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Enthusiast Joined: Jul 28, 2006 Posts: 57 Status: Offline

Olgo ... great remembrances ! I have seen reference to " Henry " before not sure where though ..

Snake ..The D's at Korat would be the 35th TFS/3rd TFW from Kunsan with ( UP ) tail code .. The the C Weasel's from Kadena there late 72- early 73 ...

Did you fly any hunter killer missions with those guy's ? ( Kadena Weasels that is ) ..

RJ

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99

Three Parts

I know the "D's" were from Kunsan -- just couldn't remember the tail flashes (getting Old). Primarily used them for mud moving in Dixie when not going North. Even the 35th. troops used our "E's" to go North (Busch got two MIGS withour "E's") as our CC wanted them to have as many defensive weapons we could give them (the gun). In fact I left one of their "D's" at Bien Hoa pretty badly shot up.

Don't remember any "C" Weasels during the time I was there in 72-73. Only the Thud "G's".

No Hunter Killer for me in SEA. Had to wait until joining the Weasels in 77-78 at George when we were bringing the F-4G on the line. Last tour was strictly Air to Air in the North.

Snake

Salute!

'tis true, Snake, the "C" model Weasels were there for Linebacker 2. I knew one of the pilots from my squad at the Zoo.

Secondly, we indeed carried Aim-9's when headed Downtown. In fact, one troop inadertantly launched one thru all the gaggle after coming off tgt. He had selected the missiles before realizing he had hung bombs. Hit the "select jett" mode and pressed the bomb button. Unfortunately, the missile stations were in priority and an unguided 'winder goes screaming thru the Wing's jets. Heh heh.

later ...

Here is a version of "High Flight" for all the F-4 folks out there:

Oh! I've slipped through the swirling clouds of dust a few feet from the dirt,
I've flown the Phantom low enough, to make my bottom hurt.

I've TFO'd the deserts, hills, valleys and mountains too,
Frolicked in the trees, where only flying squirrels flew.
Chased the frightened cows along, disturbed the ram and ewe,
And done a hundred other things, that you'd not care to do.

I've smacked the tiny sparrow, bluebird, robin, all the rest,
I've ingested baby eaglets, simply sucked them from their nest!
I've streaked through total darkness, just the other guy and me,
And spent the night in terror of things I could not see.

I've turned my eyes to heaven, as I sweated through the flight,
Put out my hand and touched, the master caution light.

-- Author Unknown

Here is the real version

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air. . . .

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or ever eagle flew —
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

— John Gillespie Magee, Jr

Died 11 December 1941 age 19.

Don't know about the young-uns but sure ate a lot of gulls on the low levels from George to the Nellis ranges going up 395 and then cutting across to the ranges. She just spit out the bones and kept on running. Kept an extra click of up trim just to be sure we'd go up if we took one through the front.

Love 50' and 500 on the smash!!!!!!!

Snake.

Gums,
How did you guys like those 250lb'ers you carried on the A-37? Were they effective or would you rather have something else like nape or cbu's?

Enthusiast Joined: Jul 28, 2006 Posts: 57 Status: Offline

Snake ... Can you give any specific's about the mission where you left the shot up D at Bien Hoa ?

Gums & Snake ... Do either of you know or remember what the standard loadout was for an F-4 fly in SUpport of the SAR force ? I believe sometimes the CS was carried ..

RJ

99

I'm not sure which story you are looking for but there are two on page 4 of this thread and several more in the "Air Tactics during the Vietnam War" thread in the Forum "Airpower " Thread.

I don't remember every being fragged for a SAR mission in the 4. If we went it was usually an air divert with the weapons that we had on board. And while we had some great bombers in our bunch they weren't nearly as good as the Sluf's, A-1, and A-37 pro's were precision delivery is required on each and every pass. In those cases a 50 foot circular bomb error is total disaster.

Snake

Salute!

First...

We used the 250's on the A-37 as "wind bombs". Then we employed our 4 x 500 pounders, or 2 x 500 pounders and 2 x 750 pounders, or our ix of CBU, RX, nape.

Frag pattern on the 250's was about same as the 500 pounders, as biggest delta was more tritonal with the MK-82's. So the new "small diameter bomb" is basically the 250 lb MK-81 with a good guidance kit. Hell, if you can hit within 4 or 5 meters, then it will do the job. And the new guy hits closer than that.

Second ...

The chemical weapons we (USAF) employed in 'nam were of two varieties. We had basic smoke to keep the enemy from seeing the Jolly during the extraction. Then we had the non-lethal chemical stuff that came in two brands. One was a riot-control agent like tear gas. The other was stronger and was called an "incapacitating agent".

CNN tried to smear us on one op called "Tailwind". In that, we used the strong stuff. It wasn't nerve gas. I repeat, "IT WASN'T NERVE GAS". I was on one SAR where we used it, and it took special permission from 7th/13th AF. My squadron (3rd TFS) in Thailand in 1975 also used the weaker stuff on Koh Tang Island in May of that year. Stuff was degraded and didn't work worth sierra.

My only personal drop was in support of ROK troops in II Corps in early 1968. Forgot to be on 100% oxygen and almost barfed after second pass.

later,

Tailwind was tabloid journalism plain and simple. It was a bunch of hippies trying to find a reason, (other than that pot isn't legal) to hate America.

Enthusiast Joined: Jul 28, 2006 Posts: 57 Status: Offline

Snake ... Did you do any Turn's at Da Nang in addition to Bien Hoa ?

Do you remeber there being alot of USMC activity at Bien Hoa ?

RJ

99

Most of our turns for the 388th. were at Bien Hoa. The only time I went into Da Nang was with a shot up bird from pac 6 (the only place I could go). I think that they purposely kept the "goin North" bases off the quick turn birds so Da Nang could focus on their next trip down the Boulavard.

Didn't have any USMC activity at Bien Hoa while I was there (I think Gums also). Most of the Marine work came either from the boats or the Rose Garden in Thailand.

Snake

Was anyone here ever on Misty, or Stormy?

Knew several Misty's, no Stormy's, but never flew their tough mission.

Snake-1

Did you ever recieve direction from Misty or Stormy then?

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Air-Ground in Vietnam