardless of whether or not the boy scouts or other volunteers do, as they sometimes do and sometimes dont, shes done for the previous 10 Memorial Days. He didnt understand that we were mixed in a huge gaggle competing for time on target, lugging 10 X 500# bombs, 400 miles from base, with marginal weather, fuel hungry, not in sight with each other? It was then that I could see a shapeless, black mass on the ground. A story that is the most gripping, truly horrifying and of sacrifices. The spot where I landed was probably a potato patch. The lone horse jumped the fence and hadnt been seen. The soil was mercifully soft, loose and moist. At 2,500 ft. I looked back to my right. "You were right in the enemy's face with a. They would persistently be trying to attack me while the militia men unemotionally fended them off. for my family and I, is absolutely heartfelt and sincere. Thank you Sir for your service. Date Enemy Aircraft Squardon Aircraft Weapon Carrier Service Rank Pilot RIO/NFO Note; 17 Jun 1965: MiG-17: VF-21: F-4B: AIM-7: CVA 41: USN: CDR: Louis Page : LT John C. Smith, Jr. . From the refueling track exit over northern Thailand, our route took us over northern Laos and into North Vietnam. The prison at Hoa Lo was a miserable place. Shot down. Thank you for your service and thank you for sharing your incredible experience in such a telling manner. A-1E (S/N 52-132649) was flown by Maj. Bernard Fisher on March 10, 1966, when he rescued a fellow pilot shot down over South Vietnam. Thank you, Mr. Crecca! 1972 November 22 First B-52 shot down over North Vietnam The United States loses its first B-52 of the war. 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. He didnt shoot at anyone. God Bless You for your service. of high-explosive surrounded by a thousand 1-inch diameter stainless steel balls inside the 6-foot long nose cone. Thank you for your service! Crash Location: Near Ap Bac, Chau Doc Province, South Vietnam. Scotty Wilson had a beautiful wife and daughter whose lives were torn asunder as well. Mr. Crecca was a POW for the next six years and three months until his repatriation on February 18, 1973. If I failed to keep this from them, they would reposition their anti-aircraft batteries and SAMs to make the target a flak trap, making this JCS target even more formidable than before. And we were just below that weight when we left Danang AB, RVN from runway 17L on the 22ndof November 1966. October 26, 1967: A-4E Skyhawk BuNo. As I approached the left wing in my walk around, I noticed a large patch, roughly 30 by 8 riveted just inboard of the left wing-fold. We held a mass intelligence briefing at wing HQ. I never made it back . Kos Media, LLC. I am most grateful for the hero status conferred upon me by the predominance of commenters. But, instead of cutting through my throat, as Id imagined, the blade moved away, cutting the helmet strap. Elizabeth Hartsook, Stuart Slade. While in that spin both of us, the RIO were reaching for the eject handle but couldnt move our arms. Amazing story Mr.Crecca, I for one, am glad you are still here among us mere mortals, thank you for sharing your daunting experience, you sure went through hell for 6 years and yet had the courage to ask Nixon for another F-4 Those bumps on the walls, in retrospect, were a poor mans acoustic treatment for trying to muffle the screams of Americans being tortured there. At this moment the twin J-79 afterburners are briefly licking at the runway with two, huge, yellow-orange flames. What? Thanks for your service, Sir. Crash Location: Into Sea off southwest coast of Vietnam near Rach Gia and Ca Mau. I am a UK resident but love all things aviation even the painful experiences suffered by many presented here by Joe also on behalf of Scotty. By The Associated Press. Served in SAC during early fifties and proud of our commander. Following the release of all the POWs we met President Nixon at the State Department in May, 1973. When naval aviator Porter Halyburton deployed for Vietnam, he left behind his young wife and five-day-old daughter, Dabney. How about that for a cool presence of mind? Only loss: 606058, destroyed on the ground during a VC attack on Tan Son Nhut, SVN on 14 June 1968. Charles Barbin DeBellevue successfully shot down a North Vietnamese-flown Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 from their McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II. What? First Loss: CA-27 Sabre Mk 32 A94-984; 24 September 1964, crashed 28nautical miles west of. The time was 1151. The NVA never admitted to capturing them! u-6 losses need added all are army fixed wing aircraft, 5,195+ (which include not in addition to the above statistics)[2], North Vietnam captured 877 South Vietnamese aircraft at war's end. So what was The D.O.s name? As lieutenants in our respective services, we knew only that something was wrong. Thank you for the heads-up on the article. I wont embarrass you by calling you a hero, though you unquestionably are. He makes us tell a war story that we have heard. Of all those doing their best to inflict bodily harm on me, the old women were the worst. And I also thank you for taking the time to write down your harrowing and amazing experience in war. of an F-4), or I could man a missile silo in North Dakota. That may be the biggest benefit from Viet Nam, a conflict which many would say yielded very few benefits, as you suggest. During this relatively minor ordeal, I asked permission of my guard, using sign language, for permission to relieve my bladder. I recommend . I believe I heard, or read, that the F-4 itself crashed in a small horse pasture. 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. Manacles were locked onto my wrists as well. During the Vietnam War, thousands of U.S. aircraft were lost to antiaircraft artillery (AAA), surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), and fighter interceptors ( MiG )s. The great majority of U.S. combat losses in all areas of Southeast Asia were to AAA. 83rd Arty 101ABN DIVARTY It is a raising of toasts every night in remembrance for what they did. Flights were around four hours. God Bless all who serve. We lost him in 2012. It was a bittersweet event and Im so grateful I was able to attend. It was another scene of temporal distortion. We should have learned from the last two years of the Korean War that China would not be deterred from conventional warfare by enormous pounding of both front-line forces and non-stop interdiction. God bless you all. I hope the AFJ editor will exercise more discretion in the future. Joe, Many thanks for writing & publishing your story. Thanks for telling our story Joe. 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. 71-0316 (355th TFS) operational loss (non-combat) crash in Thailand on 11 January 1973 (pilot rescued) 70-0949 (354th TFW) shot down Laos on 17 February 1973 (Maj J.J. Gallagher rescued) 71-0305 (3rd TFS, 388th TFW) shot down in Cambodia on 4 May 1973 (1Lt T.L. They were all well received. He told me join up. Mccann and Capt. 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. U.S. Marine Corps aircraft lost in combat included 193 fixed-wing and 270 rotary-wing aircraft. I know exactly how you feel about combat decisions driven by hubris. Both were exactly right because the top of my parachute was practically in the bottom of the clouds right above me. I am a high school friend of your daughter back in the 80s but I am still raising young ones today. In burner, diving out of 20, didnt take long to head toward So China Sea. Million-dollar wound some would call it through the knee, with the bones barely nicked. I confirmed this by dialing in Bravos coordinates and the needle pointed straight ahead. Thank you for your sentiments. 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. God Bless them all. 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. Very sadly, according to the DOD, 1,616 of our brothers are still missing in S.E. I narrowly missed out on entering the AF Aviation Cadet Program in 1960, and after reading of your experience, Im not so sure that it wasnt a blessing in disguise. Tried to cross-service in 64 or 65 to Army for WO pilot program, but because I was already in the military (being in a critical COMSEC AFSC probably didnt help), I was offered no guarantee of flight training, so I withdrew the request otherwise, I may have been one of your grateful students, or still buried in some shallow grave. 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. I served from 1964-1968. Permission was granted and I promptly made a big hit with the youngsters in attendance. Pilots lost control in low clouds during a night flare mission. I remember the 141 unloading POWs Welcome Home Sir. It is sad that we lost so much blood and treasure in that endeavor. So that the pilot does not have to be utilizing his attitude indicator for this, the canopy rails happen to be canted downward at just the correct angle making it possible to perform the takeoff maneuver using purely visual references, e.g. These were probably the local militia. I think of you often and was looking forward to seeing you again. Asia [http://www.dpaa.mil/Resources/Fact-Sheets/Article-View/Article/569613/progress-in-vietnam/]. Thank you for sharing this. Theyd blow up in midair, before they ever got to the runway. I was an F4 driver at Chu Lai trying to cut the supply traffic through Laos, mostly around Hwy 9, near Tchepone. I remember the day we lost a crew in Cambodia. I was in the tower in Saigon and F-4s would come pouring in. Remains of fighter pilot shot down in WWII identified. Hope you sre enjoying the golden years. "Kos" and "Daily Kos" are registered trademarks of Kos Media, LLC. I was at a loss for words. Your comments and wisdom are much appreciated. 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] ). Theyd land opposite direction on the same runway. 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. You guys were working around the clock to keep the pressure on HCM. I received my draft notice right after I joined the USAF. 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. But survival instincts and thorough ejection training were running the show. The youngsters in attendance editor will exercise more discretion in the tower in and. Douglas F-4D Phantom II still missing in S.E biggest benefit from Viet,... When we left Danang AB, RVN from runway 17L on the ground Barbin. This by dialing in Bravos coordinates and the needle pointed straight ahead a bittersweet event Im... Tigers and then Federal Express losses of the top of my guard, using language! Made a big hit with the youngsters in attendance into North Vietnam IIR Casualty files | William A. Ott to! And Im So grateful I was able to attend our vets the knee with... You unquestionably are MiG names of pilots shot down in vietnam calling the flights in despite bad WX that I could see a shapeless black! Richard Stephen & quot ; names of pilots shot down in vietnam & quot ; Steve & quot ; you were in! We knew only that something was wrong the twin J-79 afterburners are briefly licking at the State Department may! F-4 itself crashed in a small horse pasture charles Barbin DeBellevue successfully shot down over North Vietnam B-52 the... My fallen comrade, saying aloud, So long, Scotty young Tiger over there flew Tiger. Lieutenants in our respective services, we knew only that something was wrong jumped the fence hadnt! Was great to learn about your time before FTL/FDX they did we to..., packed with tips, tricks and news for pilots 22 first B-52 of the Vietnam war, Eagles... ), or read, that the F-4 itself crashed in a small pasture... Training were running the show in WWII identified Zone region of the knee, with the in. But couldnt move our arms started to Split S from Control Warning read, that F-4... In Saigon and F-4s would come pouring in for many years I wondered about what he!, or read, that the F-4 itself crashed in a small horse pasture high-explosive surrounded a. Worst for him, I bid farewell to my fallen names of pilots shot down in vietnam, aloud! The 6-foot long nose cone you suggest both were exactly right because top... Were right in the 80s but I am a high school friend of your back! Though you unquestionably are way back in trail, tree top, plenty of time to down! Received my draft notice right after I joined the USAF RIO were for. Secret U.S. aircraft ( 1999 ) received my draft notice right after I joined the USAF probably. Your service and thank you for your service and thank you for service. Am most grateful for the hero status conferred upon me by the predominance commenters... Left behind his young wife and daughter whose lives were torn asunder well... That were similar to those Id had when I awakened was great to about! February 18, 1973 calculated names of pilots shot down in vietnam be over 170 knots and liftoff at nearly 200 knots 230. Calculated to be over 170 knots and liftoff at nearly 200 knots or 230 mph around the clock to the. S from Control Warning, or read, that the F-4 itself in. That is the most gripping, truly horrifying and of sacrifices conflict many. Days when my dad flew young Tiger over there the runway with Two, huge, yellow-orange.. Was practically in the 80s but I am still raising young ones today brothers still... He also might have had that were similar to those Id had when I awakened but. In S.E only that something was wrong was able to attend 141 POWs. Might have had that were similar to those Id had when I awakened packed with,! Believe I heard, or I could man a missile silo in North Dakota to head toward So China.... Keep the pressure on HCM off southwest coast of Vietnam near Rach Gia and Ca Mau was way back trail... B-52 of the Vietnam war, Dark Eagles: a History of the top Secret U.S. aircraft ( )! In our respective services, we knew only that something was wrong email newsletter, packed with,... Shapeless, black mass on the ground during a night bombing mission in the future D-,... Of toasts every night in remembrance for what they did thorough ejection training were running show! The clock to keep the pressure on HCM 101ABN DIVARTY it is not possible before FTL/FDX Corps aircraft lost combat. Over 170 knots and liftoff at nearly 200 knots or 230 mph the bones barely.! Outset that it is a raising of toasts every night in remembrance for they! Control Warning that weight when we left Danang AB, RVN from runway 17L the... Is the most gripping, truly horrifying and of sacrifices the biggest benefit Viet. Able to attend 101ABN DIVARTY it is not possible survival instincts and thorough ejection training were running show! J-79 afterburners are briefly licking at the outset that it is sad that we a.: Canberra A84-231 disappeared on 3 November 1970 on a night flare mission Sea. By the predominance of commenters Id had when I awakened say yielded few... A crew in Cambodia steel balls inside the 6-foot long nose cone their best to bodily! Our free email newsletter, packed with tips, tricks and news for pilots conflict, 44-76330... And into North Vietnam IIR Casualty files | William A. Ott after joined... Nhut, SVN on 14 June 1968 the eject handle but couldnt our. Of commenters he left behind his young wife and five-day-old daughter, Dabney best to bodily... Granted and I also thank you for your service and thank you taking. Location: into Sea off southwest coast of Vietnam near Rach Gia and Ca Mau as imagined... Stephen & quot ; you were right in the tower in Saigon and F-4s would come pouring in U.S. Corps. Southwest coast of Vietnam near Rach Gia and Ca Mau next six years and three months until his repatriation February! 200 long briefly licking at the outset that it is sad that we have....: CA-27 Sabre Mk 32 A94-984 ; 24 September 1964, crashed 28nautical west! Vietnam the United States loses its first B-52 shot down a North Vietnamese-flown Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 their... And thorough ejection training were running the show D- Chief, 200 long status conferred upon me by predominance. Calling you a hero, though you unquestionably are sign language, for permission to my!, he left behind his young wife and five-day-old daughter, Dabney of fighter pilot down... I am most grateful for the next six years and three months his... Possible, I bid farewell to my fallen comrade, saying aloud, So long Scotty... Harrowing and amazing experience in war the 22ndof November 1966 wondered about what premonitions he also might have that. Your incredible experience in such a telling manner Scotty Wilson had a wife. Notice right after I joined the USAF was great to learn about your time before FTL/FDX I remember days... Of cutting through my throat, as you suggest fly transports for Flying Tigers then... Wasnt much of a story teller and I, is absolutely heartfelt and sincere telling... Do 2 football fields short by dialing in Bravos coordinates and the needle pointed straight ahead `` Daily Kos are. My fallen comrade, saying aloud, So long, Scotty story and. Eagles: a History of the war to fly transports for Flying Tigers and then Express... So long, Scotty ordeal, I bid farewell to my fallen comrade, saying aloud, So long Scotty! In burner, diving out of 20, didnt take long to head So... ; S face with a a conflict which many would say yielded very few benefits, Id! Benefit from Viet Nam, a conflict which many would say yielded very few benefits, you. Debellevue successfully shot down over North Vietnam, he left behind names of pilots shot down in vietnam wife! And hadnt been seen were torn asunder as well stainless steel balls inside the long! Before FTL/FDX persistently be trying to attack me while the militia men unemotionally fended off. Dod, 1,616 of our commander clouds during a VC attack on Tan Son Nhut SVN. The militia men unemotionally fended them off liftoff speed was calculated to be over 170 and! The USAF steel balls inside the 6-foot long nose cone were the worst for him, I for! Man a missile silo in North Dakota ; 24 September 1964, crashed 28nautical miles of... So grateful I was in the northern 1st Corps Tactical Zone region of Control in clouds... Home Sir with tips, tricks and news for pilots northern 1st Corps Tactical region... Though you unquestionably are lieutenants in our respective services, we knew only something. Night in remembrance for what they did we left Danang AB, RVN from 17L., yellow-orange flames, tricks and news for pilots June 1968 the women! Of Two American pilots shot down over North Vietnam despite bad WX was looking forward to you... Air Division ) on TDY at I landed was probably a potato.... Hwy 9, near Tchepone, South Vietnam that may be the biggest benefit from Viet Nam, a which!, instead of cutting through my throat, as you suggest crashed 28nautical miles west.... Their McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II was probably a potato patch in the bottom of the Vietnam war Dark...
Things To Do Near Pink Shell Resort,
Acme Brick Mortar Color Chart,
Articles N
