First loss: 1964, final loss: 1967. It was my honor to read about Scotty, and to digest another example of true American heroism. 1972 November 22 First B-52 shot down over North Vietnam The United States loses its first B-52 of the war. He still had the baleful look of an owl about to gobble a mouse. At 0600, I awoke to the annoying buzzer of my Telechron alarm clock. Permission was granted and I promptly made a big hit with the youngsters in attendance. Scotty then took control of the airplane as we proceeded to follow our leader along the preplanned route. The Air Force lost 1737, the Navy 530, the Marine Corps 463 and the Army lost 302 (fixed wing). 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. May God continue to bless you, Joe. 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. Presidio Press. RIP Scotty thank you Joe for sharing your experiences and for your commitment as an aviator. Well, at least you tried. As lieutenants in our respective services, we knew only that something was wrong. And the plane that carried them, a commercial jet . All my attention had been focused on escape and I had inadvertently bypassed the opportunity to use my emergency radio to make a distress, Mayday call. Nose wheel liftoff speed was calculated to be over 170 knots and liftoff at nearly 200 knots or 230 mph! The Republic of Vietnam lost 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973. God Bless you F-4 drivers! Of all those shot-down pilots, the experience apparently only made one uniquely qualified to be President. Just read this story about your mission over North Vietnam. The 366th TFW Gunfighters consisted of three squadrons; 389th, 390th and the 480th. We did not know if anyone survived! I lost all feeling in my arms very rapidly. Thank you again for your personal sacrifice and service to our country Sir. 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. I was O.K. It must have occurred just before my own chute opened. And I also thank you for taking the time to write down your harrowing and amazing experience in war. When my feet hit the floor with my elbows on my knees at bedside, a feeling of total despair came over me. Thanks for the details of this mission. 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. When Nixon ended the draft in early 73, having not yet been required to sign on the dotted line, I marched into the ROTC office, turned in my uniform, and that was it: my military obligation was over. I think of Scotty Wilson and many others every, single day. Jim witnessed the other pilot CW2 Richard Bauman and crew chief Craig Dix being captured. Our flight should never have been going into the target. 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. The door gunner Bobby Harris was KIA during the shoot down. The MiG-21 N. 4324 of the Vietnam People's Air Force. . God bless them! After I was stabilized, the boomer cleared me into the contact position. When I was shot down I weighed 157 lbs. You were a great morale boost when we needed it the most. Joe, Your story sheds much light on what his experiences must have been like. It was moving and changing shape ever so slowly. 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. How did the Vietnam shot down the B-52? Using first-hand accounts from diary entries, letters, and family stories, Snyder revives experiences that are accessible and relevant both to historians and readers with a casual interest in . 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. 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. 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. Richard Stephen "Steve" Ritchie and Weapons System Officer Capt. From the back seat, I accomplished the fuel on-load at an altitude of 25,000 ft. having to use minimum afterburner on the left engine to stay in position due to the heavy load. Thanks for your service, Sir. The villagers made short work of removing everything except my T-Shirt and skivvies. On Oct. 25, 1967, I strapped into my F-105 Thunderchief fighter-bomber and took to the sky on my 33rd combat mission to strike a bridge in the middle of Hanoi, North Vietnam. 17, 1965, Commander Lou Page (pilot) and Lieutenant JC Smith were flying F-4B bureau number (buno) 150646 not 151488 as sometimes reported. The plane was unveiled . when the canopy rails are parallel to the ground, the nose is 10-12 degrees up. A photograph of Lockhart shows him being paraded through the streets of Hanoi. 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. 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. Our flight leader didnt want to have to face the DO back at Danang AB having to answer why he didnt bring his flight into the target. I am forever beholding to you on so many fronts. We can only hope that the current and subsequent generations will take J.S. VMFA-115. So what was The D.O.s name? Vietnam will eventually strive throughout S.E. I turned that down, and promptly got drafted into the USArmy 31 days later! If the MiGs didnt come up, he couldnt have a chance to shoot one down. God Bless you, Joe, and all those who flew and fought in Vietnam. A SAM damn near got me and another my section leader. Spent the day with Tom and Scottys brother Mark. AIRCRAFT SHOT DOWN DURING THE VIETNAM WAR BY USN/USMC PILOTS. I was an aircraft mechanic serving at Clark Air Base in 1969-70 and then later at NKP in Thailand in 1973-74. North Vietnam lost 150 170 aircraft and helicopters. God Bless You for your service. With over 70 years of hindsight and investigation there were a ton of mistakes. I looked back to my right. Reeder is being held behind the middle window. 33 years 6 months after his loss. Ive raised all my children to, regardless of whether one agrees with our government or not, we as U.S. citizens always owe a debt of gratitude to those who signed that contract to protect our lives with risk to theirs. Joe- God Bless you & Scotty and all others that served like ya`ll ! No better tribute to a warrior and man then to be remembered by his fellow warriors 50+ years later. Well b fearn, you have a right to make your comment and your opinion, but I do not believe this is the time or place. [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]. 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. North Vietnam, pre-1975: Killing of Two American Pilots Shot Down Over North Vietnam IIR Casualty files | William A. Ott. [10] Estimates of North Vietnamese losses range from 131, as documented in North Vietnamese records; to 195, as claimed by U.S. I confirmed this by dialing in Bravos coordinates and the needle pointed straight ahead. Rest in Peace, dear Scotty. Final loss: C-130E 72-1297 (314th TAW) destroyed by rocket fire at Tan Son Nhut AB on 28 April 1975. It was the darkest moment of an amazing three weeks in Vietnam and I was quite happy to leave that place. I think there was supposed to be a moral to that story probably along the lines of smoking is always a bad idea but the way my father told the story, emphasizing how frightened the Marine was, and that he, my father, was only sitting with the other Marine to try to help him with his nerves, and to get him to calm down, well, it was obvious that this was another living, breathing, human being. 12,000 helicopters Scotty gave me the airplane and I climbed out at 350 knots until it came time to find the tanker on the radar. Looser! 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. 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. The soil was mercifully soft, loose and moist. 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. Others had knives and were, to my complete surprise, cutting the clothing and equipment from my body. By this time I was at 1,500 ft. At first it seemed to be right below me. Joe. YGBSM!. 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. I just received some additional email comments on my article and browsed through the older ones and saw yours. He was crying. Theyd blow up in midair, before they ever got to the runway. 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