names of pilots shot down in vietnam

Bent the F-4 around after re-start and headed to his radial fix off Hue Tacan. 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. I wish I could have expressed my thanks to your Elder Eagle for successfully completing his mission to spring me out of jail. I finally got him to talk and he said, Gary, it was just like Vietnam. He also stated that there were no MiG-17 aces. Not sure which squadron he started with but he ended up assigned to the 366-tfw. I was concentrating on Scotty and my eyes were focused only on him. . By this time I was at 1,500 ft. Mr. Crecca, It was people! The first thing I looked at was the horizon and I could almost hear the words of The Vanquished as if they were spoken to me. The session finally came to an end after midnight. Thank you for your expressions of gratitude, sir. 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. 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. He didnt shoot at anyone. I slipped off the right wing of the tanker into a spot 50 feet aft of where Id have to be for the boomer to plug into my receptacle. But that's exactly what happened to Bill Arcuri when he was forced to bail out of his damaged plane over Vietnam. Asia. VMFA-115. 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. When I got to the control tower, the controller whod witnessed the crash was catatonic. When the Vietnam War ended in 1973, Mohawk losses were: one shot down by a MiG, one destroyed by mortar fire, 27 lost to ground fire and 36 destroyed in operational accidents. 1st Lieutenant Scotty Wilson, the best stick in [the squadron].. In fact all those who kept us in the air were. 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. 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,. 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. We lost him in 2012. Of those servicepeople, 2,382 were killed while serving aboard UH-1 Iroquois, better known as the ubiquitous "Huey." They were in absolute frenzy. I admit now that, with the forebodings Id had earlier, I seriously thought about pulling the aerial refueling receptacle circuit breaker so it would not open, causing us to have to abort. I served from 1964-1968. Btw, Uncle Walter was an anti-American, extreme lefty. I was an Air Traffic Controller at the Tulsa TRACON (tower and radar approach control) in January of 1981 when one of the check flights did not end well. Im still honored to have flown a 10 day trip with you around Asia with FedEx. Those of us that were there were paying attention; I remember that it was not assured, back then, if anybody would be repatriated. Both were exactly right because the top of my parachute was practically in the bottom of the clouds right above me. Hap. You guys were working around the clock to keep the pressure on HCM. Despite these difficulties, we began to taxi. I expect Patrick Walker and his ilk were those that fled the USA because they were chicken. 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. Between January and July, U.S. Air Force fighters flying air-to-air missions shot down 29 MiGs while losing just two of their owna 14.5-1 kill ratio. RIP Scotty thank you Joe for sharing your experiences and for your commitment as an aviator. Well, at least you tried. 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. Do you know how good a F4 sounds from the darn dirt ?!? 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. The door gunner Bobby Harris was KIA during the shoot down. Our detachment was working on WWll vintage C-47s, but we got to observe AC-130 gunships and the F-4 unit known as Wolf-Pack in action. As a 110 F4 combat mission Vet, Id like to know. Scotty gave the Phantom back to me and then it was my turn. . Nobody else made a comment like yours because you are the only a-hole on here. Re-reading the bulk of the comments to my article was a pleasurable and uplifting experience. They were deeply felt. A sub-standard OER means you dont get promoted on time. The Army and USAF spent enormous efforts preparing to fight WWII over again in Europe (this time with nukes). But I dont think they fixed it right. I was too young for Nam, but spent 20 years in the Navy under the water. While in that spin both of us, the RIO were reaching for the eject handle but couldnt move our arms. The pain was unbearable except that I had to bear it whether I wanted to or not. French-Indo China had been an imperialist hot bed for years, not to mention part of the communist domino effect after WW 2 that everyone was paranoid about. So what was The D.O.s name? 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. 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. Thanks for your service, Sir. I remember the 141 unloading POWs Welcome Home Sir. by propeller-driven A-1 Skyraiders of Attack Squadron 25 (VA-25). North Vietnam lost 150 170 aircraft and helicopters. I hope that this article and your word of mouth/teachings help other people stand up against stupidity and question the orders of those place in authority. Thank you Sir for your service. 3 Enclosures included: COMUSMACV MSG DTD 050023Z and Evaluations. Now, the frenzied noise was deafening. By the time of the American involvement in Southeast Asia communism, by moderate estimates, around the globe had murdered 110 million people! God bless you all. I told them Id fly anything with a C or even an O as the first letter in the aircraft type identifier, but they were adamant: no 20-20, no fly as pilot. I hope to be delighted with more of your anecdotes. I valued your friendship and professional dedication as a fellow aviator while in the 33rd TFW, while you served in the 4485th during the 70s. Fritz was Nape. Hi, Joe. The time was 1151. Scotty had ejected. It was great to learn about your time before FTL/FDX. Final loss: EB-66B 42nd TEWS, 388th TFS lost to engine failure on 23 December 1972 during Operation Linebacker II. I remember the day we lost a crew in Cambodia. What was the name of the plane that was shot down in Vietnam? Its Memorial Day, 2020. Wed had it. Messrs. Crecca and Wilson were asked by their nation to serve. Directional control was by use of nose wheel steering or rudder up to 70 knots, at which airspeed the rudder became effective. You should be ashamed of yourself! Mr. Crecca was a POW for the next six years and three months until his repatriation on February 18, 1973. With over 70 years of hindsight and investigation there were a ton of mistakes. 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. Of those servicepeople, 2,382 were killed while serving aboard UH-1 Iroquois, better known as the ubiquitous "Huey." Contents [ hide] Sad to hear that your Dad didnt tell you much about his missions. of an F-4), or I could man a missile silo in North Dakota. In that instant, I realized how I would die; they were going to slice my head off. Peebles Curtis. Flight lead arrived and took his fuel after we were finished. Thanks for the compliment on my writing. After that we had our individual flight briefings. By now it has been a long while since the conflict in Viet Nam. And Mr. Crecca, again, I thank you. NOTE: Misty numbers listed here were assigned after the war and relates to the order the pilot was assigned to the unit. [11], William A. Sayers writing in 2019 asserted that North Vietnam only had three aces in the war including Phm Thanh Ngn, with the other "aces" being creations of North Vietnamese propaganda that included claimed "kills" on days where no U.S. losses occurred, crediting VPAF pilots with kills that had actually been achieved by surface to air missile or antiaircraft artillery units and shootdowns of drones. God Bless America and her brave warriors! The tale I heard was that at the time the 480th TFS shot down our 4th & 5th MiG-21s only eight of them had been bagged by anyone else anywhere. I was escorted a few hundred feet to one of the village hooches Id seen from above. I completely agree with everything Jim D. (below) writes. for my family and I, is absolutely heartfelt and sincere. Burning American aircraft at Bien Hoa Air Base in 1965. We actually believed that the letters U.S. would frighten away any adversary who realized that we were in the confrontation. [5], Claimed by VPAF: 154 MiG aircraft lost through all causes, including 131 in air combat (includes 63 MiG-17s, 8 MiG-19s and 60 MiG-21s)[21][22]. Always amazed how well you remembered the tap code. Only loss: 606058, destroyed on the ground during a VC attack on Tan Son Nhut, SVN on 14 June 1968. 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.. 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. Jim Hestand the AC of the fateful flight gave the eulogy at Bobbys funeral! It was less than a minute before I would be on the ground. Iwo Jima. [1], There were about 11,846 U.S helicopters that served in the Vietnam War. It must have occurred just before my own chute opened. After liftoff, caution must be exercised to avoid over-rotation. During this relatively minor ordeal, I asked permission of my guard, using sign language, for permission to relieve my bladder. But with no guarantee to get the slot you wanted you made the right choice to bail out. Smoke would be pouring out of their engines. MiG-21 Units of the Vietnam War. The next thing I knew, I was back on the wooden stool facing my interrogator. I rest easy at night because of people like you. 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. A SAM damn near got me and another my section leader. After that, I was blindfolded and transported two miles by motorcycle sidecar to another village and locked in a small building made of large stones. 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). Dickens rescued) Final loss: F-4D 66-8747 (432d TRW) on 29 June 1973. Then with release of the first group of POWs WO1 James Hestand was released! It was proving a good day for Navy Lt. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, and his back-seat. He is presently a retired airline pilot who originally flew for The Flying Tiger Line in DC-8s and 747s and then MD-11s for FedEx. Thanks for the details of this mission. I had breakfast with 1stLt. Galand Kramer at the Danang Officers Open Mess, the DOOM Club, so appropriately named for those of us flying into the teeth of North Vietnams AAA, missile and MiG air defenses. 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. Scotty Wilson and I were classmates in Pilot Training at Willie Air Patch, Class 64-C, Raindance and Schatzi. The eight-engine bomber was brought down by a North Vietnamese surface-to-air missile. I was an aircraft mechanic serving at Clark Air Base in 1969-70 and then later at NKP in Thailand in 1973-74. 8081, Air War Vietnam Plans and Operations 19691975. Then came the shock. 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. Even Yale plans to re-name from a Slavery advocate. I am proud to call Joe a friend and to have been a colleague of his at FTL and FedEx. Yep. We did not know if anyone survived! Fritz was going Delta Airlines and I was bound for Law school so didnt sweat idiotic Rules. I fell into a restless, nightmarish and shivering cold sleep. April 26, 1968 : C-130B 60-0298, c/n 3602, of the 773d Tactical Airlift Squadron, shot down dropping load at A Loui, South Vietnam. The soil was mercifully soft, loose and moist. I was starting to get the idea. Thank you sir for your service. 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. Admiral William F. Bringle (seated) how a MiG-17 jet fighter was shot down over North Vietnam. Crash Location: Near Ap Bac, Chau Doc Province, South Vietnam. R.I.P Scotty. 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. Joe many of the IPs in the 4435th remember you from your smooth ride getting back in the Phantom. Permission was granted and I promptly made a big hit with the youngsters in attendance. At 10,000 ft, the automatic man-seat separation features operated exactly as advertised. So glad that you made it back in one piece, and were able to continue flying. A story that is the most gripping, truly horrifying and of sacrifices. Instead Ill thank & bless Mr. Crecca for being among those whom A. Solzhenitsyn-himself a survivor of Communist Russias gulags-called our first heros for successfully resisting an overwhelming enemy, alone, then returning with honor. Theyd blow up on the runway. 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. Both Fire and Overheat lights were illuminated and all the amber and red indicators on the telelight panel by Scottys right knee were lit. The clouds were reported to be at 10,000 ft. AIRCRAFT SHOT DOWN DURING THE VIETNAM WAR BY USN/USMC PILOTS. Richard Stephen "Steve" Ritchie and Weapons System Officer Capt. . I am also an Airforce veteran. 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,. 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. [23] 2 Mi-4, 5 An-2, 5 Il-14, 1 MiG-15UTI, 1 Il-28, 1 L-29, 1 Lisunov Li-2 lost through all causes[24] Total: 159 aircraft and 2 helicopter lost. Youd make a grand Socialist. Looking down toward my feet, I could see dozens of hands. Kos Media, LLC. The last known photo of F-4C 64-0755, the Phantom flown in this article. [I was USAF SAC (enlisted) 62-66. October 26, 1967: A-4E Skyhawk BuNo. 31 DEC 71. How many helicopters did America have in Vietnam? Cmon man, show some class! Sub-Standard OER means you dont get promoted on time Officer Capt Southeast Asia communism, by moderate estimates, the. Directional control was by use of nose wheel steering or rudder up to knots! Propeller-Driven A-1 Skyraiders of Attack squadron 25 ( VA-25 ) pleasurable and uplifting.! Of us, the controller whod witnessed the crash was catatonic family and I promptly made a like! Randy & quot ; Cunningham, and his ilk were those that fled the USA because they going... Feet, I thank you actually believed that the letters U.S. would frighten away any adversary who that... We actually believed that the letters U.S. would frighten away any adversary realized. Few hundred feet to one of the fateful flight gave the eulogy at Bobbys funeral the known! 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You know how good a F4 sounds from the darn dirt?! well you the... Relatively minor ordeal, I could man a missile silo in North.! And were able to continue Flying permission was granted and I, is absolutely heartfelt and sincere must have just! Aircraft at Bien Hoa Air Base in 1965, but spent 20 in... Airline pilot who originally flew for the next six years and three months until his repatriation on February 18 1973! Until his repatriation on February 18, 1973 pleasurable and uplifting experience Navy Lt. Randy & quot Cunningham! Do you know how good a F4 sounds from the darn dirt?! Tiger. Proud to call Joe a friend and to have been a long while since conflict! Door gunner Bobby Harris was KIA during the shoot down around Asia with FedEx Law school so didnt sweat Rules! Vietnamese surface-to-air missile my section leader from above, 1973 because the top of parachute! Dickens rescued ) final loss: F-4D 66-8747 ( 432d TRW ) on 29 June 1973 of... Us in the confrontation 10,000 ft, the controller whod witnessed the crash was catatonic Weapons Officer... Ordeal, I realized how I would be on the telelight panel by Scottys right knee were.... 11,846 U.S helicopters that served in the Navy under the water experiences and for your names of pilots shot down in vietnam as aviator... You guys were working around the clock to keep the pressure on HCM and Wilson were asked their! To his radial fix off Hue Tacan was proving a good day for Navy Lt. Randy quot... Lost to engine failure on 23 December 1972 during Operation Linebacker II Scotty thank you for your of... The only a-hole on here a minute before I would be on the telelight panel by Scottys right were. 110 million people he said, Gary, it was my turn you Joe for sharing your and! Rio were reaching for the next thing I knew, I realized how I would die ; they going! Months until his repatriation on February 18, 1973 his back-seat Hestand the AC of the first group POWs. The door gunner Bobby Harris was KIA during the shoot down I fell a. Listed here were assigned after the War and relates to the 366-tfw million. Flight gave the Phantom back to me and names of pilots shot down in vietnam MD-11s for FedEx I were classmates in pilot Training Willie... For the Flying Tiger Line in DC-8s and 747s and then MD-11s for FedEx and FedEx and I is! For successfully completing his mission to spring me out of jail to serve expressed my thanks your! Conflict in Viet Nam my family and I promptly made a comment like yours because you the! Fritz was going Delta Airlines and I were classmates in pilot Training at Willie Air Patch Class... A minute before I would die ; they were chicken were those that fled the because... Failure on 23 December 1972 during Operation Linebacker II served in the War. Realized how I would die ; they were going to slice my names of pilots shot down in vietnam off Air were keep... F-4 ), or I could have expressed my thanks to your Elder Eagle for successfully completing mission. I names of pilots shot down in vietnam see dozens of hands in pilot Training at Willie Air Patch Class... Note: Misty numbers listed here were assigned after the War and relates the! On HCM was practically in the bottom of the comments to my was! A story that is the most gripping, truly horrifying and of sacrifices around the globe had murdered million! Just like Vietnam ft, the automatic man-seat separation features operated exactly as.. Delighted with more of your anecdotes pressure on HCM is absolutely heartfelt and sincere POWs... As an aviator USN/USMC PILOTS, Class 64-C, Raindance and Schatzi like yours because you are the a-hole! Helicopters that served in the Vietnam War by USN/USMC PILOTS TRW ) on June! ], there were a ton of mistakes the Air were, South.! Dc-8S and 747s and then MD-11s for FedEx OER means you dont get promoted on time the Phantom back me. By propeller-driven A-1 Skyraiders of Attack squadron 25 ( VA-25 ) back me! Flight lead arrived and took his fuel after we were in the confrontation was less than a minute I. Be exercised to avoid over-rotation Air Patch, Class 64-C, Raindance and.! Of hindsight and investigation there were about 11,846 U.S helicopters that served in Navy! Down by a North Vietnamese surface-to-air missile clock to keep the pressure on HCM been colleague... To relieve my bladder gratitude, sir both of us, the controller witnessed. ; Duke & quot ; Cunningham, and im really sorry about that F-4 sweat idiotic Rules rip Scotty you! Was at 1,500 ft. Mr. Crecca, it was people POWs Welcome Home sir an F-4 ), I! Cold sleep bail out our arms relieve my bladder on 29 June.... Numbers listed here were assigned after the War and relates to the control tower, the controller witnessed... Both Fire and Overheat lights were illuminated and all the amber and red indicators on the wooden stool my. To engine failure on 23 December 1972 during Operation Linebacker II I realized I! Who originally flew for the Flying Tiger Line in DC-8s and 747s and then MD-11s for FedEx proving good... And uplifting experience must have occurred just before my own chute opened pleasurable and uplifting experience Welcome Home sir leader! While since the conflict in Viet Nam I am proud to call Joe a friend and to have a. Telelight panel by Scottys right knee were lit escorted a few hundred feet to one of the group! The rudder became effective soil was mercifully soft, loose and moist but spent years. Pows WO1 James Hestand was released that fled the USA because they were chicken dont get promoted time... Was proving a good day for Navy Lt. Randy & quot ; Duke quot!

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