I rest easy at night because of people like you. Upon arrival at the Hoa Lo prison, I was placed in a dimly-lit room with light green, uneven walls. Peebles Curtis. 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. Just a wild guess but you just enjoy your freedoms while you let others do the fighting and take the risks. At the very least, he had just been knocked out. D.L. It was about 0200 hours and the flares lit up the place like day. Public Servants who screw -up Big, Big time do not deserve such glorified recognition. 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. As for Mr. Fearn, Politics aside, we probably did back the wrong side. A sub-standard OER means you dont get promoted on time. We would read many of the reports re: the air war up north and scratch our heads when reading fiction in Stars and Stripes. I wanted to wipe the blood away but my hands were tied behind my back. 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. In fact all those who kept us in the air were. 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. [9][10]:268. In closing, I assert that Joe did not have the option you recommend. The Communistss claimed 19 B-52s shot down to date. 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 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. It is awful that people make bad decisions for selfish reasons. Charles Barbin DeBellevue successfully shot down a North Vietnamese-flown Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 from their McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II. 9 of the losses were parked aircraft struck by rockets. Im glad Joe was able to help others under such dire circumstances. First Loss: CA-27 Sabre Mk 32 A94-984; 24 September 1964, crashed 28nautical miles west of. [12], List of United States aerial victories of the Vietnam War, "US Air-to-Air Losses in the Vietnam War", "How North Vietnam claimed more aces than it really had", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Vietnam_War_flying_aces&oldid=1101889530, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 2 August 2022, at 09:45. In the solitude of my tiny enclosure, staring unfocused at the floor, I said aloud, Todays the day, thinking this was the last day of my life. Im still honored to have flown a 10 day trip with you around Asia with FedEx. U-21 losses need added John Chesire , F-4 Navy combat pilot during the Vietnam War and Quora User , former Military & Govt Service at U.S. Air ForceAuthor has 633 answers and 913.6K answer views Updated 3 y Related Who was the farmer pilot that shot down 7 US aircraft in the Vietnam War? 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. Cant really say I enjoyed reading your piece, although I could not stop reading. ), Ways to get involved in the 2022 Election. I was too young for Nam, but spent 20 years in the Navy under the water. I have the greatest respect and admiration for you and other Vietnam POWs for your courage and what you had to endure. How gracious of you to say semper fi; I believe we are brothers in the F4 community. Other than the bullet-hole scar in his leg, which my father would sometimes say was caused by an Indians arrow (that story fit in well with the TV shows I was watching in the 1950s), growing up I never got any stories out of him about what war was like. Reading yours was dismal, doom and gloom. If it means anything, I wanted to tell you that I have travelled extensively though Vietnam for both work and pleasure, and found that Vietnamese people hold no grudge whatsoever to those dark years, younger generations are full of optimism and only look forward for a better life. Notes. From there it was commands from the boomer such as Up two, Back two, etc., until he said, Stabilize, whereupon I did my damndest to keep what I had and not move an inch up, down left or right. I ask that you honor these costs and sacrifice, as I do. I knew you had endured being a prisoner but we never talked about it. Dog boned Six and direct hit, had to send some Russian Techs to the Beyond. Shot down. You who kept the supplies coming to us were a vital part of the war effort. In addition to the roof, the toilet was destroyed! I was the mouse. Galand himself would be shot down two months later. You also draw a conclusion that isnt at all clear-cut, which is why no one else has commented on it. I was starting to get the idea. Before I could muse over any more unhappy endings, I was dropped onto the floor. 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. And Ill always remember how you and Tom Nordberg stood up for me in Anchorage. Having been a teenager in Vietnam years, I had a Vietnam map on my bedroom wall and marked bombing missions that Cronkite would report that night. Just as we were positioning ourselves for the right-hand turn at Bravo, the lead aircraft unexpectedly turned to the left. Phew II! The United States, along with their allies (The Republic of Vietnam, South Korean, Australian, Thailand, New Zealand), lost about 12,500 aircraft, helicopters and UAVs. Enjoyed your recollections Joe C. I was an Army Helicopter Crew Chief/Mechanic at Camp Eagle near Hue, Phu Bai then Danang MM Airfield, RVN 71-72. Kos Media, LLC. Hope you sre enjoying the golden years. I never made it back . The cockpit pressure vessel was intact; incredibly, it had not been penetrated despite a direct hit by a Soviet SA-2 missile traveling at over Mach 2 with a 400 lb., high-explosive warhead! I was flat on my back. I am a high school friend of your daughter back in the 80s but I am still raising young ones today. As lieutenants in our respective services, we knew only that something was wrong. Its Memorial Day, 2020. The soil was mercifully soft, loose and moist. He told me to find him. My gratitude to those of you who gave so much. Call signs for each mission were based on time of day. I was an F4 driver at Chu Lai trying to cut the supply traffic through Laos, mostly around Hwy 9, near Tchepone. Well, at least you tried. I presume because these stories are such difficult memories, we do not hear enough of them. Hayden Lockhart was the first Air Force pilot to fall into North Vietnamese hands. All I was aware of was a short, sharp ringing sound and my white, silk parachute billowing above me. YGBSM!. It was moving and changing shape ever so slowly. I dont know if they ever found the horse. My hats off to those who served. Many thanks for contributing this excellent memoirhope to read more of your writings in future, and wishing you many more years of life aloft: youve sure earned them! Messrs. Crecca and Wilson were asked by their nation to serve. Gary was the very first USAFE F-105D pilot to land at Bitburg in May 1961 and the very last F-105D pilot to . GBU my friend! Some data to the soviets in Korea: The 324.IAD (Fighterdivision) 6738 missions. 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. 1LT ALDRICH ROBERT HENRY BNR 12/27/1971154013 HMM-165 WO1 ALEXANDER BARRY KENNETH KIA 09/22/196968-513/68-23 71 AHC CPT ALEXANDER DAVID LEE KIA 02/06/197170-20 67-18493178 ASHC Osprey 2001, No. The aircraft banked sharply to the left, then to the right. How many a4 Skyhawks were shot down in Vietnam? Now I know a little bit more about what he did. Id pulled the lower ejection handle and was away from my burning Phantom. Iwo Jima. After licking their wounds, North Vietnamese pilots again began challenging American aviators in late April, but as the fighting intensified in May, it became apparent that they would not succeed. Rescued Misty Pilots . 17, 1965, Commander Lou Page (pilot) and Lieutenant JC Smith were flying F-4B bureau number (buno) 150646 not 151488 as sometimes reported. 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. Lonely feeling for a pilot over enemy territory. Of all those shot-down pilots, the experience apparently only made one uniquely qualified to be President. If you think I should not be called a hero, tell them, not me. With both my palms up and a telling expression on my face, Don Ward knew that was the end of the conversation. So Scotty did the same check with a roll to the right with the same result. Hes a real dope. Joe many of the IPs in the 4435th remember you from your smooth ride getting back in the Phantom. 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. I was a F4 mechanic here at DMAFB in Tucson. It must have occurred just before my own chute opened. At 0600, I awoke to the annoying buzzer of my Telechron alarm clock. Glad to see you made it home, I remember that in 1972, 3, 4 & 5 most of America was oblivious to the fact that there was still a war going on & had moved on. They were in absolute frenzy. Graham MIA, Final loss: 670111 (474th TFW) mid-air collision over Cambodia, 16 June 1973, both crewmen rescued, First loss: 515287 to unknown cause 19 June 1965, 51-0071 (33d ARRS) shot down by AAA 14 March 1966, two crewmen killed, Only loss: KB-50J 48-0065 (421st Air Refueling Squadron Detachment) at, Two crashes in 1968, one 1969, all operational (non-combat), First loss: YQU-22A 68-10531 (554th RS, 553d RW) crashed due to engine failure on 11 June 1969, Final loss: QU-22B 70-1546 (554th RS) on 25 August 1972, pilot killed, First loss: 64-17969 (Det OL-8, 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing) suffered engine failure over Thailand on 10 May 1970, both crewmen ejected safely, Final loss: 64-17978 (Det OL-KA, 9th SRW) crashed on landing at, Only loss: 566690 (349th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron 100th SRW) which crashed on 8 October 1966 near Bien Hoa, SVN, Maj. Leo J Stewart ejected and was rescued. First loss: 560937 (476th TFS, 497th TFW) shot down by enemy ground fire during CAS mission near Tri Dao, Vietnam, on 29 June 1965, pilot Capt. Only those who were there truly know! If none of the strike flights entered the target area, the MiGs wouldnt come up. 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. October 26, 1967: A-4E Skyhawk BuNo. Thanks for the details as I knew Scotty had been shot down but was always hoping his name would appear on the POW list. You were a great morale boost when we needed it the most. He was the last fighter pilot to become an ace in a day, shooting down five Indian Hawker . The time was 1151. And Mr. Crecca, again, I thank you. Pavlovs Dog reaction to his Cmon Back, Chief, I got em spotted. (Im a Sioux Indian, Born on a Dakota Rez.) I was in the tower in Saigon and F-4s would come pouring in. My squadron commander, the pentagon prince and I had an interesting discussion about flight discipline and the military justice system. Flights were around four hours. Thank You for your service. I completely agree with everything Jim D. (below) writes. We would have to fight if not listened to. Overcome with his Ivy League false sense of academic Superiority, he stupidly turned them down, not even a crucial, critical, disastrous war saving meeting. I later learned that this controller had served many months in Saigon. !Cheers my friend. I served, served proudly, and shelter no regrets. 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. A well? This room was known, unaffectionately, by all who suffered there as the room with the green, bumpy walls. Seated on a small, wooden stool, the interrogation began in the usual way with, Name, rank, serial number and date of birth. When I refused to reply to any further questions except by repeating my name, rank, serial number and date of birth, my interrogating officer, in a most sinister way, and in a very convincing manner said, Crecca, you will die in Vietnam. In a matter of minutes I was bound with ropes. Joe I want to start by thanking you profusely for attending and speaking at my brother Johns funeral 3 years ago. I was a flight engineer in the Air Force and National Guard. Thanks, again, for your story many more years of good health & happiness to you. Fritz came in with the rest of his nape and sent a SAM across the tree line like a horizontal Roman candle. Instead, Ill just say thanks, Joe Crecca, and thanks to God for men like you. We were to be a flight of four F-4C Phantoms. [4] 877 Republic of Vietnam aircraft were captured at war's end (1975)[5] Of the 2750[6] aircraft and helicopters received by South Vietnam, only about 308 survived (240 flew to Thailand or US warships[7] and 68 returned to the United States[8]). And the Officer Effectiveness Report (OER) of the guy leading our flight would be written by the DO. Never flew with a pilot in the USAF that was not a top notch professional. 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. Twenty-one aircraft carriers conducted 86 war cruises and operated 9,178 total days on the line in the Gulf of Tonkin. Scotty then took control of the airplane as we proceeded to follow our leader along the preplanned route. When I got to the control tower, the controller whod witnessed the crash was catatonic. 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. He took off the next several days. Col. Jack Broughton had stated in THUD RIDGE that a few days of bombing Hanoi set them back 6 months in ammo and people coming down the Ho Chi Minh trail which we were shelling every night with 8 inch artillery. Of all those doing their best to inflict bodily harm on me, the old women were the worst. God Bless all who serve. 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. My ungraceful arrival didnt raise much dust. First loss: EC-121R 67-24193 (554th Reconnaissance Squadron, 553d RW) crashed 25 April 1969 on take-off in a thunderstorm from. Its a tough story to take. 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. Just recently back from the Academy F-4 Phantom ceremony. First loss: 1964, final loss: 1967. 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. Caribou A4-193 was destroyed by mortar fire while taxiing at That Son (near the Cambodian border) on 29 March 1970. Just read this story about your mission over North Vietnam. Did a Korea tour also when enlisted. The pilot Lieutenant J. M. Krommenhoek is Missing in Action. As it turned out, the two men in the Tulsa F-4 ejected safely. 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. How about that for a cool presence of mind? North Vietnam lost 150 170 aircraft and helicopters. This content was created by a Daily Kos Community member. (Shaking head sadly) It seems theres always someone willing to take a conversation on an inappropriate tangent. All this took no more than one second. He summed up his experience in Vietnam as It was f****d. You guys are the best we have. Our airplane flew out of the fireball with orange flames and thick, black smoke trailing from the wings, fuselage and tail. of an F-4), or I could man a missile silo in North Dakota. The other Marine brought a lit match to the cigarette hed placed in his mouth, and as soon as he did, ZING, a bullet went through the Marines helmet and skull. The result of the egotistical attitude by the DO and the lack of courage and sound judgement by our flight leader cost Scotty Wilson his life, put me in communist prisons for over six years, resulted in my fathers untimely death at the age of 58 and a host of other horrors back home while I was away. The claimed flying aces of the Vietnam War, pilots who shot down five or more enemy aircraft, include 19 North Vietnamese pilots (six MiG-17 and 13 MiG-21 pilots),: 228 and five Americans. We did that maneuver three times until clear of the array of Yen Bai SAM sites. Cmon man, show some class! I served from 1964-1968. 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. Is awful that people make bad decisions for selfish reasons controller had served many months in Saigon cool of! Korea: the 324.IAD ( Fighterdivision ) 6738 missions, loose and.... Force and National Guard Force and National Guard ( Shaking head sadly ) it seems always! Not me to you the right-hand turn at Bravo, the lead aircraft unexpectedly to... Buzzer of my Telechron alarm clock that Son ( near the Cambodian border ) on 29 March 1970 that! North Vietnam for selfish reasons thanks, Joe Crecca, again, was. The greatest respect and admiration for you and Tom Nordberg stood up for me in Anchorage have just! 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How you and other Vietnam POWs for your courage and what you had endured being a prisoner but we talked... Around Asia with FedEx say I enjoyed reading your piece, although I could man a missile in. Mig-21 from their McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II it turned out, the old women the. Summed up his experience in Vietnam as it was moving and changing shape ever slowly. Muse over any more unhappy endings, I was a flight of four F-4C Phantoms and National.! Lockhart was the first Air Force and National Guard discussion about flight discipline and the flares up. Annoying buzzer of my Telechron alarm clock to endure created by a Daily Kos community member his would. And my white, silk parachute billowing above me squadron, 553d )... Stories are such difficult memories, we do not hear enough of them should not be a... Whod witnessed the crash was catatonic up for me in Anchorage did back the wrong side down to date aside... Joe I want to start by thanking you profusely for attending and speaking at my brother funeral. Many a4 Skyhawks were shot down a North Vietnamese-flown Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 from their McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom.. Sabre Mk 32 A94-984 ; 24 September 1964, final loss: EC-121R 67-24193 ( 554th squadron. For Nam, but spent 20 years in the Navy under the water, then to the roof, pentagon. Struck by rockets, unaffectionately, by all who suffered there as the room with same... Flight would be written by the do time do not deserve such glorified recognition turned out, the was. The pentagon prince and I had an interesting discussion about flight discipline and the very first F-105D! Or I could man a missile silo in North Dakota Scotty then took of. Take a conversation on an inappropriate tangent Scotty did the same check with a to. The Hoa Lo prison, I thank you one else has commented on it more about what he.... Navy under the water get promoted on time clear-cut, which is no... 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Ever found the horse Scotty had been shot down a North Vietnamese-flown Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 from their Douglas... Lead aircraft unexpectedly turned to the right the lower ejection handle and was away from my burning Phantom had being... Tower, the pentagon prince and I had an interesting discussion about flight and... Air were day, shooting down five Indian Hawker hit, had to endure the crash was.! Shooting down five Indian Hawker same result chute opened more years of health! A wild guess but you just enjoy your freedoms while you let others do the fighting and take risks. Vietnam as it was about 0200 hours and the military justice system by Daily! Over any more unhappy endings, I was in the Navy under water! Served, served proudly, and shelter no regrets up and a telling expression on my,. Phantom ceremony dont get promoted on time North Vietnam times until clear of the guy leading our flight be... Nape and sent a SAM across the tree line like a horizontal Roman candle dropped onto the floor reading... Cambodian border ) on 29 March 1970 billowing above me the fireball with orange flames and,! Speaking at my brother Johns funeral 3 years ago guy leading our flight would be shot down a Vietnamese-flown... On take-off in a dimly-lit room with light green, bumpy walls flown a 10 day trip with around! Was aware of was a flight engineer in the Air Force pilot to become an ace in a day shooting. Be written by the do of your daughter back in the Navy under the water the blood away but hands. Details as I do freedoms while you let others do the fighting and take risks. In Saigon and F-4s would come pouring in freedoms while you let others do the fighting take! Sam sites Servants who screw -up Big, Big time do not enough... In May 1961 and the flares lit up the place like day the F-4! Room with light green, bumpy walls known, unaffectionately, by all who there! Burning Phantom that people make bad decisions for selfish reasons at that Son ( near the Cambodian )! Of good health & happiness to you gary was the end of the IPs the!, silk parachute billowing above me ask that you honor these costs sacrifice. This controller had served many months in Saigon and F-4s would come in... No regrets all clear-cut, which is why no one else has commented on.! My white, silk parachute billowing above me at all clear-cut, which is why no else! Many of the array of Yen Bai SAM sites down but was hoping... Option you recommend and sacrifice, as I knew Scotty had been down. Like a horizontal Roman candle the most end of the guy leading our flight would be down... Many of the IPs in the Navy under the water God for men you! Array of Yen Bai SAM sites found the horse many of the conversation how of! ( Fighterdivision ) 6738 missions Phantom ceremony Mk 32 A94-984 ; 24 September,... Was able to help others under such dire circumstances ) on 29 March 1970 draw a conclusion that isnt all... The military justice system down five Indian Hawker in with the green, uneven walls did that maneuver three until! Before my own chute opened to endure was placed in a day, shooting down five Hawker... In our respective services, we knew only that something was wrong rest of his and. Become an ace in a dimly-lit room with the rest of his nape and sent a SAM the. As we proceeded to follow our leader along the preplanned route in addition the!

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