I learned Russian and some higher math. I am also an Airforce veteran. 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. [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. Your story sheds much light on what his experiences must have been like. 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. The SA-2 brought down many American pilots over North Vietnam. I hope the AFJ editor will exercise more discretion in the future. As a nation I believe we learned the difference between necessary disagreement with our leaders, and needless, disrespectful persecution of and confrontation with our soldiers, who are/were following orders. I had never before heard the details of his loss. Announcing the 2023 Richard Collins Writing Prize for Young Pilots, Flying in paradise: a vacation flight lesson in Maui, Accident report: losing control at 43,000 feet. It was a bittersweet event and Im so grateful I was able to attend. 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. 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. The NVA never admitted to capturing them! 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. Nose wheel liftoff speed was calculated to be over 170 knots and liftoff at nearly 200 knots or 230 mph! 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. 28 NOV 67. I didnt know the Marine who was killed as he lit a cigarette on Iwo Jima any more than I knew Scotty Wilson, and yet, thanks to that brief story by my father, and thanks to a longer and more detailed story by Joe Crecca, I feel I do know these servicemen. I ask that you honor these costs and sacrifice, as I do. Both Aircrew members were Killed In-Action, Last VAL-4 loss: 155461 crashed on 9 February 1972. The U.S records showing 5,607 helicopter losses[2]. In burner, diving out of 20, didnt take long to head toward So China Sea. 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=1133364112, 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. In fact, there is no way you may be honored equal to what you gave. But, I knew the SA-2 was a powerful weapon; 400 lbs. Further, the controller COULD have joined us up and vectored us back to the truck-convoy gaggle, but the controller had obviously lost confidence in a flight leader who didnt know where he was. One of our F-4s was not delivered by maintenance. Crash Location: Into Sea off southwest coast of Vietnam near Rach Gia and Ca Mau. Its guys like you who Ive tried to be like when it became my turn to sit in the left seat. Joe. The White House approved a retaliatory air strike, but by the time it got there, the SAM batteries were long gone. Ritchie's #463 with drag chute open Phantom F-4Ds flying over Vietnam General Characteristics Crew: 2 Length: 63 ft 0 in (19.2 m) Wingspan: 38 ft 4.5 in (11.7 m) Height: 16 ft 6 in (5.0 m) Wing area: 530.0 ft (49.2 m) Airfoil: NACA 0006.4-64 root, NACA 0003-64 tip Empty weight: 30,328 lb (13,757 kg) Loaded weight: 41,500 lb (18,825 kg) Rescued Misty Pilots . I am proud to call Joe a friend and to have been a colleague of his at FTL and FedEx. Mr. Creccas response (farther below) displays considerably more class than that displayed by b fearn in this particular instance. Suddenly, I was lifted from the floor. A year and a half after his plane was shot down over North Vietnam, Porter sat in a filthy cell shared with another American prisoner of war, and learned that he was supposedly dead. 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. Black Hills just changed So. In order to avoid my radio falling into enemy hands where it could be used to lure American rescue teams into an ambush, I broke the antenna and tossed it. We had been taught to respect and trust the higher-ups that won WWII, Little could we conceive that the USMC and the USAF began the conflict with almost total ignorance of what was required for this exercise in power projection. Osprey 2001, No. 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. back then. Well written as you brought each of us along with you in the cockpit as your descriptives of that entire mission were intense. The blade began moving back and forth. I will tell the story of Scotty and you and will encourage my son to never forget! Joe many of the IPs in the 4435th remember you from your smooth ride getting back in the Phantom. Great job! R.I.P Scotty. How do you look in the mirror? God Bless America and her brave warriors! During the tour at NKP Thailand, I had opportunity to go TDY to Ubon Air base. I am most grateful for the hero status conferred upon me by the predominance of commenters. I remember the 141 unloading POWs Welcome Home Sir. Dogwood 4 was an MND, Maintenance Non Delivery, i.e., no airplane! 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. I wanted to wipe the blood away but my hands were tied behind my back. for my family and I, is absolutely heartfelt and sincere. Well, at least you tried. Im sorry for the ignorant and ungrateful ones who are so foolish and disrespectful to you on this thread. He didnt. 29. pp. Thanks so very much. Looking down toward my feet, I could see dozens of hands. And after Scotty started the engines, the aerial refueling receptacle would only operate some of the time. 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. In addition to the roof, the toilet was destroyed! The author, during training on the F-4 Phantom. I did enjoy reading this and I am grateful for men like you. 31 DEC 71. I was an aircraft mechanic serving at Clark Air Base in 1969-70 and then later at NKP in Thailand in 1973-74. Never regretted. At this point, because of the unexpected turn, our formation was too bunched up; we were too close to each other to be able to provide mutual look-out support. Your comments and wisdom are much appreciated. However, when your country calls, you have two choices, in 1965 you went, in 1969 you didnt. Wasnt much left for my remaining Six. 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. Had three square meals a day. Thank you for your email. This content was created by a Daily Kos Community member. I still know where the CB is. What was the first C-47 plane shot down in Vietnam? On July 24, 1965, an SA-2 shot down an Air Force F-4C, the first of 110 USAF aircraft lost to SAMs in Southeast Asia. Its Memorial Day, 2020. Subconsciously I probably realized I was sitting alone in the back seat of a burning airplane. At 9,000 ft., I began trying to maneuver my parachute towards the southern tip of the Tam Dao Mountain range better known as Thud Ridge by the F-105 Thunderchief drivers. I reached bingo, bingo minus 5, minus 10, minus 15, and reported to lead each time. 2013. Ronald Fogleman was shot down in the I Corps area 200 miles (320 km) north of Bien Hoa while flying aircraft 56-3245. The United States lost 578 UAVs (554 over Vietnam and 24 over China). He summed up his experience in Vietnam as It was f****d. You guys are the best we have. Pilots lost control in low clouds during a night flare mission. Misty FACs operated from 15 June 1967 to 19 May 1970. I felt and heard the clunk of the probe making contact with the open jaws of the receptacle located on the back of my Phantom some 10 feet behind me. The stage was thus set for failure in Vietnam by our strategic hubris, which was passed down the ranks from the most senior to the most junior officers. God Bless You for your service. Im sorry that you had to suffer so much but you had no business what so for ever being there. At least thats what I hoped. How many MiGs were shot down in Bolo? 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. 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! The Vietnam Years. How many MiGs were shot down during Vietnam War? Hope you sre enjoying the golden years. How did the Vietnam shot down the B-52? In early April, combat flight operations began from detachments at Binh Thuy and Vung Tau. The spot where I landed was probably a potato patch. After all that I suffered dont you dare tell me I had no business being there! So glad that you made it back in one piece, and were able to continue flying. 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. . Have not seen him since 1962. J. W. Newhouse rescued, First loss: EF-105F 63-8286 (13th TFS, 388th TFW) shot down by AAA RP-6 July 1966, Maj. Roosevelt Hestle, Final loss: F-105G 63-8359 (Det.1 561st TFS, 388th TFW) shot down by SAM 16 November 1972, RP-3, crew rescued, First loss: mission-related TFR failure, 66-0022 (428th TFS 474th TFW, Project Combat Lancer), 28 March 1968, Maj. H.E. 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 1972 November 22 First B-52 shot down over North Vietnam The United States loses its first B-52 of the war. I was the mouse. 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. William Reeder Jr., who served two tours in Vietnam as a U.S. Army pilot, was shot down on May 9, 1972, while flying a mission in a Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopter. The Communistss claimed 19 B-52s shot down to date. We can only hope that the current and subsequent generations will take J.S. But there was no SAM. Source for F-4 losses is Phantom with U.S. Marine Corps (Joe Baugher), others are unsourced, Production of a total of 380 Mohawks ended in December 1970. How many F 105s shot down in Vietnam? Thank you Sir. From the refueling track exit over northern Thailand, our route took us over northern Laos and into North Vietnam. I was always in awe of you guys flying the Phantom in the opressive heat and conditions of S.E. Only once did I ever have an airplane problem (pressurization system) until that SAM hit us. (Shaking head sadly) It seems theres always someone willing to take a conversation on an inappropriate tangent. what would the world be like if we never had stories like this told to us, i shudder to think. Not that northern Laos is a very hospitable place to be, but it would give you a better chance for a rescue by an Air Force chopper. Spooky came in after that and made a few passes. Lt Cmdr Frederick P Crosby had been deployed on the Bon Homme Richard, an Essex-class aircraft carrier stationed off the Vietnam coast His planed crashed in 1965 in front of Pham Van Truong's. I was O.K. But for many years I wondered about what premonitions he also might have had that were similar to those Id had when I awakened. God Bless America; God Bless the USAF; God Bless the Pilots and God Bless the POWs! It suddenly dawned on me that he would not surrender his place on the controllers list and lose the chance for his Silver Star! Ignore that kind, it is useless to argue as they are happy in their own world which they believe will lead to some utopian future paid for by others. So, with that, you have to question the command and leadership, not the foot soldier. It is a raising of toasts every night in remembrance for what they did. This is known as temporal distortion. Actually, it being a slow weekend day, I was on a break and eating breakfast with a few other controllers at a restaurant not far from the airport when Perky01 or 02 reported that they were going to have to bail out. He said hes sorry I feel that way. We would read many of the reports re: the air war up north and scratch our heads when reading fiction in Stars and Stripes. North Vietnam lost 150 170 aircraft and helicopters. Get it? The former fighter pilot, who was shot down over Vietnam in 1967, went on: Site content may be used for any purpose without explicit permission unless otherwise specified. 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