Hes a real dope. I cried like a baby. It was another scene of temporal distortion. He should be yours as well, regardless of what you think of the efficacy and need for that conflict of many years ago. First of all, we only had three airplanes. ), Ways to get involved in the 2022 Election. 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. My gratitude to you and to all servicemen and women willing to suffer and risk their life for the freedom and safety of our country. Jim witnessed the other pilot CW2 Richard Bauman and crew chief Craig Dix being captured. 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. 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. And I mourn their deaths. I yelled on the intercom, Deep six check! 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. I expect Patrick Walker and his ilk were those that fled the USA because they were chicken. I was sad to read about poor decisions based on ego costing lives, I know how true that is. And when the pressurization system failed we were freezing our butts off! Nose wheel liftoff speed was calculated to be over 170 knots and liftoff at nearly 200 knots or 230 mph! The first and only fatal crash by an RAAF aircraft in Thailand. Joe, you are one incredible patriot and hero. Sayonara, engines! I was flat on my back. First loss: Canberra A84-231 disappeared on 3 November 1970 on a night bombing mission in the northern 1st Corps Tactical Zone region of. I wish you and yours peace and happiness all the days of your life. Some were grabbing and pulling at my anti-g suit, flight suit and boots. Joe, Many thanks for writing & publishing your story. 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. This content was created by a Daily Kos Community member. Thank you Sir for your service. But that's exactly what happened to Bill Arcuri when he was forced to bail out of his damaged plane over Vietnam. Scotty Wilson and I were classmates in Pilot Training at Willie Air Patch, Class 64-C, Raindance and Schatzi. 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),[1]:228 and five Americans. 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. D.L. I rest easy at night because of people like you. They were all well received. And thanks to one incident at Tulsa International Airport sometime around January of 1981, I know how much the loss of servicemen and women can mean to people you might never suspect would have any feelings at all. I replied that I still had a positive lock to a radio nav-aid and if he could get us through the clouds I could get us to the target. by propeller-driven A-1 Skyraiders of Attack Squadron 25 (VA-25). In fact, there is no way you may be honored equal to what you gave. 1:00 Jan. 6 will mark 50 years since former Newburgh resident Dave Middleton was shot down in Vietnam while piloting a Loach helicopter on a mission to which he wasn't originally assigned.. How do you look in the mirror? Fritz was Nape. I told him to head SE so I could spot him out of the circular traffic jam. It must have occurred just before my own chute opened. And the Officer Effectiveness Report (OER) of the guy leading our flight would be written by the DO. Iwo Jima. Names. Im an alumnus of the 480th TFS myself ( USAFE, 78-80) and wish you all the best . All of us pilots felt lost. As I descended lower and lower, I realized that by the time I reached the surface Id still be a long way from even the base of the higher ground. What was the name of the plane that was shot down in Vietnam? God bless. May God comfort those families who still wait and wonder.]. Before I could muse over any more unhappy endings, I was dropped onto the floor. All of a sudden, they stood me up. Crash Location: Into Sea off southwest coast of Vietnam near Rach Gia and Ca Mau. 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. for my family and I, is absolutely heartfelt and sincere. Stay up to date with the latest articles and selections from our archives. I was escorted a few hundred feet to one of the village hooches Id seen from above. Final combat loss (also last USN combat loss of war): F-4J 155768 (VF-143, First VAL-4 loss: 155490 was shot down the night of 12 July 1969. If you are wondering how this is possible, I will reveal at the outset that it is not possible. 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. 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. 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 Republic of Vietnam lost 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973. 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. 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. Those bumps on the walls, in retrospect, were a poor mans acoustic treatment for trying to muffle the screams of Americans being tortured there. 3 crewmen were KIA. May God bless you, your family and all our vets. I looked around me to see hundreds of people, mostly villagers, including old folks and children. Final loss: EC-121R 67-21495 (554th RS) crashed on approach to Korat RTAFB on 6 September 1969, 4 of the 16 men were killed. Hap. 28 NOV 67. 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. Soviet General Fesenko, the main Soviet adviser to the North Vietnamese Air Force in 1972, recorded 34 MiG-21s destroyed in 1972. The Air Force lost 1737, the Navy 530, the Marine Corps 463 and the Army lost 302 (fixed wing). Thanks for the compliment on my writing. God Bless you, Joe. Hopefully you have not seen this magnificent video I recently came across, and for a man in love with flight like you proved, I hope it will bring back nothing but happy memories https://vimeo.com/199142621 . My hats off to those who served. In that instant, I realized how I would die; they were going to slice my head off. How many MiG-21 shot down in Vietnam? Moments later, the controller asked us to change our squawk, so we could be located for a skyspot drop. Its not from the How did you survive? My head, no longer protected by my helmet, was now receiving direct hits from clubs, rocks, rifle butts and God-knows-what. Better than snakes or drowning in contaminated water, I thought briefly, before I was elevated again and dropped again. 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. 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 But the effort proved futile. He is someone that I have always respected and admired. Then with release of the first group of POWs WO1 James Hestand was released! Joes epilogue sums it all up. 149959 AH 300 was shot down by a surface-to-air missile (SAM) during a combat mission over North Vietnam. 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. Soviet General Fesenko, the main Soviet adviser to the North Vietnamese Air Force in 1972, recorded 34 MiG-21s destroyed in 1972. He didnt shoot at anyone. You who kept the supplies coming to us were a vital part of the war effort. Crash Location: Near Ap Bac, Chau Doc Province, South Vietnam. However, when your country calls, you have two choices, in 1965 you went, in 1969 you didnt. After that we had our individual flight briefings. Of those servicepeople, 2,382 were killed while serving aboard UH-1 Iroquois, better known as the ubiquitous "Huey." Contents [ hide] On 27 July 1968, Commander Mongilardi was the pilot of an A4C Skyhawk that launched from the deck of the USS Coral Sea as the section leader in a flight of two on a armed reconnaissance/strike mission over North Vietnam. At 0600, I awoke to the annoying buzzer of my Telechron alarm clock. Messrs. Crecca and Wilson were asked by their nation to serve. He also stated that there were no MiG-17 aces. Scotty gave me the airplane and I climbed out at 350 knots until it came time to find the tanker on the radar. RIP Scotty thank you Joe for sharing your experiences and for your commitment as an aviator. I was in the tower in Saigon and F-4s would come pouring in. It was moving and changing shape ever so slowly. Just a wild guess but you just enjoy your freedoms while you let others do the fighting and take the risks. 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. I took one last look at the horizon. After liftoff, caution must be exercised to avoid over-rotation. I will be forever grateful to all who flew and supported LBII and to President Richard M. Nixon for having the fortitude to send the mighty BUFFs north. Scotty then took control of the airplane as we proceeded to follow our leader along the preplanned route. Hed slept in an air-conditioned hut. It was proving a good day for Navy Lt. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, and his back-seat. Dinh . It was great to get back to the sweltering heat, I gotta tell ya. The baro switch was supposed to open my chute at 10,000 ft. With both my palms up and a telling expression on my face, Don Ward knew that was the end of the conversation. On Oct. 26, McCain would fly his 23rd run over North Vietnam, joining a 20-plane mission to bomb a power plant in the capital city of Hanoi, which had been off-limits to U.S. attacks . I wanted to join you in 1969 after college graduation, but my eyes only qualified me as good enough for USAF navigator. 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. Sharing your story forward. So glad that you made it back in one piece, and were able to continue flying. Rest in Peace, dear Scotty. You and your fellow POWs were and are the best of this nation. These were probably the local militia. The prison at Hoa Lo was a miserable place. In early April, combat flight operations began from detachments at Binh Thuy and Vung Tau. Our flight should never have been going into the target. Burning American aircraft at Bien Hoa Air Base in 1965. Like the Flat-Earthers who still dont believe we landed on the Moon. Id pulled the lower ejection handle and was away from my burning Phantom. Thank you sir for your service. Joe Crecca would spend more than six years in various prison camps. Thank you, Joe. records. It suddenly dawned on me that he would not surrender his place on the controllers list and lose the chance for his Silver Star! Phew III! Thanks so very much. Approaching what should have been Point Alfa on our planned route, I noticed the nav pointer was off to the left when it should have been dead center straight up. 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. In fact all those who kept us in the air were. I reported I wasnt sure which (if any) was his. A SAM damn near got me and another my section leader. The U.S records showing 5,607 helicopter losses[2]. Site content may be used for any purpose without explicit permission unless otherwise specified. Both Fire and Overheat lights were illuminated and all the amber and red indicators on the telelight panel by Scottys right knee were lit. 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. How many MiGs were shot down in Bolo? May God continue to bless you. Then we switched roles and Scotty flew while I coordinated the rendezvous. 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. Joe ( and Gus), Im honored to have met and flown with both of you with FEDEX. I will tell the story of Scotty and you and will encourage my son to never forget! Never flew with a pilot in the USAF that was not a top notch professional. Your writing is superb and I wonder if you have considered writing a book about your experience in the USAF. As the nose rises, pitch attitude must be controlled to achieve a nose-high attitude of 10 to 12 degrees. Im still honored to have flown a 10 day trip with you around Asia with FedEx. Barney. If you do that, itll be your first time in harms way. I was asked the same questions over and over in an attempt to trip me up. I was a F4 mechanic here at DMAFB in Tucson. Reeder is being held behind the middle window. Steve Snyder's masterful book, Shot Down, does justice to the adventures of his father, pilot Howard Snyder, and the crew of the B-17 plane Susan Ruth. He was crying. It was great to hear your story again. Had it not been for President Nixon and the sheer courage of the B-52 and tactical aircrews, the POWs would never have returned. Jim Hestand the AC of the fateful flight gave the eulogy at Bobbys funeral! I looked for an escape route. Lasted almost two weeks on the island before a Japanese sniper gave him his ticket off the island. The political strategy of Rolling Thunder was absurd from the git-go. Our Motto YOU YELL, WE SHELL LIKE HELL, OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY. Mr. Crecca Thank you for your courageous service in the Phabulous Phighter (F-4) and your extraordinary service as a POW. 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. R.I.P Scotty. 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 Lt Cmdr Frederick P Crosby's plane crashed in a pond during the Vietnam War in 1965 (inset). Several of our birds went to Nam. According to the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association, a total of 11,846 helicopters were shot down or crashed during the war, resulting in nearly 5,000 American pilots and crew killed. I later learned that this controller had served many months in Saigon. To you gentlemen; Brett, Tim, Wade, Gordon, Cliff, Neil, Andy and Jerry who responded to the reprint of my 2017 article, Shot Down Over North Vietnam, I thank you for your kind remarks and expressions of patriotism. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling that thinks nothing is worth war is much worse. My ungraceful arrival didnt raise much dust. And all of us should remember them every day because we are we enjoy the freedoms their sacrifice every, single day. It was about 0200 hours and the flares lit up the place like day. They never attack until they do it. 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! Fogleman became the only Super Sabre pilot ever rescued by riding out on a Cobra helicopter. I fell into a restless, nightmarish and shivering cold sleep. Richard Stephen "Steve" Ritchie and Weapons System Officer Capt. Upon arrival at the Hoa Lo prison, I was placed in a dimly-lit room with light green, uneven walls. First loss: operational (non-combat), F-4C 64-0674 (45TH TFS, 15th TFW) which ran out of fuel after strike in SVN on 9 June 1965; first combat loss F-4C 64-0685 (45th TFS, 15th TFW) shot down Ta Chan, NW NVN on 20 June 1965. The terror I felt just moments before vanished. They all worked too. He was the last fighter pilot to become an ace in a day, shooting down five Indian Hawker . Im horrified to know how divided our country was in the late 60s/early 70s, and people like you did your duty, for all of us. Every living Veteran will no doubt support such. Defense Department officials say 1st Lt. Carl D. Nesbitt died when his plane was shot down in May . Hi, Joe. The pilot Lieutenant Commander John S. McCain III, successfully ejected and was made Prisoner of War. U-21 losses need added 4 of the combat losses were parked aircraft. 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. Thank you for your sentiment. At Tulsa TRACON, I would have lumped him in with any group you could think of that wouldnt give a damn about anyonehow wrong that lumping would have been. Of course, things were beginning to wind down in Viet Nam by this time, but it was still mega impressive to see the F-4s light em up and blast off the runway like angry rocket-powered birds of prey searching for their next meal! From the refueling track exit over northern Thailand, our route took us over northern Laos and into North Vietnam. I would have done the same thing. After I was stabilized, the boomer cleared me into the contact position. (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication. 12,000 helicopters Only loss: 51-15565 (432d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing) which crashed in Thailand 28 December 1966, both crewmen survived, Only loss: 63-13102 (5th SOS, 14th SOW) shot down 14 August 1969 near Bien Hoa, killing 1/Lt Roger Brown, Final loss: 600282 (38th ARRS) crashed Cam Ranh Bay 7 August 1969, crew rescued, Last losses: four CH-53s (68-10925, 10926, 10927, 701627, all from, C-1A 146016 (Composite Squadron Five VC-5), operational loss (non-combat) 8 August 1967, 3 passengers and 2 crew rescued, Final loss: C-1A 146054 (Carrier Air Wing 11, USS. The direct hit had felt like wed had a collision with a fully-loaded cement truck. My squadron commander, the pentagon prince and I had an interesting discussion about flight discipline and the military justice system. (USAF) Date of report (1971-07-23). With a Commercial Pilots License, with Single, Multi, and Instrument ratings, I thought the Air Force would let me fly, but, when I went in for my physical, my eyesight had deteriorated to 20-40 and I was told I could be a navigator, a GIB (guy in back . My draft number was 27. Yeh, the F-4s wings dont come off even from a SAM induced Spin. For the next two hours I ate dust, dirt, rust flakes and rodent droppings as we pounded our way over the worst rutted roads into Hanoi. The pilot Lieutenant J. M. Krommenhoek is Missing in Action. Thank you, Mr. Crecca! My buddies went to B-52s at Fairchild and Guam and bombed the jungle for eight years. I lost all feeling in my arms very rapidly. You do not have to be Richard Collins or Ernest Gann simply a GA pilot with a story youd share with friends sitting in the hangar. My brain raced to imagine all the possibilities: A snake pit? 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. 83rd Arty 101ABN DIVARTY Thank you for your service! May God continue to bless you, Joe. 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. Thank you for sharing. It was a bittersweet event and Im so grateful I was able to attend. No better tribute to a warrior and man then to be remembered by his fellow warriors 50+ years later. Got this forwarded in late 2017. I hope to be delighted with more of your anecdotes. In burner, diving out of 20, didnt take long to head toward So China Sea. I was falling towards the Earth and still attached to my Martin-Baker (made in England) ejection seat below a four-foot drogue chute to stabilize my rapid descent. He took off the next several days. The spot where I landed was probably a potato patch. Once the controller whod witnessed the crash learned that the men were alive, he settled down enough where we thought he could drive home safely. Thank you again for your personal sacrifice and service to our country Sir. 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. Scotty hadnt regained consciousness. (I would have loved to get into the left seat of a C-130, but if theyd assigned me to an O-2 Skymaster, that would have been fine too.). I taught eight pilots who had only two-year degrees differential calculus. There are 58,267 names on The Wall in our nations capital and thats why you are free to voice your misguided opinion, Mr. Walker. After all that I suffered dont you dare tell me I had no business being there! 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. At least thats what I hoped. Galand himself would be shot down two months later. So what was The D.O.s name? 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. Sad to hear that your Dad didnt tell you much about his missions. Dogwood 4 was an MND, Maintenance Non Delivery, i.e., no airplane! Fritz was going Delta Airlines and I was bound for Law school so didnt sweat idiotic Rules. Were B-52 bombers used in Vietnam? 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. At this point I could only pray he would revive by the time he reached the ground. 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