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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:06,873 --> 00:00:44,077 Fighter pilot UHF radio transmissions 2 00:00:44,444 --> 00:00:46,179 Ready to defend the free world 3 00:00:46,179 --> 00:00:47,380 It was called the world's most 4 00:00:47,380 --> 00:00:49,616 powerful one man airplane 5 00:00:49,616 --> 00:00:51,384 Setting a world record of 6 00:00:51,384 --> 00:00:56,189 1,216 miles per hour in 1959, 7 00:00:56,189 --> 00:00:58,057 The THUD was the largest 8 00:00:58,057 --> 00:00:59,893 single seat, single engine 9 00:00:59,893 --> 00:01:02,262 combat aircraft in history 10 00:01:02,729 --> 00:01:04,130 It could exceed the speed of 11 00:01:04,130 --> 00:01:05,598 sound at sea level 12 00:01:05,965 --> 00:01:07,467 and reach twice that 13 00:01:07,467 --> 00:01:08,968 speed at high altitude 14 00:01:09,769 --> 00:01:11,538 weighing in at approximately 15 00:01:11,538 --> 00:01:12,739 25 tons. 16 00:01:13,740 --> 00:01:16,075 Entering the service in 1958, 17 00:01:16,075 --> 00:01:18,445 the F-105 represented America’s 18 00:01:18,445 --> 00:01:20,980 advances in applied science and 19 00:01:20,980 --> 00:01:22,649 engineering. 20 00:01:22,816 --> 00:01:25,084 Named Thunderchief, this 21 00:01:25,084 --> 00:01:26,820 technological marvel could 22 00:01:26,820 --> 00:01:28,822 deliver a greater bomb load 23 00:01:28,822 --> 00:01:30,423 than American heavy bombers 24 00:01:30,423 --> 00:01:32,559 used in WWII 25 00:01:33,226 --> 00:01:35,395 My name is Hank Goetz and I flew 26 00:01:35,395 --> 00:01:38,398 the F-105 at Bitburg, Germany, 27 00:01:38,398 --> 00:01:39,299 in the 53rd Tactical 28 00:01:39,299 --> 00:01:40,567 Fighter Squadron 29 00:01:40,567 --> 00:01:42,235 where our primary mission 30 00:01:42,235 --> 00:01:44,170 was one way nuclear alert 31 00:01:44,571 --> 00:01:45,939 My first introduction to the 32 00:01:45,939 --> 00:01:50,410 Thud was in 1961. Just loved it 33 00:01:50,410 --> 00:01:51,411 from the moment I saw it, 34 00:01:51,411 --> 00:01:53,313 of course everybody wanted to 35 00:01:53,313 --> 00:01:54,614 get their hands on it and fly it 36 00:01:54,948 --> 00:01:56,516 It's unique design was tailor 37 00:01:56,516 --> 00:01:58,685 made for nuclear delivery 38 00:01:59,018 --> 00:02:00,954 Carrying a single nuclear 39 00:02:00,954 --> 00:02:03,490 weapon internally, the 40 00:02:03,490 --> 00:02:05,024 high speed low altitude 41 00:02:05,024 --> 00:02:06,326 penetration 42 00:02:06,993 --> 00:02:08,962 guaranteed its delivery deep 43 00:02:08,962 --> 00:02:10,463 into the threat 44 00:02:10,463 --> 00:02:11,297 NEWS REPORTER VOICE 45 00:02:11,297 --> 00:02:13,333 The Thundercheif is capable. 46 00:02:13,333 --> 00:02:14,767 Yet everyone hopes 47 00:02:14,767 --> 00:02:16,503 it never has to perform the 48 00:02:16,503 --> 00:02:18,304 mission for it was designed 49 00:02:22,308 --> 00:02:24,344 The growing geopolitical 50 00:02:24,344 --> 00:02:26,379 tensions between the U.S. and 51 00:02:26,379 --> 00:02:28,448 the Communist Bloc countries 52 00:02:29,048 --> 00:02:30,817 were viewed as a clear 53 00:02:30,817 --> 00:02:32,218 and present danger 54 00:02:33,319 --> 00:02:35,321 The F-105 was the deterrence to 55 00:02:35,321 --> 00:02:37,357 that threat and 56 00:02:37,357 --> 00:02:39,659 neither the Soviets nor China 57 00:02:39,659 --> 00:02:41,995 had anything comparable. 58 00:02:43,129 --> 00:02:45,131 The missions we sat were 59 00:02:45,131 --> 00:02:47,166 one way nuclear missions. 60 00:02:47,634 --> 00:02:49,502 Headquarters decided that since 61 00:02:49,502 --> 00:02:51,170 we were so close the the East 62 00:02:51,170 --> 00:02:53,540 German border, that, if we were 63 00:02:53,540 --> 00:02:55,041 lucky enough to get off in the 64 00:02:55,041 --> 00:02:56,676 15 minutes that they said we all 65 00:02:56,676 --> 00:02:58,144 had to get off, chances are the 66 00:02:58,144 --> 00:03:00,079 bases wouldn't be there much 67 00:03:00,079 --> 00:03:02,148 longer. So there was no reason 68 00:03:02,148 --> 00:03:05,051 to plan return fuel because 69 00:03:05,051 --> 00:03:06,252 the bases probably weren’t 70 00:03:06,252 --> 00:03:07,253 going to be there. 71 00:03:07,253 --> 00:03:08,988 So everything was one-way 72 00:03:08,988 --> 00:03:10,423 missions. Enough fuel to get 73 00:03:10,423 --> 00:03:11,491 to your target, 74 00:03:11,491 --> 00:03:12,559 deliver the weapon 75 00:03:13,426 --> 00:03:15,094 and then get out to what they 76 00:03:15,094 --> 00:03:18,431 called a safe zone, where we 77 00:03:18,431 --> 00:03:20,199 told there would be people 78 00:03:20,199 --> 00:03:21,935 there that might help us. 79 00:03:23,670 --> 00:03:25,071 I always figured the safe zone 80 00:03:25,071 --> 00:03:26,739 it was someone else’s target 81 00:03:26,739 --> 00:03:29,008 and it probably was. 82 00:03:29,008 --> 00:03:30,743 We had these little kits that 83 00:03:30,743 --> 00:03:32,045 they gave us when we went on 84 00:03:32,045 --> 00:03:33,279 alert pad. We used to 85 00:03:33,279 --> 00:03:34,547 go on for 24 hours. 86 00:03:34,547 --> 00:03:36,249 but these little kits they had 87 00:03:36,249 --> 00:03:39,719 everything from maps, to gold 88 00:03:39,719 --> 00:03:41,955 coins, and a bunch of other 89 00:03:41,955 --> 00:03:43,723 stuff, of course your target 90 00:03:43,723 --> 00:03:45,525 material, and everything else 91 00:03:45,525 --> 00:03:48,728 but it was probably going to be 92 00:03:48,728 --> 00:03:50,029 useless I didn’t think my safe 93 00:03:50,029 --> 00:03:51,230 zone was gonna be very safe when 94 00:03:51,230 --> 00:03:53,266 I got there if I got there 95 00:03:53,466 --> 00:03:56,069 In 1962, the Cuban missile 96 00:03:56,069 --> 00:03:57,570 crisis sprung up 97 00:03:57,570 --> 00:03:58,905 JFK fade in - go unchecked and 98 00:03:58,905 --> 00:03:59,606 unchallenged, ultimately leads 99 00:03:59,606 --> 00:04:00,473 to war. 100 00:04:00,907 --> 00:04:02,742 This nation is opposed to war. 101 00:04:02,742 --> 00:04:04,243 Hank - And the brass over in 102 00:04:04,243 --> 00:04:06,412 Europe decided that due to that 103 00:04:06,412 --> 00:04:08,314 blockade, that the Russians 104 00:04:08,314 --> 00:04:09,549 would probably start harassing 105 00:04:09,549 --> 00:04:10,750 our airplanes going in and out 106 00:04:10,750 --> 00:04:12,418 of the Berlin corridor. 107 00:04:12,418 --> 00:04:15,321 And so, in anticipation of them, 108 00:04:15,321 --> 00:04:17,123 the Russians, harassing 109 00:04:17,123 --> 00:04:18,124 airplanes or 110 00:04:18,124 --> 00:04:20,259 causing some trouble, they took 111 00:04:20,259 --> 00:04:21,561 my particular squadron 112 00:04:21,561 --> 00:04:22,829 and we downloaded the nuclear 113 00:04:22,829 --> 00:04:24,130 weapons and uploaded 114 00:04:24,130 --> 00:04:26,132 sidewinders. And instead of 115 00:04:26,132 --> 00:04:28,167 Victor alert, which was 15 116 00:04:28,167 --> 00:04:30,803 nuclear, we set Zulu alert, off 117 00:04:30,803 --> 00:04:31,738 the end of the runway, sitting 118 00:04:31,738 --> 00:04:33,473 in the cockpit with 119 00:04:33,473 --> 00:04:35,241 guns and sidewinders. 120 00:04:35,241 --> 00:04:36,676 Just in case something happened, 121 00:04:36,676 --> 00:04:38,144 we were never told what we were 122 00:04:38,144 --> 00:04:39,612 allowed to do if 123 00:04:39,612 --> 00:04:41,114 we could ever get airborne. 124 00:04:41,114 --> 00:04:42,615 After a few days of that, 125 00:04:42,615 --> 00:04:44,183 everything kind of cooled off 126 00:04:44,183 --> 00:04:46,519 and we went back to normal. 127 00:04:47,854 --> 00:04:48,488 The situation 128 00:04:48,488 --> 00:04:49,522 had resolved itself. 129 00:04:49,689 --> 00:04:51,691 Thud pilots would soon realize 130 00:04:51,691 --> 00:04:54,027 their primary mission was about 131 00:04:54,027 --> 00:04:54,861 to change, 132 00:04:54,861 --> 00:04:57,163 and the F-105 would be forever 133 00:04:57,163 --> 00:04:59,032 etched in history. 134 00:05:00,266 --> 00:05:01,768 A red storm was rising on the 135 00:05:01,768 --> 00:05:03,036 horizon. 136 00:05:04,303 --> 00:05:05,471 Far off, in the once 137 00:05:05,471 --> 00:05:08,341 French colony of Indochina. 138 00:05:09,375 --> 00:05:12,211 First, the United States only 139 00:05:12,211 --> 00:05:14,213 provided limited air operations 140 00:05:14,213 --> 00:05:15,448 in South Vietnam 141 00:05:15,448 --> 00:05:17,383 to support the South Vietnamese 142 00:05:17,383 --> 00:05:20,019 army forces against Viet Cong 143 00:05:20,019 --> 00:05:21,320 insurgency. 144 00:05:21,954 --> 00:05:23,322 I flew L-19s on the Mekong 145 00:05:23,322 --> 00:05:26,526 Delta in 1962. I probably got 50 146 00:05:26,526 --> 00:05:27,627 missions, but you 147 00:05:27,627 --> 00:05:28,828 couldn't call it combat because 148 00:05:28,828 --> 00:05:29,729 we weren't in battle 149 00:05:29,729 --> 00:05:31,397 so I forget what you called 150 00:05:31,397 --> 00:05:34,233 it, but we would fly 151 00:05:34,233 --> 00:05:35,702 low enough that were were 152 00:05:35,702 --> 00:05:36,502 looking in the doors 153 00:05:36,502 --> 00:05:38,471 of the huts. And then I remember 154 00:05:38,471 --> 00:05:40,406 a guy came running out and he's 155 00:05:40,406 --> 00:05:41,708 pointing a rifle at me and he’s 156 00:05:41,708 --> 00:05:42,909 tracking and the gun, and 157 00:05:42,909 --> 00:05:44,243 I can see it jump...oooh, 158 00:05:44,243 --> 00:05:45,478 and it didn't hit. 159 00:05:45,478 --> 00:05:47,714 He missed. So we would go back 160 00:05:47,714 --> 00:05:49,982 and get a ranger company of 161 00:05:49,982 --> 00:05:52,318 about 100 irregular, 162 00:05:52,318 --> 00:05:53,853 some of them were Chinese, some 163 00:05:53,853 --> 00:05:55,388 of them were Vietnamese, and go 164 00:05:55,388 --> 00:05:57,156 back up and kill them all 165 00:05:57,390 --> 00:05:58,825 I remember one night 166 00:05:59,892 --> 00:06:01,227 they set off grenade next to 167 00:06:01,227 --> 00:06:02,495 this two story hotel 168 00:06:02,495 --> 00:06:04,731 I was in, in Can Tho, and so I 169 00:06:04,731 --> 00:06:06,999 ran down. We all carried guns. 170 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:07,900 And uh... 171 00:06:08,568 --> 00:06:09,268 There was a toddler, 172 00:06:09,268 --> 00:06:10,737 lying on the ground, 173 00:06:11,104 --> 00:06:13,439 just a baby. I picked him up. 174 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:15,441 And he didn't move but 175 00:06:15,441 --> 00:06:16,342 his mouth kept opening and 176 00:06:16,342 --> 00:06:17,243 closing. 177 00:06:18,244 --> 00:06:19,445 I ran out into the 178 00:06:19,445 --> 00:06:21,013 street, and there was a taxi, 179 00:06:21,013 --> 00:06:22,548 I said, "We're going to the 180 00:06:22,548 --> 00:06:23,616 hospital" and he said, he's not 181 00:06:23,616 --> 00:06:24,183 gonna get involved. 182 00:06:24,450 --> 00:06:26,853 I had a gun. So he got involved. 183 00:06:26,853 --> 00:06:28,621 We went to the hospital and I 184 00:06:28,621 --> 00:06:29,589 delivered the little kid 185 00:06:29,589 --> 00:06:30,890 but that was it. So 186 00:06:30,890 --> 00:06:32,892 I was there for flying the L-19. 187 00:06:33,860 --> 00:06:34,727 And then we went 188 00:06:34,727 --> 00:06:36,395 back in '64 and '65 189 00:06:36,395 --> 00:06:38,097 for TDY bombing 190 00:06:38,097 --> 00:06:40,299 and then I went back in '67, 191 00:06:40,299 --> 00:06:42,535 '68 for the 100 missions. 192 00:06:42,735 --> 00:06:44,570 Soon, the U.S. resolve to 193 00:06:44,570 --> 00:06:46,572 contain Communist expansionism 194 00:06:47,373 --> 00:06:49,442 would be tested by relying upon 195 00:06:49,442 --> 00:06:51,644 gallant Thud pilots. 196 00:06:52,311 --> 00:06:54,413 Given their unchallenged ability 197 00:06:54,413 --> 00:06:55,548 and capacity to carry 198 00:06:55,548 --> 00:06:57,216 a 14 thousand pound 199 00:06:57,216 --> 00:06:58,885 weapons load, the Thud was sent 200 00:06:58,885 --> 00:07:00,620 to be the primary 201 00:07:00,620 --> 00:07:02,255 aircraft to deliver the heavy 202 00:07:02,255 --> 00:07:04,390 bomb loads to the targets in 203 00:07:04,390 --> 00:07:05,558 North Vietnam. 204 00:07:06,092 --> 00:07:09,328 On March 2nd, 1965, the 205 00:07:09,328 --> 00:07:11,330 United States launched 206 00:07:11,330 --> 00:07:13,800 Operation Rolling Thunder. 207 00:07:14,500 --> 00:07:16,302 It was no surprise it was code 208 00:07:16,302 --> 00:07:19,806 name Rolling Thunder. After all, 209 00:07:19,806 --> 00:07:21,774 the Thunderchief operating out 210 00:07:21,774 --> 00:07:25,611 of bases in Thailand flew 75% of 211 00:07:25,611 --> 00:07:27,346 all Air Force bombing missions 212 00:07:27,346 --> 00:07:29,115 during this campaign. 213 00:07:29,115 --> 00:07:30,783 This marked the first sustained 214 00:07:30,783 --> 00:07:32,018 American offensive on 215 00:07:32,018 --> 00:07:33,152 North Vietnam 216 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:35,454 and signaled a major 217 00:07:35,454 --> 00:07:36,856 expansion of U.S. involvement 218 00:07:36,856 --> 00:07:37,790 in the war. 219 00:07:37,790 --> 00:07:38,457 Voice of LBJ on the phone: 220 00:07:38,457 --> 00:07:39,458 We're off to bombing these 221 00:07:39,458 --> 00:07:41,027 people, and over that hurdle. 222 00:07:41,627 --> 00:07:45,298 And I don't think anything is going to be as bad as losing, 223 00:07:45,298 --> 00:07:48,801 and I don't see anyway of wining. 224 00:07:48,801 --> 00:07:50,770 The massive bombardment was 225 00:07:50,770 --> 00:07:52,505 intended to only last six to 226 00:07:52,505 --> 00:07:54,307 eight weeks and bring 227 00:07:54,307 --> 00:07:55,975 North Vietnam's Communist 228 00:07:55,975 --> 00:07:57,643 regime to it's knees. 229 00:07:58,878 --> 00:08:00,313 It didn't. 230 00:08:03,049 --> 00:08:04,650 As you know, we have lost 231 00:08:04,650 --> 00:08:06,485 about 500 aircraft. 232 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:08,888 Attacking lines of communication 233 00:08:08,888 --> 00:08:10,022 to other targets in 234 00:08:10,022 --> 00:08:11,157 North Vietnam 235 00:08:11,357 --> 00:08:13,159 Hi, my name is John Casper. I 236 00:08:13,159 --> 00:08:14,393 was fortunate enough to fly the 237 00:08:14,393 --> 00:08:15,862 105, the Thud. 238 00:08:15,862 --> 00:08:18,030 It was the greatest airplane 239 00:08:18,030 --> 00:08:20,199 I've ever flown and guys ask me, 240 00:08:21,033 --> 00:08:21,634 they say, 241 00:08:21,634 --> 00:08:22,535 "Well what's your favorite 242 00:08:22,535 --> 00:08:25,171 airplane," and I go, "Well, it's 243 00:08:25,171 --> 00:08:26,305 the 105," and 244 00:08:26,305 --> 00:08:27,139 they'll say, "Why," and I say, 245 00:08:27,139 --> 00:08:28,207 "It's the airplane 246 00:08:28,207 --> 00:08:29,342 I went to war in." 247 00:08:29,342 --> 00:08:33,079 And it was a delight to fly. And 248 00:08:33,079 --> 00:08:34,680 I might add, I managed to fly 249 00:08:34,680 --> 00:08:37,416 the F-5, the F-4 for a 250 00:08:37,416 --> 00:08:39,185 little while. I flew the A-10 251 00:08:39,185 --> 00:08:40,853 for a long time. I flew the 252 00:08:40,853 --> 00:08:43,389 F-16. The last thing I flew in 253 00:08:43,389 --> 00:08:44,924 the Air Force was the F-15. 254 00:08:44,924 --> 00:08:46,893 And of all of those airplanes, 255 00:08:46,893 --> 00:08:48,694 and it had a lot more capability 256 00:08:48,694 --> 00:08:50,096 than the Thud, the 16 and the 257 00:08:50,096 --> 00:08:53,933 15. The Thud was still the jet 258 00:08:53,933 --> 00:08:55,601 that I really loved flying. 259 00:08:55,735 --> 00:08:58,337 So there I was, 23 years old, a 260 00:08:58,337 --> 00:09:00,006 jet fighter pilot and my first 261 00:09:00,006 --> 00:09:01,574 assignment was Korat Air Base, 262 00:09:01,774 --> 00:09:04,176 Thailand to fly combat. So that 263 00:09:04,176 --> 00:09:05,878 was my initial training. 264 00:09:06,078 --> 00:09:08,915 We got to Korat and lieutenants 265 00:09:08,915 --> 00:09:10,449 were in short supply, I found 266 00:09:10,449 --> 00:09:12,285 out. Most of the reason was, 267 00:09:12,285 --> 00:09:13,586 everybody was busy getting 268 00:09:13,586 --> 00:09:14,754 shot down. 269 00:09:14,754 --> 00:09:16,856 And little did I know that I 270 00:09:16,856 --> 00:09:18,257 was going to get to do it not 271 00:09:18,257 --> 00:09:20,293 once, but twice. I mean by doing 272 00:09:20,293 --> 00:09:23,095 it, I mean getting shot down. 273 00:09:23,095 --> 00:09:25,531 On my eighth mission, we were up 274 00:09:26,098 --> 00:09:27,700 basically trying to drop bombs 275 00:09:27,700 --> 00:09:29,101 singly into a cave 276 00:09:29,535 --> 00:09:31,437 in southern North Vietnam. 277 00:09:32,438 --> 00:09:34,307 When all of a sudden somebody 278 00:09:34,307 --> 00:09:35,141 yelled that they were shooting 279 00:09:35,141 --> 00:09:36,242 at us, and the next thing 280 00:09:36,242 --> 00:09:37,877 I heard was a big explosion, 281 00:09:38,544 --> 00:09:39,812 fire lights came on, 282 00:09:39,812 --> 00:09:41,247 all the warning lights came on, 283 00:09:41,447 --> 00:09:42,415 and shortly there after, the 284 00:09:42,415 --> 00:09:44,050 airplane basically started going 285 00:09:44,050 --> 00:09:45,384 end over end on me. 286 00:09:46,585 --> 00:09:47,586 So I ejected. And the funny 287 00:09:47,586 --> 00:09:50,289 part about the ejection was, 288 00:09:50,423 --> 00:09:52,658 about two days before, one of 289 00:09:52,658 --> 00:09:53,726 the lieutenants in the squadron 290 00:09:53,726 --> 00:09:55,328 had gotten shot down and 291 00:09:55,328 --> 00:09:57,396 he said when he ejected, when 292 00:09:57,396 --> 00:09:58,998 the canopy came off prior to the 293 00:09:58,998 --> 00:10:01,233 seat firing, he said, holy cow 294 00:10:01,233 --> 00:10:02,668 you can really see good with 295 00:10:02,668 --> 00:10:03,903 the canopy gone. 296 00:10:03,903 --> 00:10:05,571 Funnily enough, that's exactly 297 00:10:05,571 --> 00:10:06,672 what went through my head when 298 00:10:06,672 --> 00:10:08,140 the canopy came off and it's 299 00:10:08,140 --> 00:10:09,508 just micro seconds from the 300 00:10:09,508 --> 00:10:11,110 canopy leaving til the seat 301 00:10:11,110 --> 00:10:13,112 fires, but that went through my 302 00:10:13,112 --> 00:10:15,147 mind. Not I'm in trouble their 303 00:10:15,147 --> 00:10:16,282 made at me, we just dropped 304 00:10:16,282 --> 00:10:17,416 bombs on them, I said, I can 305 00:10:17,416 --> 00:10:18,184 really see well out 306 00:10:18,184 --> 00:10:19,118 of this airplane. 307 00:10:19,118 --> 00:10:20,353 So what was I worried about, was 308 00:10:20,353 --> 00:10:21,187 I worried about the people on 309 00:10:21,187 --> 00:10:22,621 the ground that we just dropped 310 00:10:22,621 --> 00:10:24,156 bombs on, no I was trying to 311 00:10:24,156 --> 00:10:26,158 remember, do I put my legs 312 00:10:26,158 --> 00:10:27,593 together when I go into the 313 00:10:27,593 --> 00:10:29,428 trees or do I cross my legs. 314 00:10:29,428 --> 00:10:30,763 Cause the last thing I wanted to 315 00:10:30,763 --> 00:10:33,366 do was split a tree branch right 316 00:10:33,366 --> 00:10:34,433 in my crotch. 317 00:10:34,433 --> 00:10:35,768 Well I managed to come down 318 00:10:35,768 --> 00:10:37,536 through the trees, I got hung up 319 00:10:37,536 --> 00:10:38,471 for a little bit, 320 00:10:38,471 --> 00:10:40,473 and then broke free and hit the 321 00:10:40,473 --> 00:10:42,441 ground. Doing so I managed to 322 00:10:42,441 --> 00:10:43,476 bite my tongue, 323 00:10:43,476 --> 00:10:45,144 so I had blood all over me. But 324 00:10:45,144 --> 00:10:47,013 I wasn't hurt at all. For that 325 00:10:47,013 --> 00:10:49,515 one, it lasted about three and a 326 00:10:49,515 --> 00:10:51,117 half hours I was on the ground.I 327 00:10:51,117 --> 00:10:52,618 could hear people looking for me 328 00:10:52,618 --> 00:10:54,787 Fortunately enough I went and 329 00:10:54,787 --> 00:10:56,489 hid. I remember my flight lead 330 00:10:56,489 --> 00:10:57,690 talking to me right after I got 331 00:10:57,690 --> 00:10:59,525 on the ground and he said, 332 00:10:59,525 --> 00:11:00,626 "We gotta go to the tanker 333 00:11:00,626 --> 00:11:02,728 the rescue forces are coming, 334 00:11:02,728 --> 00:11:05,398 stay calm, and call us in an 335 00:11:05,398 --> 00:11:07,033 hour." So I waited what I 336 00:11:07,033 --> 00:11:08,901 thought was an hour, he came up 337 00:11:08,901 --> 00:11:10,036 on the radio, and he said, 338 00:11:10,036 --> 00:11:12,038 "That's five minutes. You need 339 00:11:12,038 --> 00:11:13,706 to call us in another 55 340 00:11:13,706 --> 00:11:15,908 minutes." In training they tell 341 00:11:15,908 --> 00:11:17,309 you when a the tree penetrator 342 00:11:17,309 --> 00:11:18,310 comes down, do not 343 00:11:18,310 --> 00:11:20,312 touch it til it hits the ground. 344 00:11:20,746 --> 00:11:22,314 So what did the lieutenant do? 345 00:11:22,314 --> 00:11:23,749 Well, I had to try to jump on it 346 00:11:23,749 --> 00:11:24,984 before it hit the ground. 347 00:11:25,084 --> 00:11:26,385 Due to static electricity, 348 00:11:26,385 --> 00:11:27,386 it knocked me right on 349 00:11:27,386 --> 00:11:28,254 my butt. I mean it was 350 00:11:28,254 --> 00:11:29,688 incredible. So I finally got in 351 00:11:29,688 --> 00:11:30,923 it, got strapped in the tree 352 00:11:30,923 --> 00:11:33,059 penetrator, and tell them I’m on 353 00:11:33,059 --> 00:11:34,527 the hoist you can haul me out. 354 00:11:34,527 --> 00:11:36,195 Well, about that time, as I’m 355 00:11:36,195 --> 00:11:37,530 coming up through the trees, the 356 00:11:37,530 --> 00:11:38,864 helicopter had some kind of a 357 00:11:38,864 --> 00:11:40,232 problem and he had to break his 358 00:11:40,232 --> 00:11:42,101 hover and start going. So he 359 00:11:42,101 --> 00:11:42,768 dragged me through the 360 00:11:42,768 --> 00:11:44,036 treetops for about a quarter 361 00:11:44,036 --> 00:11:45,604 mile. As far as I was concerned, 362 00:11:45,604 --> 00:11:46,338 he could have dragged 363 00:11:46,338 --> 00:11:48,340 me all the way back to Thailand. 364 00:11:48,674 --> 00:11:49,508 When they got me on the 365 00:11:49,508 --> 00:11:52,044 chopper, finally, and then the 366 00:11:52,044 --> 00:11:53,245 next problem they had was, 367 00:11:53,245 --> 00:11:55,581 they're trying to leave, and I'm 368 00:11:55,581 --> 00:11:56,916 trying to hug and kiss everybody 369 00:11:56,916 --> 00:11:58,951 in the helicopter. Which is a 370 00:11:58,951 --> 00:12:00,920 common thing for guys who’ve 371 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:02,721 been rescued. So they finally 372 00:12:02,721 --> 00:12:04,090 got me to settle down, gave me 373 00:12:04,090 --> 00:12:05,458 an airline miniature booze, of 374 00:12:05,458 --> 00:12:07,960 some kind, which they carry and 375 00:12:08,461 --> 00:12:09,929 dropped me off at another base 376 00:12:09,929 --> 00:12:11,697 in Thailand for the evening. 377 00:12:11,697 --> 00:12:13,132 Believe it or not, the next day 378 00:12:13,132 --> 00:12:14,600 after the flight surgeon looked 379 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:16,135 at me, I was back in the 380 00:12:16,135 --> 00:12:18,537 the airplane, flying in the 381 00:12:18,537 --> 00:12:19,939 exact same area I went down the 382 00:12:19,939 --> 00:12:21,207 day before. So they didn’t give 383 00:12:21,207 --> 00:12:22,374 me any rest at all. They said, 384 00:12:22,374 --> 00:12:23,576 you're good to go. 385 00:12:23,576 --> 00:12:24,944 I felt like there was nothing in 386 00:12:24,944 --> 00:12:26,745 that airplane that I couldn't 387 00:12:26,745 --> 00:12:27,780 get out of. 388 00:12:27,780 --> 00:12:29,415 It could pull all the G's you 389 00:12:29,415 --> 00:12:30,783 could pull, it could run as fast 390 00:12:30,783 --> 00:12:33,052 as you could run it, it was just 391 00:12:33,052 --> 00:12:35,788 a good airplane. And, you looked 392 00:12:35,788 --> 00:12:37,256 good on the ladder. 393 00:12:37,656 --> 00:12:39,758 It's been said that a dog is the 394 00:12:39,758 --> 00:12:41,427 only thing on earth that will 395 00:12:41,427 --> 00:12:42,728 love a fighter pilot 396 00:12:43,262 --> 00:12:44,230 more than a fighter 397 00:12:44,230 --> 00:12:46,165 pilot loves himself. 398 00:12:47,633 --> 00:12:51,670 In 1966, after tours to Takhli, 399 00:12:51,670 --> 00:12:53,739 Major Merrill Ray Lewis loaded 400 00:12:53,739 --> 00:12:56,308 up man's best friend on a C-130 401 00:12:56,308 --> 00:12:59,111 to accompany him on another tour 402 00:12:59,111 --> 00:13:01,947 at Korat. He'd raised Roscoe 403 00:13:01,947 --> 00:13:04,083 as a pup, and had named him 404 00:13:04,083 --> 00:13:06,252 after his friend, Captain Roscoe 405 00:13:06,252 --> 00:13:08,621 Anderson, who'd been killed 406 00:13:08,621 --> 00:13:10,523 earlier in an F-105. 407 00:13:10,823 --> 00:13:12,091 Roscoe never left 408 00:13:12,091 --> 00:13:13,359 Ray Lewis's side, 409 00:13:14,527 --> 00:13:15,928 would sit and wait for his 410 00:13:15,928 --> 00:13:17,930 return when he flew off on his 411 00:13:17,930 --> 00:13:19,165 missions up north. 412 00:13:20,499 --> 00:13:22,368 One day, Major Merrill Ray Lewis 413 00:13:22,368 --> 00:13:23,702 did not return, 414 00:13:25,504 --> 00:13:26,772 and Roscoe nearly died 415 00:13:26,772 --> 00:13:28,374 from a broken heart. 416 00:13:28,707 --> 00:13:30,809 He wouldn't eat, and just sat, 417 00:13:30,809 --> 00:13:33,012 waiting for him to return. 418 00:13:33,512 --> 00:13:35,047 Major Merrill Ray Lewis 419 00:13:35,047 --> 00:13:36,849 was declared missing in action, 420 00:13:36,849 --> 00:13:38,651 and soon the 34th tactical 421 00:13:38,651 --> 00:13:41,854 fighter squadron adopted Roscoe 422 00:13:42,788 --> 00:13:43,722 Or maybe it was the other 423 00:13:43,722 --> 00:13:44,690 way around. 424 00:13:45,324 --> 00:13:47,493 Roscoe, now the official 425 00:13:47,493 --> 00:13:50,629 mascot, quickly rose to the 426 00:13:50,629 --> 00:13:52,231 honorary rank of colonel. 427 00:13:52,965 --> 00:13:54,133 And pretty much owned 428 00:13:54,133 --> 00:13:55,834 Korat Air Force Base 429 00:13:55,834 --> 00:13:57,536 including the officers club, 430 00:13:57,536 --> 00:13:59,338 and mission briefs. 431 00:13:59,805 --> 00:14:01,006 He had his own chair, next to 432 00:14:01,006 --> 00:14:02,508 the Wing Commander, 433 00:14:03,209 --> 00:14:04,343 where Thud pilots would observe 434 00:14:04,343 --> 00:14:06,979 Roscoe's response to the brief. 435 00:14:08,047 --> 00:14:09,815 If he instinctively sat up, 436 00:14:09,815 --> 00:14:10,883 poised and alert, 437 00:14:12,084 --> 00:14:13,085 the pilots braced 438 00:14:13,085 --> 00:14:14,587 themselves for what awaited them 439 00:14:14,587 --> 00:14:15,921 over the target. 440 00:14:16,722 --> 00:14:18,524 If he was asleep or bored, 441 00:14:19,325 --> 00:14:20,559 the mission was gonna be a 442 00:14:20,559 --> 00:14:21,827 piece of cake. 443 00:14:22,428 --> 00:14:23,929 In 1975, 444 00:14:25,064 --> 00:14:26,832 Roscoe died in one of his 445 00:14:26,832 --> 00:14:27,666 favorite spots, 446 00:14:28,767 --> 00:14:30,769 the Korat Officer’s Club. 447 00:14:33,405 --> 00:14:35,441 I'm Giles Gainer, retired Air 448 00:14:35,441 --> 00:14:37,109 Force Lieutenant Colonel, 449 00:14:37,109 --> 00:14:38,877 who've been retired 450 00:14:39,678 --> 00:14:41,914 about 42...3 years ago. 451 00:14:41,914 --> 00:14:42,948 The F-105 452 00:14:43,549 --> 00:14:44,750 was the greatest airplane in 453 00:14:44,750 --> 00:14:45,851 the world. 454 00:14:45,851 --> 00:14:46,518 When... 455 00:14:47,553 --> 00:14:48,721 we first had the missions 456 00:14:48,721 --> 00:14:50,022 going up North Vietnam, 457 00:14:50,522 --> 00:14:51,724 we were not allowed to 458 00:14:51,724 --> 00:14:54,526 bomb half the targets that we 459 00:14:54,526 --> 00:14:56,095 ended up getting later. 460 00:14:56,528 --> 00:14:58,964 But we could go to the 461 00:14:58,964 --> 00:15:00,065 air fields and bomb them, we 462 00:15:00,065 --> 00:15:01,634 couldn't go to forts and bomb 463 00:15:01,634 --> 00:15:03,068 them. There wasn't hardly 464 00:15:03,068 --> 00:15:05,537 anything we could drop bombs on 465 00:15:05,537 --> 00:15:06,705 except maybe a 466 00:15:07,806 --> 00:15:08,474 a bridge. 467 00:15:08,907 --> 00:15:09,808 And then every time they 468 00:15:09,808 --> 00:15:11,076 said to drop the bridge you 469 00:15:11,076 --> 00:15:12,645 could see on the side of the 470 00:15:12,645 --> 00:15:13,646 bridge there was a road 471 00:15:13,646 --> 00:15:15,214 already taken care of. They had 472 00:15:15,214 --> 00:15:16,982 already had every one of them 473 00:15:16,982 --> 00:15:18,384 worked around. 474 00:15:18,484 --> 00:15:19,918 The fear of the Soviet Union and 475 00:15:19,918 --> 00:15:21,887 China entering the war 476 00:15:21,887 --> 00:15:22,988 paralyzed the U.S. military. 477 00:15:23,922 --> 00:15:25,124 For U.S. pilots, 478 00:15:25,457 --> 00:15:27,326 compounding this threat were the 479 00:15:27,326 --> 00:15:29,495 insane rules of engagement 480 00:15:29,495 --> 00:15:31,397 and targeting decisions coming 481 00:15:31,397 --> 00:15:33,132 directly out of Washington 482 00:15:33,265 --> 00:15:35,267 The skies over North Vietnam 483 00:15:35,267 --> 00:15:36,835 became a shooting gallery, with 484 00:15:36,835 --> 00:15:38,570 the hunters becoming the hunted. 485 00:15:38,570 --> 00:15:39,672 I'm Gary Barnhill. 486 00:15:40,105 --> 00:15:42,408 I flew the Thud out of the 487 00:15:42,408 --> 00:15:44,343 562nd Tactical Fighter Squadron 488 00:15:45,110 --> 00:15:47,980 at Takhli, Thailand in 1965. 489 00:15:48,347 --> 00:15:50,482 My tour of bombing missions in 490 00:15:50,482 --> 00:15:51,417 North Vietnam was the last half 491 00:15:51,417 --> 00:15:53,285 last half of 1965. 492 00:15:53,852 --> 00:15:56,288 And at that time we could not 493 00:15:56,288 --> 00:15:57,156 touch the SAMs. 494 00:15:57,256 --> 00:15:58,123 We saw the SAMs 495 00:15:58,123 --> 00:15:59,325 being unloaded in Haiphong. 496 00:15:59,325 --> 00:16:00,459 We saw them being set 497 00:16:00,459 --> 00:16:02,127 up, we had to over fly them 498 00:16:02,127 --> 00:16:03,295 we couldn't touch em. Then when 499 00:16:03,295 --> 00:16:04,463 they finally proliferated, and 500 00:16:04,463 --> 00:16:06,198 were all over the place, 501 00:16:06,198 --> 00:16:08,600 then they said, oh, okay now you 502 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:10,169 can get the SAMs. So that was 503 00:16:10,169 --> 00:16:10,836 the biggie. 504 00:16:11,036 --> 00:16:12,304 We had to over fly 505 00:16:12,304 --> 00:16:14,440 the MiG bases, we saw them down 506 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:15,541 there. We couldn’t touch them. 507 00:16:15,541 --> 00:16:16,475 We should have bombed their air 508 00:16:16,475 --> 00:16:18,043 fields. Those two things 509 00:16:18,043 --> 00:16:19,645 cost us dearly, later on. 510 00:16:19,645 --> 00:16:21,213 Contrary to the skies over 511 00:16:21,213 --> 00:16:25,284 Berlin, Tokyo, and even Korea, 512 00:16:26,018 --> 00:16:27,619 the battle space over 513 00:16:27,619 --> 00:16:29,121 North Vietnam was nothing like 514 00:16:29,121 --> 00:16:30,622 anyone had ever experienced in 515 00:16:30,622 --> 00:16:32,124 aerial warfare. 516 00:16:32,291 --> 00:16:34,793 For the target planners, North 517 00:16:34,793 --> 00:16:37,296 Vietnam was divided up into six 518 00:16:37,296 --> 00:16:40,499 sectors, which they titled 519 00:16:40,499 --> 00:16:43,836 Route Packages. The impregnable 520 00:16:43,836 --> 00:16:45,971 Route Pack Six soon became 521 00:16:45,971 --> 00:16:48,140 second only to Moscow, in anti 522 00:16:48,140 --> 00:16:50,309 aircraft defense. The 1000 to 523 00:16:50,309 --> 00:16:53,979 1100 mile round trip required 524 00:16:53,979 --> 00:16:56,081 the Thuds to be refueled 525 00:16:56,081 --> 00:16:58,217 airborne by KC-135 tankers, 526 00:16:58,217 --> 00:17:00,419 prior to entering their intended 527 00:17:00,419 --> 00:17:01,920 intended route pack. At 528 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:03,422 designated tracks, over 529 00:17:03,422 --> 00:17:05,924 northeastern Thailand and Laos, 530 00:17:05,924 --> 00:17:08,660 Thud pilots rendezvoused with 531 00:17:08,660 --> 00:17:09,928 their flying gas stations to 532 00:17:09,928 --> 00:17:11,330 get the fuel needed to strike 533 00:17:11,330 --> 00:17:12,698 their targets deep into North 534 00:17:12,698 --> 00:17:15,667 Vietnam. Sometimes it proved 535 00:17:15,667 --> 00:17:16,268 deadly 536 00:17:16,435 --> 00:17:18,203 Our targets up in North Vietnam 537 00:17:18,203 --> 00:17:19,538 were about 7-800 miles away from 538 00:17:19,538 --> 00:17:21,039 our base in Thailand. 539 00:17:21,407 --> 00:17:23,709 So we needed to get on a tanker 540 00:17:23,709 --> 00:17:24,943 every single mission. 541 00:17:26,412 --> 00:17:28,414 This day, I was Dodge 2. 542 00:17:28,714 --> 00:17:30,616 I was tucked under the tanker 543 00:17:30,616 --> 00:17:32,084 taking on fuel at a 544 00:17:32,084 --> 00:17:33,852 very high rate. 545 00:17:35,721 --> 00:17:38,056 The wing man, Dodge 3, John Bets 546 00:17:38,056 --> 00:17:39,525 was waiting to get on and 547 00:17:39,525 --> 00:17:41,093 he called out in a 548 00:17:41,093 --> 00:17:42,428 very authoritative voice, 549 00:17:42,428 --> 00:17:43,762 "Dodge 2, you're gushing fuel, 550 00:17:43,762 --> 00:17:45,197 you're gushing, back off, 551 00:17:45,197 --> 00:17:45,964 back off, you're on fire, 552 00:17:45,964 --> 00:17:47,566 eject, eject, eject!" 553 00:17:49,701 --> 00:17:51,870 I backed off. I punched out, 554 00:17:51,870 --> 00:17:53,272 it's what we call ejection. 555 00:17:53,272 --> 00:17:55,741 What had happened was the tanker 556 00:17:55,741 --> 00:17:58,243 which is pumping in fuel very 557 00:17:58,243 --> 00:17:59,778 high rate automatic shutoff 558 00:17:59,778 --> 00:18:01,313 valve didn't work, and so it 559 00:18:01,313 --> 00:18:03,282 ruptured the internal tanks and 560 00:18:03,282 --> 00:18:05,617 they vaporized around the body 561 00:18:05,617 --> 00:18:07,953 of the 105, that went into 562 00:18:07,953 --> 00:18:10,122 the engine and it ... all that 563 00:18:10,122 --> 00:18:12,458 fuel blew up. That fuel that was 564 00:18:12,458 --> 00:18:14,126 vaporized had been sucked into 565 00:18:14,126 --> 00:18:17,129 the engine. A jet engine is just 566 00:18:17,129 --> 00:18:18,964 a suck, squeeze, bang, blow. 567 00:18:18,964 --> 00:18:19,832 Anyway, 568 00:18:19,832 --> 00:18:21,667 the time from being on the 569 00:18:21,667 --> 00:18:23,502 tanker to the aircraft blowing 570 00:18:23,502 --> 00:18:26,271 up into two big fireballs 571 00:18:26,805 --> 00:18:28,974 was six seconds. And 572 00:18:28,974 --> 00:18:31,143 John Bets, who saw the whole 573 00:18:31,143 --> 00:18:33,312 thing, reckoned that I beat 574 00:18:33,312 --> 00:18:34,980 the explosion by one second 575 00:18:34,980 --> 00:18:36,648 So I went from going 576 00:18:36,648 --> 00:18:38,350 about 425 miles an hour over the 577 00:18:38,350 --> 00:18:39,985 ground to, bam, zero. Opening 578 00:18:39,985 --> 00:18:41,620 shock. Everything opened 579 00:18:41,620 --> 00:18:42,454 automatically. 580 00:18:42,454 --> 00:18:44,656 I now find myself three miles 581 00:18:44,656 --> 00:18:46,859 above the ground, 14,000 feet, 582 00:18:46,859 --> 00:18:48,694 hanging in a parachute. 583 00:18:49,294 --> 00:18:50,629 My first reaction was, 584 00:18:50,629 --> 00:18:52,297 was, "I can't believe this is 585 00:18:52,297 --> 00:18:53,966 happening to me, this is 586 00:18:53,966 --> 00:18:55,601 supposed to happen to the other 587 00:18:55,601 --> 00:18:57,202 guy." It was about a ten minute 588 00:18:57,202 --> 00:18:58,937 ride down from 14,000 feet 589 00:18:58,937 --> 00:19:01,673 and awaiting me was a 590 00:19:01,673 --> 00:19:04,443 menacing forest. In fact, one 591 00:19:04,443 --> 00:19:07,713 pilot had been impaled on a tree 592 00:19:07,713 --> 00:19:09,147 limb in the area of his 593 00:19:09,147 --> 00:19:11,016 testicles, landing in that 594 00:19:11,016 --> 00:19:13,519 forest. The parachute is not 595 00:19:13,519 --> 00:19:14,853 like what you see in the movies 596 00:19:14,853 --> 00:19:15,888 where they guide it around. 597 00:19:15,888 --> 00:19:17,789 The parachute is stable. It's 598 00:19:17,789 --> 00:19:19,224 literally like riding the 599 00:19:19,224 --> 00:19:20,492 elevator down, you're just along 600 00:19:20,492 --> 00:19:22,361 for the ride. You can not steer 601 00:19:22,361 --> 00:19:24,897 it. Yet, I needed to find an 602 00:19:24,897 --> 00:19:26,498 open spot, there were a few, in 603 00:19:26,498 --> 00:19:28,567 the trees, to land safely. 604 00:19:28,567 --> 00:19:29,801 We were taught in a 605 00:19:29,801 --> 00:19:31,537 lecture in survival school 606 00:19:32,037 --> 00:19:34,072 that if you take the little hook 607 00:19:34,072 --> 00:19:35,140 shaped knife, 608 00:19:35,140 --> 00:19:37,075 which you have in a pocket, and 609 00:19:37,075 --> 00:19:38,810 you reach back here and you cut 610 00:19:38,810 --> 00:19:41,013 these risers, and you cut these 611 00:19:41,013 --> 00:19:43,048 risers, one of your panels will 612 00:19:43,048 --> 00:19:44,716 blow, and you'll get a little 613 00:19:44,716 --> 00:19:45,984 bit of momentum, and you can 614 00:19:45,984 --> 00:19:47,519 steer the shoot modestly. 615 00:19:47,719 --> 00:19:49,421 I’m hanging in the chute. 616 00:19:49,855 --> 00:19:50,589 I look down at 617 00:19:50,589 --> 00:19:51,890 that menacing forest. 618 00:19:53,525 --> 00:19:55,327 I take the knife, and I 619 00:19:55,327 --> 00:19:56,094 cut the risers. 620 00:19:56,228 --> 00:19:57,429 With the risers cut, 621 00:19:57,429 --> 00:19:58,730 I now had a little 622 00:19:58,730 --> 00:20:00,032 bit of steerage and I was able 623 00:20:00,032 --> 00:20:01,366 to find a spot in the forest 624 00:20:01,366 --> 00:20:03,669 and basically land on my feet, 625 00:20:03,669 --> 00:20:04,770 uneventfully. 626 00:20:04,937 --> 00:20:06,071 So now I’m on the ground, 627 00:20:06,405 --> 00:20:07,606 the other members of the flight 628 00:20:07,606 --> 00:20:08,840 had aborted their mission and 629 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:10,042 they were now directing a 630 00:20:11,043 --> 00:20:12,945 a helicopter from Thailand to 631 00:20:12,945 --> 00:20:14,713 come and pick me up. 632 00:20:14,713 --> 00:20:16,548 But they got low on fuel 633 00:20:16,548 --> 00:20:18,350 and so the Dodge leader said, 634 00:20:18,350 --> 00:20:20,118 we're Bingo fuel, we're out of 635 00:20:20,118 --> 00:20:21,954 here, but you're golden. 636 00:20:21,954 --> 00:20:23,689 The helicopter is inbound, 637 00:20:24,356 --> 00:20:25,591 and he's reading your emergency 638 00:20:25,591 --> 00:20:26,925 beacon from the little hand 639 00:20:26,925 --> 00:20:28,727 radio, so you're okay buddy, see 640 00:20:28,727 --> 00:20:30,796 ya. So great news, the chopper 641 00:20:30,796 --> 00:20:32,197 is inbound, he's reading my 642 00:20:32,197 --> 00:20:33,565 emergency beacon, but what 643 00:20:33,565 --> 00:20:34,933 the heck. I thought I would have 644 00:20:34,933 --> 00:20:37,235 a little fun. In the survival 645 00:20:37,235 --> 00:20:40,606 vest, we had smoke bombs, we 646 00:20:40,606 --> 00:20:42,441 had roman candle kind of flares. 647 00:20:42,441 --> 00:20:44,276 So just for fun, I shot all this 648 00:20:44,276 --> 00:20:46,912 stuff off. Big orange smoke 649 00:20:46,912 --> 00:20:48,814 bloom, whatever, the helicopter 650 00:20:48,814 --> 00:20:51,249 came in, he landed, I jumped in 651 00:20:51,249 --> 00:20:53,819 we shuttered, we took off. 652 00:20:55,253 --> 00:20:57,823 I learned later, he'd had radio 653 00:20:57,823 --> 00:20:59,324 failure. He couldn’t find me. 654 00:20:59,324 --> 00:21:00,959 And the only way he found me was 655 00:21:00,959 --> 00:21:02,594 that little Fourth of July 656 00:21:02,594 --> 00:21:04,129 display I was putting on down 657 00:21:04,129 --> 00:21:05,664 there. So we landed back at 658 00:21:05,664 --> 00:21:06,832 Naked Fanny, 659 00:21:06,832 --> 00:21:08,166 Nakhon Phanom, which we had a 660 00:21:08,166 --> 00:21:09,501 hard time pronouncing, we called 661 00:21:09,501 --> 00:21:10,836 it Naked Fanny. 662 00:21:10,836 --> 00:21:12,104 I was rushed off the meet some 663 00:21:12,104 --> 00:21:13,839 General, and then after I got 664 00:21:13,839 --> 00:21:15,674 released, I didn't get a chance 665 00:21:15,674 --> 00:21:17,609 to thank the helicopter crew. 666 00:21:18,644 --> 00:21:20,579 There were 183,000 667 00:21:21,613 --> 00:21:23,515 aerial refueling in the 668 00:21:23,515 --> 00:21:26,351 Vietnam war. I was the only guy 669 00:21:26,351 --> 00:21:28,253 that blew up on a tanker. 670 00:21:28,587 --> 00:21:30,188 So now I'm a TWA copilot. 671 00:21:30,188 --> 00:21:31,490 We're on a layover in 672 00:21:31,490 --> 00:21:33,191 Philadelphia. I'm having 673 00:21:33,191 --> 00:21:34,760 breakfast with the flight 674 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:36,328 engineer, who I didn’t have a 675 00:21:36,328 --> 00:21:38,997 a chance to talk to earlier in 676 00:21:38,997 --> 00:21:41,800 the day, and he asked me, "What 677 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:42,768 did you fly in the Air Force," 678 00:21:42,768 --> 00:21:45,971 and I told him, "Thuds." He 679 00:21:45,971 --> 00:21:47,506 said, "You flew Thuds?" He said, 680 00:21:47,506 --> 00:21:48,807 "I was a helicopter pilot." 681 00:21:49,941 --> 00:21:53,045 I rescued five Thud pilots 682 00:21:54,379 --> 00:21:55,847 He said, "There was this one 683 00:21:55,847 --> 00:21:57,783 crazy guy that blew up on a 684 00:21:57,783 --> 00:21:58,817 tanker one second before it 685 00:21:58,817 --> 00:22:00,152 exploded. 686 00:22:03,021 --> 00:22:04,189 This was Bill Worstrum, 687 00:22:04,189 --> 00:22:06,291 the pilot that rescued me. 688 00:22:08,860 --> 00:22:11,129 Air refueling was an integral 689 00:22:11,129 --> 00:22:13,365 part of the missions up north. 690 00:22:13,365 --> 00:22:15,667 The KC-135 crews were 691 00:22:15,667 --> 00:22:17,536 indispensable to the Thud, and 692 00:22:17,536 --> 00:22:20,005 on many occasions enabled pilots 693 00:22:20,005 --> 00:22:21,807 to return home safely. 694 00:22:22,207 --> 00:22:23,642 Due to the fortified air 695 00:22:23,642 --> 00:22:25,010 defenses within North Vietnam, 696 00:22:25,010 --> 00:22:28,480 KC-135's would have to 697 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:30,315 penetrate into North Vietnamese 698 00:22:30,315 --> 00:22:32,317 air space to rescue Thuds short 699 00:22:32,317 --> 00:22:34,386 on fuel or suffering from 700 00:22:34,386 --> 00:22:35,487 battle damage. 701 00:22:36,021 --> 00:22:36,988 Technology was changing 702 00:22:36,988 --> 00:22:38,890 aerial warfare. 703 00:22:38,890 --> 00:22:40,892 radar controlled antiaircraft 704 00:22:40,892 --> 00:22:43,762 artillery, new MiG fighters, and 705 00:22:43,762 --> 00:22:45,197 Surfaced Air Missiles 706 00:22:45,197 --> 00:22:46,932 known as SAMs made it lethal. 707 00:22:46,932 --> 00:22:50,068 Soviet Union and China ensured 708 00:22:50,068 --> 00:22:51,670 the North Vietnamese had one of 709 00:22:51,670 --> 00:22:53,438 the most sophisticated 710 00:22:53,438 --> 00:22:54,706 air defense systems 711 00:22:54,706 --> 00:22:56,875 possible in the world. It was 712 00:22:56,875 --> 00:22:59,177 effective. North Vietnam shot 713 00:22:59,177 --> 00:23:01,847 down over 2500 U.S. aircraft 714 00:23:01,847 --> 00:23:04,449 On April 4th, 1965, 715 00:23:04,449 --> 00:23:06,351 the first Thud pilots of the war 716 00:23:06,351 --> 00:23:08,019 were killed in action at the 717 00:23:08,019 --> 00:23:10,388 vital target Thanh Hóa Bridge, 718 00:23:10,388 --> 00:23:12,224 known as Dragon’s Jaw. 719 00:23:12,224 --> 00:23:14,092 The road and rail bridge was 720 00:23:14,092 --> 00:23:15,861 a strategic passage for supplies 721 00:23:15,861 --> 00:23:17,529 and reinforcement for the 722 00:23:17,529 --> 00:23:18,697 Viet Kong. 723 00:23:18,797 --> 00:23:20,732 Losing three aircraft at 724 00:23:20,732 --> 00:23:21,933 Dragons Jaw 725 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:23,902 was an ominous indication 726 00:23:23,902 --> 00:23:25,737 to what lay ahead for the Thud 727 00:23:25,737 --> 00:23:27,739 pilots. It was clear it was 728 00:23:27,739 --> 00:23:29,074 going to be politically fought. 729 00:23:29,274 --> 00:23:30,709 The first Thud pilots 730 00:23:30,709 --> 00:23:32,644 killed in action were a result 731 00:23:32,644 --> 00:23:34,746 of MiG's and lay at the feet of 732 00:23:34,746 --> 00:23:36,314 Washington's nonsensical 733 00:23:36,314 --> 00:23:37,983 policies, which gave 734 00:23:37,983 --> 00:23:39,951 the MiG's free reign. 735 00:23:40,152 --> 00:23:41,486 Their irrational and downright 736 00:23:41,486 --> 00:23:43,789 dangerous orders, that all air 737 00:23:43,789 --> 00:23:46,124 bases were prohibited targets, 738 00:23:46,124 --> 00:23:47,893 meant the MiG's could only 739 00:23:47,893 --> 00:23:49,928 be destroyed in the air. 740 00:23:49,928 --> 00:23:50,796 News Reporter- They're saying 741 00:23:50,796 --> 00:23:52,330 our failure to bomb the North 742 00:23:52,330 --> 00:23:53,665 Vietnamese airfields 743 00:23:53,665 --> 00:23:55,066 are costing you hundreds of 744 00:23:55,066 --> 00:23:56,902 planes and hundreds of airmen 745 00:23:57,636 --> 00:23:59,104 It’s based on our desire to 746 00:23:59,104 --> 00:24:01,006 avoid widening the war. 747 00:24:01,606 --> 00:24:04,342 We seek to obtain our political 748 00:24:04,342 --> 00:24:05,310 objective, which is a very 749 00:24:05,310 --> 00:24:06,411 limited objective, 750 00:24:08,346 --> 00:24:09,948 the smallest possible cost of 751 00:24:09,948 --> 00:24:11,149 American lives. 752 00:24:11,516 --> 00:24:13,151 We think the present tactics 753 00:24:14,252 --> 00:24:15,854 are best suited 754 00:24:16,321 --> 00:24:18,423 to those two objectives. 755 00:24:18,423 --> 00:24:20,358 It quickly became evident 756 00:24:20,358 --> 00:24:21,827 American airmen would be nothing 757 00:24:21,827 --> 00:24:23,461 more than sacrificial 758 00:24:23,461 --> 00:24:25,697 pawns in a massive political 759 00:24:25,697 --> 00:24:27,833 chess game between the U.S. and 760 00:24:27,833 --> 00:24:29,534 two Communist super powers. 761 00:24:30,001 --> 00:24:31,603 Crucial targets that would have 762 00:24:31,603 --> 00:24:34,005 ceased North Vietnam's ability 763 00:24:34,005 --> 00:24:35,974 to wage war were deemed off 764 00:24:35,974 --> 00:24:38,143 limits by then Secretary of 765 00:24:38,143 --> 00:24:39,878 Defense Robert McNamara. 766 00:24:39,945 --> 00:24:41,813 McNamara exacerbated the 767 00:24:41,813 --> 00:24:43,682 situation even further when he 768 00:24:43,682 --> 00:24:45,617 began to identify areas 769 00:24:45,617 --> 00:24:48,353 by 10 and 30 mile circles of 770 00:24:48,353 --> 00:24:50,622 prohibited and restricted areas 771 00:24:50,622 --> 00:24:51,890 of operations. 772 00:24:51,990 --> 00:24:54,292 North Vietnamese used the rings 773 00:24:54,292 --> 00:24:56,361 as sanctuary. Placing deadly 774 00:24:56,361 --> 00:24:58,463 antiaircraft weapons to shoot 775 00:24:58,463 --> 00:25:00,165 down Americans right within 776 00:25:00,165 --> 00:25:01,633 the edge of the circles. 777 00:25:01,633 --> 00:25:03,235 There were so many things at the 778 00:25:03,235 --> 00:25:05,537 ROE in that show that made 779 00:25:05,537 --> 00:25:07,539 absolutely no sense. 780 00:25:07,539 --> 00:25:09,040 And the guy that invented that 781 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:10,575 POD formation should be 782 00:25:10,575 --> 00:25:12,811 executed. The idea of 783 00:25:12,811 --> 00:25:15,413 putting 16 airplanes together 784 00:25:15,413 --> 00:25:18,049 and then slowly trolling across 785 00:25:18,049 --> 00:25:19,985 at 18,000 feet 786 00:25:20,552 --> 00:25:22,187 with all kinds of stuff 787 00:25:22,187 --> 00:25:22,821 shooting at you, 788 00:25:22,821 --> 00:25:23,688 MiGs coming through 789 00:25:23,688 --> 00:25:24,723 missiles going through 790 00:25:24,723 --> 00:25:25,557 the formation, 791 00:25:25,557 --> 00:25:26,825 and you had to sit there. 792 00:25:27,192 --> 00:25:28,860 But I remember trying to change 793 00:25:28,860 --> 00:25:29,895 the tactics. 794 00:25:30,729 --> 00:25:32,364 I was a Captain and the Colonel 795 00:25:32,364 --> 00:25:33,598 said, "You're crazy. These 796 00:25:33,598 --> 00:25:34,833 tactics were written in blood 797 00:25:34,833 --> 00:25:36,034 and we're not changing them." 798 00:25:36,601 --> 00:25:37,602 So we go in and right 799 00:25:37,602 --> 00:25:39,371 away MiG 21's come out of the 800 00:25:39,371 --> 00:25:40,705 Chinese buffer zone, 801 00:25:41,006 --> 00:25:42,540 nail one of the F-4s, 802 00:25:42,540 --> 00:25:44,009 blow into our formation, 803 00:25:44,009 --> 00:25:46,878 nail one of the CBU carriers, 804 00:25:46,878 --> 00:25:48,747 the other guys dump CBUs 805 00:25:49,214 --> 00:25:50,949 the Weasels under the flight, he 806 00:25:50,949 --> 00:25:53,285 gets hit by a CBU and kills the 807 00:25:53,285 --> 00:25:54,519 guy in the back seat. 808 00:25:55,020 --> 00:25:56,421 Only two of us made it to 809 00:25:56,421 --> 00:25:58,356 the target. And it was the new 810 00:25:58,356 --> 00:25:59,858 Wing Commander, the other two 811 00:25:59,858 --> 00:26:00,892 had been shot down. 812 00:26:01,426 --> 00:26:03,261 And I don't know what 813 00:26:03,261 --> 00:26:04,629 happened to him on the mission 814 00:26:04,629 --> 00:26:06,064 but, a week later he died of a 815 00:26:06,064 --> 00:26:06,932 heart attack. 816 00:26:07,098 --> 00:26:09,467 So it was just a bad idea, 817 00:26:09,467 --> 00:26:10,702 But the idea that you got a 818 00:26:10,702 --> 00:26:12,637 spot you can't go into then you 819 00:26:12,637 --> 00:26:14,072 got targets you can’t hit, 820 00:26:14,072 --> 00:26:15,373 even though you see guys coming 821 00:26:15,373 --> 00:26:16,608 up to get you. 822 00:26:16,741 --> 00:26:17,976 The whole thing was a mess. 823 00:26:17,976 --> 00:26:19,277 I guess the thing that's 824 00:26:19,277 --> 00:26:21,079 the scariest, it was one of 825 00:26:21,079 --> 00:26:22,714 those stupid missions. 826 00:26:23,748 --> 00:26:25,483 We're passing Gia Lam Airfield 827 00:26:25,483 --> 00:26:26,117 going to the 828 00:26:26,117 --> 00:26:27,619 Halong Bay storage area 829 00:26:27,752 --> 00:26:29,421 all the way across the delta 830 00:26:30,822 --> 00:26:32,924 and the missiles are just... 831 00:26:32,924 --> 00:26:33,992 there must have been a dozen in 832 00:26:33,992 --> 00:26:35,126 the air, they're just blowing 833 00:26:35,126 --> 00:26:36,127 through the formation 834 00:26:36,127 --> 00:26:36,728 right and left. 835 00:26:37,429 --> 00:26:38,830 I'm number four in the lead 836 00:26:38,830 --> 00:26:41,132 flight, so I'm stacked high 837 00:26:41,132 --> 00:26:42,133 and number two 838 00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:43,234 on the second flight 839 00:26:44,169 --> 00:26:45,603 is next to me, and he keeps 840 00:26:45,603 --> 00:26:47,238 moving in. I'm watching him, 841 00:26:47,238 --> 00:26:47,973 I'm watching him. 842 00:26:48,073 --> 00:26:49,341 But I'm also looking down at the 843 00:26:49,341 --> 00:26:50,742 ground and there's a gun site. 844 00:26:50,742 --> 00:26:52,344 It looked like a ring of fire. 845 00:26:52,344 --> 00:26:53,678 Every time that thing fired, 846 00:26:53,912 --> 00:26:55,246 there was a big ring of fire 847 00:26:55,246 --> 00:26:56,348 on the ground and there would be 848 00:26:56,348 --> 00:26:57,615 a delay, then all explosions in 849 00:26:57,615 --> 00:26:58,750 the formation, 850 00:26:58,750 --> 00:27:00,118 I thought, I'm getting that guy 851 00:27:00,118 --> 00:27:01,152 on the way out. 852 00:27:01,820 --> 00:27:03,355 So about that time, I'm watching 853 00:27:03,355 --> 00:27:04,589 this missile come up at 854 00:27:04,589 --> 00:27:05,623 10 o'clock and I think, uh-oh 855 00:27:05,623 --> 00:27:06,758 that looks like me. 856 00:27:07,258 --> 00:27:08,360 So I pushed over, 857 00:27:09,327 --> 00:27:11,463 I went down maybe 1000 feet, and 858 00:27:11,463 --> 00:27:12,964 it didn’t change. So I pull back 859 00:27:12,964 --> 00:27:14,265 in formation and it's still 860 00:27:14,265 --> 00:27:15,967 coming. But as it went under, I 861 00:27:15,967 --> 00:27:17,369 rolled and it went under me 862 00:27:17,369 --> 00:27:18,536 and when I rolled back it hit 863 00:27:18,536 --> 00:27:19,704 the guy next to me. 864 00:27:20,605 --> 00:27:22,040 And it was an enormous 865 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:22,774 fire ball 866 00:27:22,774 --> 00:27:24,042 Bigger than the airplane 867 00:27:24,042 --> 00:27:25,043 and I thought, wow, I didn't 868 00:27:25,043 --> 00:27:26,144 know it would be that big. 869 00:27:26,277 --> 00:27:27,679 But pretty soon the airplane 870 00:27:27,679 --> 00:27:29,014 comes out still looking like a 871 00:27:29,014 --> 00:27:30,782 105. The wings are still on it 872 00:27:31,316 --> 00:27:32,784 But pretty soon the nose 873 00:27:32,784 --> 00:27:34,786 dropped, and he was gone. 874 00:27:34,786 --> 00:27:35,787 And it was interesting, 875 00:27:35,787 --> 00:27:36,621 he was one of those 876 00:27:36,621 --> 00:27:37,989 there were a few guys like this, 877 00:27:38,556 --> 00:27:39,958 that knew they were gonna die. 878 00:27:40,191 --> 00:27:41,126 Just scared to death, 879 00:27:41,126 --> 00:27:41,960 but they went. 880 00:27:42,227 --> 00:27:43,628 They gritted their teeth, 881 00:27:43,628 --> 00:27:44,863 they stepped to that airplane, 882 00:27:45,163 --> 00:27:46,564 and this guy was one. 883 00:27:46,564 --> 00:27:47,999 He knew he was gonna die 884 00:27:47,999 --> 00:27:49,200 and that was the day he died. 885 00:27:49,334 --> 00:27:50,035 So anyhow, 886 00:27:50,835 --> 00:27:52,037 that mission I always 887 00:27:52,037 --> 00:27:53,705 used 60 degree dive 888 00:27:54,506 --> 00:27:57,842 and I’d release at Mach 1 and 889 00:27:57,909 --> 00:27:58,810 6000 feet. 890 00:27:59,644 --> 00:28:00,745 And then full back stick. 891 00:28:01,246 --> 00:28:02,680 And I figured dropping 892 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:03,848 at Mach 1, the bombs would be 893 00:28:03,848 --> 00:28:05,250 subsonic, by the time they got 894 00:28:05,250 --> 00:28:05,984 to the ground, 895 00:28:06,151 --> 00:28:07,419 the guide said they might not go 896 00:28:07,419 --> 00:28:08,720 off, if they were supersonic. 897 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:10,088 So I didn't know. 898 00:28:10,355 --> 00:28:11,756 So I'm full back stick and I can 899 00:28:11,756 --> 00:28:13,658 see the wings curl way up on the 900 00:28:13,658 --> 00:28:15,093 airplane. And I say, well 901 00:28:15,093 --> 00:28:15,827 I’m sure it wasn't oh, 902 00:28:15,827 --> 00:28:17,495 it was as hard as I could pull, 903 00:28:18,596 --> 00:28:20,498 And then a couple jinks 904 00:28:20,498 --> 00:28:21,166 score the bombs, 905 00:28:21,599 --> 00:28:22,934 now I lowered the nose 906 00:28:22,934 --> 00:28:24,335 and lit the wick and 907 00:28:24,602 --> 00:28:26,571 I'm at one point two six. 908 00:28:26,571 --> 00:28:28,006 And I'm headed for Gia Lam 909 00:28:28,006 --> 00:28:29,040 Airfield cause I know what 910 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:29,874 I want to do. 911 00:28:30,375 --> 00:28:31,776 I got the gun armed, 912 00:28:32,177 --> 00:28:33,445 site’s all set 913 00:28:33,711 --> 00:28:35,346 and it was on the 914 00:28:35,346 --> 00:28:36,614 east side of Gia Lam, 915 00:28:36,614 --> 00:28:38,550 so I rolled over, pulled in, 916 00:28:38,550 --> 00:28:40,085 max power. I must have been 917 00:28:40,085 --> 00:28:42,287 one point two, one point three. 918 00:28:42,287 --> 00:28:43,888 And I'm gonna empty the gun. Now 919 00:28:43,888 --> 00:28:45,223 I know they said don't fire for 920 00:28:45,223 --> 00:28:46,458 600, but I figured, if I fired 921 00:28:46,458 --> 00:28:47,692 them all, what could happen. 922 00:28:49,060 --> 00:28:50,428 So I'm laying on the trigger, 923 00:28:50,428 --> 00:28:51,896 and it just, imagine this, 924 00:28:51,896 --> 00:28:53,398 full power, burner going 925 00:28:53,398 --> 00:28:54,899 everything's roaring, the guns 926 00:28:54,899 --> 00:28:56,734 barking out 100 rounds a second, 927 00:28:56,734 --> 00:28:58,636 and suddenly there is this 928 00:28:58,636 --> 00:29:00,939 absolutely enormous explosion. 929 00:29:01,439 --> 00:29:03,208 All the panel lights up, the 930 00:29:03,208 --> 00:29:05,043 nose pitches way up and hard 931 00:29:05,043 --> 00:29:05,777 left. 932 00:29:06,244 --> 00:29:07,278 And that was probably just me 933 00:29:07,278 --> 00:29:08,546 jerking on the stick. 934 00:29:09,247 --> 00:29:11,082 Unfortunately this is when I got 935 00:29:11,082 --> 00:29:12,450 on the radio and said I'm hit. 936 00:29:13,118 --> 00:29:14,452 And I shouldn't had said a 937 00:29:14,452 --> 00:29:14,986 thing 938 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:16,654 because now I'm 939 00:29:16,654 --> 00:29:18,123 coming around, I'm over Hanoi 940 00:29:18,123 --> 00:29:19,224 thinking, I've got a crippled 941 00:29:19,224 --> 00:29:19,724 bird, 942 00:29:20,325 --> 00:29:21,593 but the air turbine motor 943 00:29:22,093 --> 00:29:22,894 restarts. 944 00:29:23,394 --> 00:29:24,262 I'm going, wow. 945 00:29:24,729 --> 00:29:27,432 So, the generator restarts. 946 00:29:27,966 --> 00:29:29,501 Pretty soon everything's back 947 00:29:29,501 --> 00:29:30,969 on, I'm back in burner, 948 00:29:30,969 --> 00:29:32,137 lowered the nose, kicked it up 949 00:29:32,137 --> 00:29:33,338 to Mach 1 I’m headed out. 950 00:29:33,738 --> 00:29:34,839 And I get on the tanker, 951 00:29:34,839 --> 00:29:35,974 the other guys say, 952 00:29:35,974 --> 00:29:37,175 "what are you doing here? 953 00:29:37,342 --> 00:29:38,243 laughing 954 00:29:38,409 --> 00:29:39,244 I said I don't want 955 00:29:39,244 --> 00:29:39,944 to talk about it. 956 00:29:40,011 --> 00:29:41,079 laughing 957 00:29:41,346 --> 00:29:43,114 The Rolling Thunder campaign now 958 00:29:43,114 --> 00:29:45,650 in it's second year had reached 959 00:29:45,650 --> 00:29:46,784 a new phase. 960 00:29:47,085 --> 00:29:49,754 In 1966, with no hint of 961 00:29:49,754 --> 00:29:51,089 diplomatic progress, 962 00:29:51,089 --> 00:29:52,924 President Johnson began to take 963 00:29:52,924 --> 00:29:54,592 the gloves off. The first 964 00:29:54,592 --> 00:29:56,861 petroleum oil and lubrication 965 00:29:56,861 --> 00:29:58,596 storage site four miles 966 00:29:58,596 --> 00:30:00,098 from Hanoi was cleared to 967 00:30:00,098 --> 00:30:01,766 strike. Thud losses continued to 968 00:30:01,766 --> 00:30:03,434 mount to levels where 969 00:30:03,434 --> 00:30:05,336 pilots began to wonder if they 970 00:30:05,336 --> 00:30:06,671 were strapping into their 971 00:30:06,671 --> 00:30:07,505 cockpit 972 00:30:08,006 --> 00:30:09,274 or their coffin. 973 00:30:09,274 --> 00:30:11,442 Over 100 Thud Pilots would spend 974 00:30:11,442 --> 00:30:13,678 close to seven years in 975 00:30:14,112 --> 00:30:16,147 nocuous Vietnamese prisons. 976 00:30:16,147 --> 00:30:18,049 My name is Murphy Neil Jones. 977 00:30:18,049 --> 00:30:19,984 I'm retired Air Force Colonel. 978 00:30:19,984 --> 00:30:22,153 In 1966, I volunteered 979 00:30:22,153 --> 00:30:26,824 to go back TDY and finish up my 980 00:30:26,824 --> 00:30:28,026 100 missions, 981 00:30:28,860 --> 00:30:32,697 and on June 29th, 1966, I was 982 00:30:32,697 --> 00:30:35,500 one of the handful of us that 983 00:30:35,500 --> 00:30:37,702 were selected to hit Hanoi for 984 00:30:37,702 --> 00:30:39,003 the first time and we had 985 00:30:39,003 --> 00:30:40,905 bombed all over North Vietnam 986 00:30:40,905 --> 00:30:42,507 for all those years, but 987 00:30:42,507 --> 00:30:43,675 on this particular day, 988 00:30:43,675 --> 00:30:45,543 President Johnson had personally 989 00:30:45,543 --> 00:30:48,012 approved an attack within the 990 00:30:48,012 --> 00:30:50,048 30 mile radius of Hanoi, and 991 00:30:50,048 --> 00:30:51,549 our target that day was the 992 00:30:51,549 --> 00:30:52,584 Hanoi POL. 993 00:30:52,584 --> 00:30:54,752 There were 24 F-105s taking part 994 00:30:54,752 --> 00:30:56,254 in this raid. I happened to be 995 00:30:56,254 --> 00:30:58,556 in the last flight, flying the 996 00:30:58,556 --> 00:31:00,358 number two position that day and 997 00:31:00,358 --> 00:31:01,025 we were carrying eight 998 00:31:01,025 --> 00:31:02,560 750 pound bombs. 999 00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:04,662 When we crossed into 1000 00:31:04,662 --> 00:31:06,664 North Vietnam from Laos in the 1001 00:31:06,664 --> 00:31:08,900 last 50 miles in, it was nothing 1002 00:31:08,900 --> 00:31:10,835 but anti aircraft fire and 1003 00:31:10,835 --> 00:31:12,570 suddenly I took a direct hit 1004 00:31:12,570 --> 00:31:14,205 just in front of the cockpit. 1005 00:31:14,205 --> 00:31:15,707 I was in a slight right bank and 1006 00:31:15,707 --> 00:31:17,942 the round hit just under my feet 1007 00:31:17,942 --> 00:31:20,044 coming up into the cockpit. 1008 00:31:20,044 --> 00:31:21,446 The whole bottom of the airplane 1009 00:31:21,446 --> 00:31:23,081 disappeared and I squeezed the 1010 00:31:23,081 --> 00:31:24,082 triggers and went through the 1011 00:31:24,082 --> 00:31:25,283 canopy, parachute opened. 1012 00:31:25,617 --> 00:31:26,618 I never swung. 1013 00:31:26,618 --> 00:31:28,720 I hit the ground and about 100 1014 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:30,421 yards away were about 30 1015 00:31:30,421 --> 00:31:31,623 North Vietnamese soldiers with 1016 00:31:31,623 --> 00:31:33,591 AK-47s running toward me. 1017 00:31:33,758 --> 00:31:36,761 Pull my trusty 45 automatic that 1018 00:31:36,761 --> 00:31:38,529 I had on my right hip and 1019 00:31:38,529 --> 00:31:39,631 looked down to my left side and 1020 00:31:39,631 --> 00:31:41,366 my arm was completely broken 1021 00:31:41,366 --> 00:31:42,700 about three inches below the 1022 00:31:42,700 --> 00:31:43,468 the shoulder. 1023 00:31:43,735 --> 00:31:45,803 Shoulder was dislocated and I 1024 00:31:45,803 --> 00:31:48,039 cocked it leveled down on him 1025 00:31:48,039 --> 00:31:49,874 and when I did that, they all 1026 00:31:49,874 --> 00:31:51,709 dropped on the ground and level 1027 00:31:51,709 --> 00:31:53,578 their AKs towards me 1028 00:31:53,778 --> 00:31:54,712 and I guess at that point I 1029 00:31:54,712 --> 00:31:56,147 decided that I wasn't John Wayne 1030 00:31:56,281 --> 00:31:57,915 Raised my hand over my head of 1031 00:31:57,915 --> 00:31:58,549 course couldn't raise 1032 00:31:58,549 --> 00:31:59,284 the left one. 1033 00:31:59,450 --> 00:32:00,618 One of the other soldiers came 1034 00:32:00,618 --> 00:32:01,886 running up and grabbed the 1035 00:32:01,886 --> 00:32:03,154 left arm and he put it in a 1036 00:32:03,154 --> 00:32:03,755 hammerlock. 1037 00:32:03,788 --> 00:32:04,989 I'm a big guy and I was in 1038 00:32:04,989 --> 00:32:06,324 a lot better shape back in those 1039 00:32:06,324 --> 00:32:08,159 days, having played football, 1040 00:32:08,159 --> 00:32:09,994 played center and linebacker 1041 00:32:10,295 --> 00:32:11,129 at Tulane. 1042 00:32:11,296 --> 00:32:12,997 And I hit this guy harder than 1043 00:32:12,997 --> 00:32:14,899 I've ever hit anybody in my life 1044 00:32:14,899 --> 00:32:16,834 and I shattered his face. 1045 00:32:16,968 --> 00:32:18,469 They put a rope around my neck. 1046 00:32:18,469 --> 00:32:19,504 They stripped me of all my 1047 00:32:19,504 --> 00:32:20,972 clothes, left me standing in a 1048 00:32:20,972 --> 00:32:22,840 pair of white under shorts and a 1049 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:24,309 white tee shirt. Nobody spoke 1050 00:32:24,309 --> 00:32:24,776 English. 1051 00:32:25,176 --> 00:32:25,843 As it turned out, 1052 00:32:25,843 --> 00:32:27,412 I had six broken vertebra, 1053 00:32:27,412 --> 00:32:29,013 both my ACLs and my knees 1054 00:32:29,013 --> 00:32:30,248 were knees were torn, 1055 00:32:30,248 --> 00:32:31,482 shrapnel on both legs, 1056 00:32:31,482 --> 00:32:32,517 dislocated shoulder with a 1057 00:32:32,517 --> 00:32:33,318 broken arm 1058 00:32:33,318 --> 00:32:34,819 and lots of cuts and bruises. 1059 00:32:35,153 --> 00:32:36,321 That time I said, 1060 00:32:36,321 --> 00:32:37,922 "I'm badly injured." He said 1061 00:32:37,922 --> 00:32:39,324 later, "What is your name?" 1062 00:32:39,324 --> 00:32:40,491 I gave that to him. 1063 00:32:41,159 --> 00:32:42,460 He said, "What is your rank?" 1064 00:32:42,827 --> 00:32:44,095 I said, "Captain." 1065 00:32:44,762 --> 00:32:45,797 Then he said, "What bases did 1066 00:32:45,797 --> 00:32:46,664 you take off from?" 1067 00:32:46,864 --> 00:32:48,199 I said, "I can't tell you that. 1068 00:32:48,433 --> 00:32:49,801 I can only give you my name, 1069 00:32:49,801 --> 00:32:50,802 rank, serial number, date of 1070 00:32:50,802 --> 00:32:51,336 birth" 1071 00:32:51,502 --> 00:32:52,704 And they grabbed the broken arm 1072 00:32:52,770 --> 00:32:53,971 dragged me out in the middle 1073 00:32:53,971 --> 00:32:55,540 of the floor and when 1074 00:32:55,540 --> 00:32:57,008 they did that, they least 1075 00:32:57,008 --> 00:32:58,543 relocated the shoulder 1076 00:32:58,543 --> 00:33:00,178 put the arm in a hammerlock, 1077 00:33:00,178 --> 00:33:01,212 tied my ankles 1078 00:33:01,346 --> 00:33:02,880 tightly with ropes, 1079 00:33:03,147 --> 00:33:04,549 put my arms behind my back 1080 00:33:04,549 --> 00:33:05,717 tied the wrists very tight 1081 00:33:05,883 --> 00:33:06,517 with ropes. 1082 00:33:06,818 --> 00:33:08,319 Then pull the elbows together 1083 00:33:08,319 --> 00:33:10,688 and tied at the elbows till 1084 00:33:10,688 --> 00:33:11,856 the elbows till touching 1085 00:33:12,523 --> 00:33:14,292 and then they put another rope 1086 00:33:14,292 --> 00:33:15,693 but from the ankles up to the 1087 00:33:15,693 --> 00:33:17,628 rope that was around the elbows 1088 00:33:17,829 --> 00:33:19,230 and pull me up backwards, 1089 00:33:19,964 --> 00:33:21,699 and they started kicking 1090 00:33:21,699 --> 00:33:22,300 and beating. 1091 00:33:23,634 --> 00:33:24,569 This went on, 1092 00:33:24,736 --> 00:33:26,537 I'm guessing two or three hours. 1093 00:33:27,038 --> 00:33:28,573 They untied my arms, 1094 00:33:28,973 --> 00:33:30,375 led me outside with a rope 1095 00:33:30,375 --> 00:33:31,075 around my neck 1096 00:33:31,642 --> 00:33:32,910 made me kneel on 1097 00:33:32,910 --> 00:33:33,878 the ground. 1098 00:33:34,579 --> 00:33:36,047 One of the soldiers walked up 1099 00:33:36,047 --> 00:33:38,182 behind me and he stuck his rifle 1100 00:33:38,182 --> 00:33:38,883 to the back of our head, 1101 00:33:39,050 --> 00:33:40,318 stood there a couple seconds 1102 00:33:40,318 --> 00:33:41,486 and pulled the trigger 1103 00:33:41,486 --> 00:33:42,553 on the empty chamber, 1104 00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:44,155 now what do you think when 1105 00:33:44,155 --> 00:33:45,490 you think you're going to die? 1106 00:33:45,490 --> 00:33:46,357 I really didn't care 1107 00:33:46,357 --> 00:33:47,325 at that point. 1108 00:33:47,825 --> 00:33:49,160 I was hurting so bad. 1109 00:33:49,227 --> 00:33:51,062 This is over about five hours 1110 00:33:51,396 --> 00:33:52,730 And then I said, "You know 1111 00:33:52,930 --> 00:33:53,331 yeah 1112 00:33:53,698 --> 00:33:54,766 they're not going to kill me?" 1113 00:33:55,500 --> 00:33:56,934 But when I heard the click, 1114 00:33:57,001 --> 00:33:58,536 the funniest thought went in my 1115 00:33:59,170 --> 00:34:01,172 went through my mind. I said, 1116 00:34:01,406 --> 00:34:02,940 "damn, that's a slow bullet." 1117 00:34:03,541 --> 00:34:04,942 I didn't know whether I was dead 1118 00:34:04,942 --> 00:34:06,010 or just waiting for 1119 00:34:06,010 --> 00:34:07,412 something to to feel. 1120 00:34:08,179 --> 00:34:09,847 And then three photographers 1121 00:34:09,847 --> 00:34:10,615 came out of the building, 1122 00:34:10,615 --> 00:34:11,716 took some pictures and 1123 00:34:11,716 --> 00:34:13,184 movies of me there, 1124 00:34:13,251 --> 00:34:14,719 took me back inside afterwards 1125 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:16,587 retied the arms, the same way, 1126 00:34:16,587 --> 00:34:19,791 retied or put a blindfold on me 1127 00:34:19,791 --> 00:34:21,192 this time they swung me 1128 00:34:21,192 --> 00:34:22,927 up into the back of the truck. 1129 00:34:22,927 --> 00:34:24,429 I really hurt when I came down 1130 00:34:24,429 --> 00:34:25,596 on the broken arm 1131 00:34:25,897 --> 00:34:27,265 and we will take about an hour 1132 00:34:27,265 --> 00:34:29,901 ride through part of Hanoi that 1133 00:34:29,901 --> 00:34:31,869 was filled with a Vietnamese 1134 00:34:31,869 --> 00:34:32,603 that lived there, 1135 00:34:33,037 --> 00:34:34,539 throwing bricks, rocks, whatever 1136 00:34:34,539 --> 00:34:36,040 they could. We ended up at the 1137 00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:37,308 International House where 1138 00:34:37,308 --> 00:34:38,576 they're having this huge press 1139 00:34:38,576 --> 00:34:39,811 conference. They kept me out in 1140 00:34:39,811 --> 00:34:42,113 kind of a court yard, and 1141 00:34:42,580 --> 00:34:44,549 I hadn't had anything to drink 1142 00:34:45,116 --> 00:34:47,084 since I had been shot down 1143 00:34:47,084 --> 00:34:48,219 and I was thirsty, and I said, 1144 00:34:48,219 --> 00:34:49,620 "I need some water, and he 1145 00:34:49,620 --> 00:34:50,721 said "later." And I said, 1146 00:34:50,721 --> 00:34:51,556 "I'm not going anywhere until I 1147 00:34:51,556 --> 00:34:52,256 get some water." 1148 00:34:52,657 --> 00:34:53,658 Well, I ended up getting 1149 00:34:53,658 --> 00:34:55,560 a large glass of water with ice 1150 00:34:55,560 --> 00:34:55,993 in it, 1151 00:34:56,461 --> 00:34:58,796 which I drank and that would be 1152 00:34:58,796 --> 00:35:00,665 the last water for two days, 1153 00:35:00,798 --> 00:35:02,967 and then they took me in. 1154 00:35:03,601 --> 00:35:05,570 My thoughts were, don't 1155 00:35:05,570 --> 00:35:06,838 embarrass my country. 1156 00:35:06,971 --> 00:35:08,439 I felt that I had already failed 1157 00:35:08,439 --> 00:35:10,475 by giving them any information 1158 00:35:10,475 --> 00:35:12,844 whatsoever and all it was was 1159 00:35:12,844 --> 00:35:15,746 name, rank and so forth, but 1160 00:35:15,980 --> 00:35:19,150 I just felt like I had let my 1161 00:35:19,150 --> 00:35:20,651 country down and I wasn't gonna 1162 00:35:20,651 --> 00:35:22,353 do it in front of these cameras. 1163 00:35:22,487 --> 00:35:23,955 So, I walked in, stood up as 1164 00:35:23,955 --> 00:35:25,690 straight as I could and saluted, 1165 00:35:25,690 --> 00:35:27,191 and I guess this film was later 1166 00:35:27,191 --> 00:35:29,193 used and our jungle survival 1167 00:35:29,193 --> 00:35:30,661 school in the Philippines 1168 00:35:31,262 --> 00:35:32,163 and they were, 1169 00:35:33,364 --> 00:35:34,832 people that saw it, were told 1170 00:35:34,832 --> 00:35:36,133 as they see this is the way 1171 00:35:36,133 --> 00:35:37,635 you should conduct yourself even 1172 00:35:37,635 --> 00:35:39,103 the Vietnamese appreciate 1173 00:35:39,103 --> 00:35:39,871 military bearing. 1174 00:35:40,037 --> 00:35:41,305 Well, that wasn't true 1175 00:35:41,305 --> 00:35:42,206 because I had the devil 1176 00:35:42,206 --> 00:35:43,808 beat out of me that night and 1177 00:35:43,808 --> 00:35:45,109 for the next 10 days 1178 00:35:45,209 --> 00:35:46,310 at the Hanoi Hilton. 1179 00:35:46,511 --> 00:35:48,045 On the ninth day, 1180 00:35:48,312 --> 00:35:49,280 I really broke. 1181 00:35:49,380 --> 00:35:50,181 I gave up 1182 00:35:50,515 --> 00:35:51,015 totally 1183 00:35:51,215 --> 00:35:51,716 physically, 1184 00:35:52,150 --> 00:35:52,817 spiritually, 1185 00:35:53,017 --> 00:35:53,684 mentally 1186 00:35:54,552 --> 00:35:57,321 because I finally signed the 1187 00:35:57,321 --> 00:35:58,623 confession they put it in front 1188 00:35:58,623 --> 00:35:58,956 of me. 1189 00:35:59,190 --> 00:36:00,224 I still remember it 1190 00:36:00,224 --> 00:36:01,225 word for word. 1191 00:36:01,492 --> 00:36:02,793 I condemn the United States 1192 00:36:02,793 --> 00:36:03,661 government for its 1193 00:36:03,661 --> 00:36:04,896 aggressive war against the 1194 00:36:04,896 --> 00:36:06,731 Democratic Republic of Vietnam. 1195 00:36:06,731 --> 00:36:07,865 Two, I've encroached 1196 00:36:07,865 --> 00:36:09,300 upon the airspace of the 1197 00:36:09,300 --> 00:36:11,302 Democratic Republic of Vietnam. 1198 00:36:11,536 --> 00:36:13,237 Three, I'm a war criminal, 1199 00:36:13,838 --> 00:36:15,673 and four I have received 1200 00:36:15,673 --> 00:36:16,741 humane and lenient 1201 00:36:16,741 --> 00:36:17,408 treatment from the 1202 00:36:17,408 --> 00:36:18,976 Vietnamese people in government. 1203 00:36:18,976 --> 00:36:19,977 I signed that. 1204 00:36:20,978 --> 00:36:22,680 They put me in a cell in the 1205 00:36:22,680 --> 00:36:24,015 Hanoi Hilton in a little section 1206 00:36:24,015 --> 00:36:25,917 we call heartbreak hotel. 1207 00:36:26,050 --> 00:36:27,485 I was in cell four, 1208 00:36:27,718 --> 00:36:29,520 90 inches by 90 inches, 1209 00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:30,688 two concrete bunks, 1210 00:36:31,355 --> 00:36:33,157 leg irons embedded in the bunks. 1211 00:36:34,559 --> 00:36:36,327 My right leg had become badly 1212 00:36:36,327 --> 00:36:37,929 infected from the shrapnel. 1213 00:36:38,162 --> 00:36:39,330 No medical attention. 1214 00:36:39,530 --> 00:36:41,232 Maggots were starting to form on 1215 00:36:41,232 --> 00:36:42,934 it and was turning black and on 1216 00:36:42,934 --> 00:36:45,603 that ninth day, a female guard 1217 00:36:45,603 --> 00:36:46,370 came in 1218 00:36:46,938 --> 00:36:48,239 and she looked at the leg 1219 00:36:48,239 --> 00:36:49,874 and she pull something off. 1220 00:36:50,608 --> 00:36:51,676 Stuff shot out of it. 1221 00:36:52,410 --> 00:36:54,178 She screamed and left, came back 1222 00:36:54,178 --> 00:36:55,179 with the interrogator, 1223 00:36:55,580 --> 00:36:56,914 and they talked with me said, 1224 00:36:56,914 --> 00:36:58,249 "Your leg is very bad we must 1225 00:36:58,249 --> 00:36:58,783 cut it off," 1226 00:36:59,083 --> 00:37:00,184 and I said, "No, you're not 1227 00:37:00,184 --> 00:37:01,886 cut my leg off. I'd rather die." 1228 00:37:01,886 --> 00:37:03,421 So, Neil Jones gave up and I 1229 00:37:03,421 --> 00:37:04,288 wanted to die. 1230 00:37:04,288 --> 00:37:05,890 That night. They put a guy in 1231 00:37:05,890 --> 00:37:07,892 the cell next to me in cell 3 1232 00:37:08,125 --> 00:37:09,727 No sooner had the guard 1233 00:37:09,727 --> 00:37:11,028 left when the voice came out, 1234 00:37:11,028 --> 00:37:12,463 "Where is Neil Jones?" 1235 00:37:12,463 --> 00:37:14,098 And I tell you what, just 1236 00:37:14,098 --> 00:37:15,733 hearing my name by another 1237 00:37:15,733 --> 00:37:17,435 American, I must have bounced 1238 00:37:17,435 --> 00:37:18,936 the foot off that bunk and I 1239 00:37:18,936 --> 00:37:20,071 said "Right here, who's that?" 1240 00:37:20,071 --> 00:37:21,238 And the voice came back said, 1241 00:37:21,238 --> 00:37:22,239 "Neal, this is Dave Hatcher." 1242 00:37:22,707 --> 00:37:23,908 And Dave Hatcher was a good 1243 00:37:23,908 --> 00:37:26,310 friend, a captain, F-105 pilot. 1244 00:37:26,611 --> 00:37:28,412 Dave was shot down, oh, at least 1245 00:37:28,412 --> 00:37:30,281 30 days before I was, and we 1246 00:37:30,281 --> 00:37:31,649 didn't know what had happened to 1247 00:37:31,649 --> 00:37:32,984 him, whether he was alive or 1248 00:37:32,984 --> 00:37:34,218 dead. And I said, "My God, Dave, 1249 00:37:34,218 --> 00:37:35,219 you don't know how good it is to 1250 00:37:35,219 --> 00:37:36,220 hear your voice. How did you 1251 00:37:36,220 --> 00:37:37,488 know I was here?" 1252 00:37:37,655 --> 00:37:38,322 He said, 1253 00:37:38,322 --> 00:37:39,991 "Well, I was in a camp near here 1254 00:37:39,991 --> 00:37:41,225 called the zoo 1255 00:37:41,826 --> 00:37:42,660 and we have loud 1256 00:37:42,660 --> 00:37:43,894 speakers in each cell 1257 00:37:44,762 --> 00:37:45,730 and every morning and every 1258 00:37:45,730 --> 00:37:46,664 night they play the 1259 00:37:46,664 --> 00:37:48,265 voice of Vietnam or 1260 00:37:48,265 --> 00:37:50,334 Hanoi Hannah, as we call it. 1261 00:37:51,268 --> 00:37:52,737 It was the 30 minute propaganda 1262 00:37:52,737 --> 00:37:54,472 broadcasts in English aimed to 1263 00:37:54,472 --> 00:37:56,774 the soldiers in South Vietnam." 1264 00:37:57,008 --> 00:37:57,908 He said, "The same day you 1265 00:37:57,908 --> 00:37:58,809 were shot down, 1266 00:37:58,809 --> 00:38:00,678 they announced it that night." 1267 00:38:01,345 --> 00:38:02,813 So, at least I knew my family 1268 00:38:02,813 --> 00:38:03,581 knew I was alive. 1269 00:38:04,115 --> 00:38:05,750 I asked Dave how he was, 1270 00:38:05,750 --> 00:38:07,351 and he said he was fine. 1271 00:38:08,185 --> 00:38:09,687 And then he asked me how I was, 1272 00:38:10,154 --> 00:38:11,922 and I said, "Dave I think 1273 00:38:11,922 --> 00:38:12,790 I'm going to die." 1274 00:38:13,090 --> 00:38:14,258 He said, "There's only one thing 1275 00:38:14,258 --> 00:38:15,426 to do and that's to pray a lot. 1276 00:38:15,593 --> 00:38:16,827 I pray all the time." 1277 00:38:16,961 --> 00:38:18,162 Well, I prayed that night, 1278 00:38:18,162 --> 00:38:20,998 not for why me God, but 1279 00:38:20,998 --> 00:38:22,133 give me the strength to 1280 00:38:22,133 --> 00:38:23,834 to do what I have to do, and I 1281 00:38:23,834 --> 00:38:25,002 finally slept a little that 1282 00:38:25,002 --> 00:38:25,770 night, 1283 00:38:26,303 --> 00:38:27,471 and I woke up the next day 1284 00:38:27,471 --> 00:38:28,305 and I knew I was going 1285 00:38:28,305 --> 00:38:29,140 to get out of there 1286 00:38:29,974 --> 00:38:31,676 and never gave up after that. 1287 00:38:32,209 --> 00:38:34,145 I found out four years 1288 00:38:34,145 --> 00:38:36,047 later that Dave had just been 1289 00:38:36,047 --> 00:38:38,015 tortured when he told me that. 1290 00:38:38,015 --> 00:38:39,984 He happened to be in the large 1291 00:38:39,984 --> 00:38:41,352 group that was paraded 1292 00:38:41,352 --> 00:38:43,688 through Hanoi and the crowd got 1293 00:38:43,688 --> 00:38:45,723 out of hand and a lot of guys 1294 00:38:45,723 --> 00:38:48,659 were beaten in that, but my raid 1295 00:38:48,659 --> 00:38:50,661 had precipitated the other 1296 00:38:50,661 --> 00:38:52,029 march, but he'd never said 1297 00:38:52,029 --> 00:38:54,465 anything to him, but I had 1298 00:38:54,465 --> 00:38:56,701 the opportunity to tell Dave 1299 00:38:56,701 --> 00:38:59,704 thanks in Washington DC at the 1300 00:38:59,704 --> 00:39:00,471 White House. 1301 00:39:00,838 --> 00:39:01,906 He had his daughter 1302 00:39:02,506 --> 00:39:03,374 and I told her 1303 00:39:04,241 --> 00:39:05,476 how her Dad had 1304 00:39:05,476 --> 00:39:06,377 saved my life that night. 1305 00:39:06,711 --> 00:39:09,180 But I go back and I look at 1306 00:39:09,914 --> 00:39:11,582 the guys that I flew with 1307 00:39:12,049 --> 00:39:12,883 the guys that I was 1308 00:39:12,883 --> 00:39:13,751 in prison with 1309 00:39:13,918 --> 00:39:15,519 a bunch of band of brothers 1310 00:39:15,986 --> 00:39:17,655 He who shares his blood with me 1311 00:39:17,655 --> 00:39:19,523 shall forever be my brother 1312 00:39:19,657 --> 00:39:20,658 They’re the best friends 1313 00:39:20,658 --> 00:39:21,826 I've ever had. 1314 00:39:22,026 --> 00:39:23,427 One thing I learned, 1315 00:39:25,730 --> 00:39:27,164 one of my dearest friends in my 1316 00:39:27,164 --> 00:39:27,598 whole life 1317 00:39:28,599 --> 00:39:30,167 is a guy named Vic Vizcarra. 1318 00:39:31,335 --> 00:39:32,770 Vic and I checked out in the 1319 00:39:32,770 --> 00:39:33,437 Thud together, 1320 00:39:34,071 --> 00:39:36,173 were in Japan, same squadron, 1321 00:39:36,741 --> 00:39:38,209 flew combat together 1322 00:39:39,610 --> 00:39:41,545 and he escorted my wife 1323 00:39:41,545 --> 00:39:43,547 and two young kids back to the 1324 00:39:43,547 --> 00:39:44,281 United States 1325 00:39:45,549 --> 00:39:46,917 and I never forgot 1326 00:39:48,285 --> 00:39:49,220 forgot that 1327 00:39:50,287 --> 00:39:51,122 appreciate it more 1328 00:39:51,122 --> 00:39:52,389 than anybody knows 1329 00:39:54,625 --> 00:39:56,527 but a band of brothers. 1330 00:40:00,397 --> 00:40:01,699 Jet noise... 1331 00:40:01,866 --> 00:40:02,967 For Thud pilots, 1332 00:40:03,267 --> 00:40:04,602 flying missions over 1333 00:40:04,602 --> 00:40:06,403 North Vietnam came down to 1334 00:40:06,403 --> 00:40:08,038 beating the odds. 1335 00:40:08,806 --> 00:40:10,875 Logging the combat missions 1336 00:40:11,142 --> 00:40:12,610 was the easy part. 1337 00:40:12,643 --> 00:40:13,444 radio & combat sounds 1338 00:40:13,477 --> 00:40:15,379 Thud pilots either survived 1339 00:40:15,379 --> 00:40:16,881 or got shot down. 1340 00:40:17,481 --> 00:40:18,716 It was the being brought 1341 00:40:18,716 --> 00:40:19,884 down part where it 1342 00:40:19,884 --> 00:40:22,419 became the roll of the dice. 1343 00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:24,922 They would either be killed, 1344 00:40:25,456 --> 00:40:26,157 captured 1345 00:40:26,423 --> 00:40:27,458 or rescued. 1346 00:40:28,159 --> 00:40:30,161 They were betting on the latter. 1347 00:40:30,394 --> 00:40:32,830 Well, I'm Denny Jarvey went 1348 00:40:32,830 --> 00:40:34,932 through training at Nellis 1349 00:40:35,299 --> 00:40:37,168 and prior to that, I had been 1350 00:40:37,168 --> 00:40:40,738 flying the F-101B in Charleston 1351 00:40:41,472 --> 00:40:43,007 chasing Russian bears that were 1352 00:40:43,007 --> 00:40:44,108 going down to Cuba, 1353 00:40:44,408 --> 00:40:44,909 laughing 1354 00:40:45,309 --> 00:40:46,911 and prior to that I flew the 1355 00:40:46,911 --> 00:40:49,980 F-102. So, when I transitioned 1356 00:40:49,980 --> 00:40:51,615 in the F-105, 1357 00:40:52,449 --> 00:40:53,617 I already knew 1358 00:40:53,617 --> 00:40:55,286 I could fly the airplane, that 1359 00:40:55,286 --> 00:40:56,253 was not an issue. 1360 00:40:56,253 --> 00:40:57,121 It was learning how to 1361 00:40:57,121 --> 00:40:57,922 fight with it. That's a whole 1362 00:40:57,922 --> 00:40:59,523 nother story. 1363 00:41:00,257 --> 00:41:04,495 The F-105 was really well suited 1364 00:41:04,495 --> 00:41:06,263 for the mission that we had 1365 00:41:06,263 --> 00:41:07,798 in the Hanoi area 1366 00:41:07,798 --> 00:41:09,867 that we could carry very heavy 1367 00:41:09,867 --> 00:41:11,035 bomb load. 1368 00:41:12,203 --> 00:41:15,539 It could take a really beating 1369 00:41:15,539 --> 00:41:16,874 and still bring it back. 1370 00:41:17,141 --> 00:41:18,142 I was lucky. 1371 00:41:18,876 --> 00:41:20,177 I didn't have a scratch. 1372 00:41:20,611 --> 00:41:22,780 I never, ever, I didn't have 1373 00:41:22,780 --> 00:41:23,380 a hole in the airplane. 1374 00:41:23,380 --> 00:41:24,181 Nothing. 1375 00:41:24,181 --> 00:41:26,016 Not even scratched paint. 1376 00:41:26,650 --> 00:41:27,551 Not True for the guys 1377 00:41:27,551 --> 00:41:29,153 I was flying with. 1378 00:41:29,553 --> 00:41:31,689 The Thud was terrific for this 1379 00:41:31,689 --> 00:41:33,524 particular mission. 1380 00:41:33,858 --> 00:41:35,392 It was fast. 1381 00:41:37,061 --> 00:41:38,629 Matter of fact, there's a fellow 1382 00:41:38,629 --> 00:41:41,465 named Byers that had been hit by 1383 00:41:41,465 --> 00:41:42,700 a MiG-21 1384 00:41:43,234 --> 00:41:45,035 and Atoll that 1385 00:41:46,136 --> 00:41:47,137 hit him 1386 00:41:47,137 --> 00:41:49,540 was still stuck in the fuselage 1387 00:41:50,140 --> 00:41:52,009 of the aft end of the airplane 1388 00:41:52,009 --> 00:41:54,812 just underneath the rudder, and 1389 00:41:54,812 --> 00:41:57,147 with this great big gaping hole, 1390 00:41:57,147 --> 00:41:58,182 and there's pictures that are 1391 00:41:58,182 --> 00:42:01,151 around of people standing, 1392 00:42:01,986 --> 00:42:03,821 well, the Thud’s a pretty big 1393 00:42:03,821 --> 00:42:04,688 airplane, you’ve gotta be up 1394 00:42:04,688 --> 00:42:05,856 on a ladder to be able to get 1395 00:42:05,856 --> 00:42:08,092 your body up into the wing, but 1396 00:42:08,092 --> 00:42:09,660 with huge holes, 1397 00:42:09,927 --> 00:42:12,229 and it brought you home. 1398 00:42:12,363 --> 00:42:13,597 I happened to be 1399 00:42:15,432 --> 00:42:16,533 at Korat 1400 00:42:16,734 --> 00:42:18,669 and we learned that 1401 00:42:18,669 --> 00:42:20,504 President Johnson was coming 1402 00:42:20,838 --> 00:42:21,405 to town. 1403 00:42:22,006 --> 00:42:24,341 Well, it is a big deal, 1404 00:42:24,608 --> 00:42:27,044 you know, and so they 1405 00:42:27,511 --> 00:42:28,279 kicked everybody 1406 00:42:28,279 --> 00:42:29,046 out of the club. 1407 00:42:29,580 --> 00:42:31,415 So I had my scotch in hand, and 1408 00:42:31,415 --> 00:42:33,284 General Momyer looked on the bar 1409 00:42:33,284 --> 00:42:35,419 and he pointed at me and said, 1410 00:42:35,419 --> 00:42:37,454 "You, you big guy get over there 1411 00:42:37,454 --> 00:42:39,790 and you tell the President what 1412 00:42:39,790 --> 00:42:40,724 you just did." 1413 00:42:41,025 --> 00:42:42,459 Well, it turned out it happened 1414 00:42:42,459 --> 00:42:44,628 to be the mission right after 1415 00:42:44,628 --> 00:42:46,730 the Dormer Bridge raid. 1416 00:42:46,730 --> 00:42:47,798 So, I told him about that 1417 00:42:47,798 --> 00:42:49,633 and I happened to be the last 1418 00:42:49,633 --> 00:42:51,368 guy that rolled in on the target 1419 00:42:52,102 --> 00:42:54,905 on that particular sortie and 1420 00:42:55,706 --> 00:42:58,475 it was an active day, but 1421 00:42:58,475 --> 00:43:00,244 when I looked down at the 1422 00:43:00,244 --> 00:43:01,812 bridge, I could already see 1423 00:43:01,812 --> 00:43:03,247 several of the spans were 1424 00:43:03,247 --> 00:43:04,281 already in the water. 1425 00:43:04,281 --> 00:43:05,983 So it turned out to be 1426 00:43:06,417 --> 00:43:07,551 quite an event. 1427 00:43:07,952 --> 00:43:09,787 Thuds continued to be shot down 1428 00:43:09,787 --> 00:43:12,156 as the war escalated with no end 1429 00:43:12,156 --> 00:43:12,923 in sight, and 1430 00:43:12,923 --> 00:43:14,658 to add insult to injury, 1431 00:43:15,092 --> 00:43:16,961 a new war had emerged 1432 00:43:17,828 --> 00:43:19,897 and it wasn't in Vietnam. 1433 00:43:20,297 --> 00:43:22,266 Americans back home suddenly 1434 00:43:22,266 --> 00:43:24,234 began to side with the enemy and 1435 00:43:24,234 --> 00:43:25,336 began to protest. 1436 00:43:25,502 --> 00:43:27,004 Pilots, risking their lives were 1437 00:43:27,004 --> 00:43:29,239 suddenly being labeled as 1438 00:43:29,239 --> 00:43:30,474 child killers. 1439 00:43:30,474 --> 00:43:31,942 But for the pilots, 1440 00:43:32,309 --> 00:43:33,777 the war went on. 1441 00:43:33,944 --> 00:43:35,512 I flew another 20 missions and 1442 00:43:35,512 --> 00:43:37,514 on the 14th September 1443 00:43:37,815 --> 00:43:39,116 we were going up to hit 1444 00:43:39,116 --> 00:43:40,017 a railroad bridge 1445 00:43:41,185 --> 00:43:42,353 north of Hanoi. 1446 00:43:42,853 --> 00:43:44,355 Interestingly enough, there was 1447 00:43:44,355 --> 00:43:45,756 also a MiG base 1448 00:43:45,756 --> 00:43:47,124 right near the bridge. 1449 00:43:47,124 --> 00:43:48,759 I was number four in the flight. 1450 00:43:48,759 --> 00:43:51,328 We raced along a low altitude, 1451 00:43:51,328 --> 00:43:52,796 actually came right over the top 1452 00:43:52,796 --> 00:43:54,765 of Hanoi that day 1453 00:43:54,765 --> 00:43:55,933 at low altitude. 1454 00:43:55,933 --> 00:43:56,967 About three surface to air 1455 00:43:56,967 --> 00:43:58,302 missiles came through the flight 1456 00:43:58,302 --> 00:43:59,837 That scared the crap out of me. 1457 00:43:59,837 --> 00:44:02,006 So, I broke one way and I 1458 00:44:02,006 --> 00:44:03,440 guess the rest of the flight 1459 00:44:03,440 --> 00:44:04,508 went the other way. 1460 00:44:04,508 --> 00:44:06,210 So I rolled in and, I dropped 1461 00:44:06,210 --> 00:44:09,046 eight, 750 pound bombs and as I 1462 00:44:09,046 --> 00:44:10,848 pulled off, I actually saw them 1463 00:44:10,848 --> 00:44:12,816 hit the bridge luckily enough, 1464 00:44:12,816 --> 00:44:14,351 and I watched the span that 1465 00:44:14,351 --> 00:44:15,686 dropped into the river. 1466 00:44:15,686 --> 00:44:17,354 So, I said, "Man, that's great", 1467 00:44:17,821 --> 00:44:19,289 and I called, I said, "Four is 1468 00:44:19,289 --> 00:44:21,191 off" and the flight lead says, 1469 00:44:21,191 --> 00:44:22,292 "You're where?". 1470 00:44:22,292 --> 00:44:23,660 I said, "Four is off". He said, 1471 00:44:23,660 --> 00:44:25,396 "Well, we're 20 miles away. 1472 00:44:25,396 --> 00:44:26,830 We'll come back and get you," 1473 00:44:26,830 --> 00:44:28,532 and just about that time there 1474 00:44:28,532 --> 00:44:29,800 was a MiG-17 1475 00:44:30,734 --> 00:44:32,503 probably 1500 feet from me, 1476 00:44:33,237 --> 00:44:34,405 and it looked like he was 1477 00:44:34,405 --> 00:44:35,372 shooting at me. 1478 00:44:35,639 --> 00:44:37,474 So....he was here. 1479 00:44:37,474 --> 00:44:39,843 I'm here, he's here, about to 1480 00:44:39,843 --> 00:44:41,478 shoot my watch off, 1481 00:44:41,745 --> 00:44:44,048 and I remember the guys in 1482 00:44:44,048 --> 00:44:45,249 training told me about this 1483 00:44:45,249 --> 00:44:47,151 maneuver that we never did. 1484 00:44:47,418 --> 00:44:48,752 It was called a High G roll 1485 00:44:48,752 --> 00:44:50,554 underneath, and I said, "Well 1486 00:44:50,554 --> 00:44:51,588 this might be the 1487 00:44:51,588 --> 00:44:52,656 time to try this." 1488 00:44:52,823 --> 00:44:54,691 Well I did that and now I’m 1489 00:44:54,691 --> 00:44:55,826 pointed straight down, 1490 00:44:55,826 --> 00:44:56,760 no airspeed 1491 00:44:57,828 --> 00:44:59,830 in about maybe 4,000 feet above 1492 00:44:59,830 --> 00:45:00,330 the ground. 1493 00:45:00,564 --> 00:45:02,599 So, now I light the afterburner, 1494 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:04,735 and I probably pulled out at 1495 00:45:04,735 --> 00:45:06,036 about 500 feet. When I got 1496 00:45:06,036 --> 00:45:07,204 enough speed going, 1497 00:45:07,538 --> 00:45:08,872 and I decided it was time to 1498 00:45:09,740 --> 00:45:11,008 leave the afterburner in and get 1499 00:45:11,008 --> 00:45:12,076 the hell out of Dodge. 1500 00:45:12,209 --> 00:45:13,410 So, I turned east 1501 00:45:14,111 --> 00:45:15,679 because we're gonna go out over 1502 00:45:15,679 --> 00:45:17,948 the Gulf of Tonkin and then come 1503 00:45:17,948 --> 00:45:18,882 back. So they just said, "Head 1504 00:45:18,882 --> 00:45:20,751 for the coast, we'll rejoin out 1505 00:45:20,751 --> 00:45:22,119 over the water." So, now I'm a 1506 00:45:22,119 --> 00:45:23,353 singleton running along, and 1507 00:45:24,555 --> 00:45:25,556 we were actually, 1508 00:45:26,290 --> 00:45:27,624 I thought it was further south. 1509 00:45:27,624 --> 00:45:28,592 We were about 20 miles 1510 00:45:28,592 --> 00:45:29,927 south of China. At least that's 1511 00:45:29,927 --> 00:45:31,695 where I was. Shortly thereafter 1512 00:45:31,695 --> 00:45:32,896 I saw it, you know, 1513 00:45:33,297 --> 00:45:34,264 as I'm heading for the 1514 00:45:34,264 --> 00:45:35,199 coast, going about 1515 00:45:35,766 --> 00:45:36,700 five-fifty 1516 00:45:37,434 --> 00:45:39,603 and not in afterburner, and I 1517 00:45:39,603 --> 00:45:41,405 saw this little glint of a 1518 00:45:41,905 --> 00:45:42,539 spark or something. 1519 00:45:42,539 --> 00:45:43,373 And I looked over 1520 00:45:43,774 --> 00:45:45,943 and here comes a MiG-21. 1521 00:45:47,111 --> 00:45:47,878 So, I said, "Well, I'll give 1522 00:45:47,878 --> 00:45:48,645 him a turn". 1523 00:45:49,079 --> 00:45:50,314 I turned a little bit and I said 1524 00:45:50,581 --> 00:45:52,282 "This is not gonna work out well 1525 00:45:52,282 --> 00:45:53,817 at all", and I could just see 1526 00:45:53,817 --> 00:45:54,785 the coast 1527 00:45:55,452 --> 00:45:56,220 out in front of me. 1528 00:45:56,386 --> 00:45:57,387 And I knew that MiG wasn't 1529 00:45:57,387 --> 00:45:58,088 with me cause there's 1530 00:45:58,088 --> 00:45:59,323 no way he could hang with me. 1531 00:45:59,957 --> 00:46:01,391 So, I came out of afterburner, 1532 00:46:01,558 --> 00:46:02,826 and started to climb 1533 00:46:03,260 --> 00:46:05,562 and as I crested the ridge line 1534 00:46:06,597 --> 00:46:07,798 all hell broke loose. 1535 00:46:07,798 --> 00:46:09,967 I mean I've watched part of my 1536 00:46:09,967 --> 00:46:10,667 wing come off 1537 00:46:10,767 --> 00:46:12,402 fire light came on again and as 1538 00:46:12,402 --> 00:46:13,904 I was told later by the guys 1539 00:46:13,904 --> 00:46:15,005 the in flight, I didn’t hear 1540 00:46:15,005 --> 00:46:15,939 this because I think I was 1541 00:46:15,939 --> 00:46:17,407 breathing so hard and 1542 00:46:17,407 --> 00:46:18,142 I was scared. 1543 00:46:18,509 --> 00:46:19,910 totally scared at this point 1544 00:46:21,011 --> 00:46:22,579 because I'd been here before and 1545 00:46:22,579 --> 00:46:23,447 I'm going not again 1546 00:46:23,580 --> 00:46:24,314 and then I just 1547 00:46:24,481 --> 00:46:25,582 crossed the waterline 1548 00:46:26,450 --> 00:46:27,985 and about 500 feet 1549 00:46:27,985 --> 00:46:29,253 I said, "It's time 1550 00:46:29,253 --> 00:46:30,487 to get out of this thing." 1551 00:46:30,654 --> 00:46:31,622 Did the normal ejection 1552 00:46:31,622 --> 00:46:33,157 the canopy didn't come off. 1553 00:46:33,624 --> 00:46:34,525 So, I just 1554 00:46:35,092 --> 00:46:36,627 squeezed the ejection triggers 1555 00:46:36,927 --> 00:46:38,462 and went through the canopy 1556 00:46:38,629 --> 00:46:39,696 and I remember tumbling 1557 00:46:40,197 --> 00:46:41,265 very, very violently, 1558 00:46:41,431 --> 00:46:42,766 and then I hit the water. I have 1559 00:46:42,766 --> 00:46:43,667 no idea 1560 00:46:44,701 --> 00:46:45,202 what happened 1561 00:46:45,202 --> 00:46:47,271 and the flight lead said 1562 00:46:47,271 --> 00:46:48,705 he went in with the airplane. 1563 00:46:48,839 --> 00:46:49,840 So they actually started 1564 00:46:49,840 --> 00:46:50,841 heading for the tanker 1565 00:46:51,041 --> 00:46:52,543 and I went down in the water. 1566 00:46:52,543 --> 00:46:53,343 I was all tied up in 1567 00:46:53,343 --> 00:46:54,211 the parachute. 1568 00:46:55,712 --> 00:46:57,347 Fortunately I carried a knife on 1569 00:46:57,347 --> 00:46:58,182 my left side. I got that knife 1570 00:46:58,182 --> 00:47:00,350 and I started cutting away. 1571 00:47:00,517 --> 00:47:01,718 So, I started sawing away and I 1572 00:47:01,718 --> 00:47:02,986 remember I looked up, it was 1573 00:47:03,654 --> 00:47:04,988 late afternoon and I could, 1574 00:47:04,988 --> 00:47:07,024 I kind of looked up and I 1575 00:47:07,024 --> 00:47:09,560 said, "Wow, I'm gonna drown 1576 00:47:09,560 --> 00:47:11,228 what a crappy way to go." 1577 00:47:11,528 --> 00:47:12,829 Finally got to where I could 1578 00:47:12,829 --> 00:47:14,031 get to one water wing. 1579 00:47:14,031 --> 00:47:15,399 I opened I deployed it 1580 00:47:15,399 --> 00:47:16,800 and that was enough to bring 1581 00:47:16,800 --> 00:47:18,202 me back up to the surface. 1582 00:47:18,902 --> 00:47:20,337 So, I got the other one and then 1583 00:47:20,337 --> 00:47:21,405 I cut my way out of 1584 00:47:21,405 --> 00:47:22,072 the parachute. 1585 00:47:23,040 --> 00:47:24,975 They said that from when the 1586 00:47:24,975 --> 00:47:26,543 airplane hit little over a 1587 00:47:26,543 --> 00:47:28,545 minute then he heard the 1588 00:47:28,545 --> 00:47:29,346 distress beacon 1589 00:47:30,180 --> 00:47:31,014 come on. So they figured 1590 00:47:31,014 --> 00:47:32,382 I was in underwater 1591 00:47:32,382 --> 00:47:33,150 for about a minute. 1592 00:47:33,350 --> 00:47:34,918 Got into my life raft, which I 1593 00:47:34,918 --> 00:47:36,753 still had and pulled up my 1594 00:47:36,753 --> 00:47:38,755 trusty radio, but at 1595 00:47:38,755 --> 00:47:40,057 that point then I carried 1596 00:47:40,190 --> 00:47:40,924 two radios 1597 00:47:41,091 --> 00:47:42,526 instead of just the normal one. 1598 00:47:42,726 --> 00:47:44,428 Call my flight lead and told 1599 00:47:44,428 --> 00:47:46,930 them I'm alive and I'm in my 1600 00:47:46,930 --> 00:47:48,932 life raft and come get me 1601 00:47:48,932 --> 00:47:50,701 and he said, "We gotta go to the 1602 00:47:50,701 --> 00:47:53,403 tanker and we'll get the rescue 1603 00:47:53,403 --> 00:47:54,271 forces coming." 1604 00:47:54,271 --> 00:47:55,839 Well, when they said forces, I 1605 00:47:55,839 --> 00:47:57,574 thought it'd be an Armada like 1606 00:47:57,574 --> 00:47:58,742 I saw the first time. 1607 00:47:59,176 --> 00:48:00,911 Well, it turned out the 1608 00:48:00,911 --> 00:48:03,180 rescue Armada was gonna consist 1609 00:48:03,180 --> 00:48:05,215 of one Navy helicopter 1610 00:48:05,682 --> 00:48:08,385 and two Navy A-1s because we 1611 00:48:08,385 --> 00:48:09,886 were so far north, it turns out 1612 00:48:09,886 --> 00:48:12,022 I was, I had managed to bail out 1613 00:48:12,022 --> 00:48:13,890 in a major shipping lane that 1614 00:48:13,890 --> 00:48:15,359 they ferried supplies from 1615 00:48:15,359 --> 00:48:17,728 China down to North Vietnam 1616 00:48:17,728 --> 00:48:19,529 So the islands were 1617 00:48:19,529 --> 00:48:20,631 heavily defended. 1618 00:48:20,631 --> 00:48:22,232 There were guns everywhere 1619 00:48:22,566 --> 00:48:24,568 and I guess they thought I had 1620 00:48:24,568 --> 00:48:25,469 gone in with the airplane 1621 00:48:25,469 --> 00:48:26,603 because not much went on for 1622 00:48:26,603 --> 00:48:28,538 about the first 45 minutes 1623 00:48:28,538 --> 00:48:28,972 to an hour 1624 00:48:29,072 --> 00:48:29,940 All of a sudden 1625 00:48:30,407 --> 00:48:31,041 I started 1626 00:48:31,708 --> 00:48:32,876 hearing gunfire 1627 00:48:33,577 --> 00:48:35,212 and I'm going, oh oh, maybe 1628 00:48:35,212 --> 00:48:37,080 they know I'm here and now 1629 00:48:37,080 --> 00:48:38,915 I see boats starting to come 1630 00:48:38,915 --> 00:48:40,217 and I'm going this is not gonna 1631 00:48:40,217 --> 00:48:41,385 to be a good day for me. 1632 00:48:41,485 --> 00:48:43,320 It's a long haul from here to 1633 00:48:43,320 --> 00:48:45,155 prison and I really didn’t want 1634 00:48:45,155 --> 00:48:46,123 to play that game. 1635 00:48:46,123 --> 00:48:46,957 A little bit later. 1636 00:48:46,957 --> 00:48:48,258 I hear a lot of gunfire. 1637 00:48:49,092 --> 00:48:50,727 And my flight lead said 1638 00:48:50,727 --> 00:48:52,329 that the rescue forces are 1639 00:48:52,329 --> 00:48:53,764 trying to get in the Navy 1640 00:48:53,764 --> 00:48:55,666 helicopter and I learned this 1641 00:48:55,666 --> 00:48:56,967 later when I met the guy who 1642 00:48:56,967 --> 00:48:58,268 flew the helicopter and one of 1643 00:48:58,268 --> 00:48:59,269 the A-1 pilots. 1644 00:48:59,569 --> 00:49:01,271 They tried three different 1645 00:49:01,271 --> 00:49:02,973 routes to get in to get me, 1646 00:49:03,573 --> 00:49:04,741 and that was when I started 1647 00:49:04,741 --> 00:49:06,476 hearing a lot of gunfire and 1648 00:49:06,476 --> 00:49:07,611 they had to turn around each 1649 00:49:07,611 --> 00:49:10,013 time because of the 1650 00:49:10,013 --> 00:49:11,848 severity of the gunfire and in 1651 00:49:11,848 --> 00:49:14,084 fact the helicopter crew took a 1652 00:49:14,084 --> 00:49:15,819 vote to see if they wanted to 1653 00:49:15,819 --> 00:49:16,586 try it again. 1654 00:49:16,687 --> 00:49:17,754 Well, they did. They found 1655 00:49:17,754 --> 00:49:18,488 another way in. 1656 00:49:18,955 --> 00:49:21,258 I’m exhausted, you know, the 1657 00:49:21,258 --> 00:49:23,427 adrenaline and the excitement 1658 00:49:23,427 --> 00:49:24,695 and maybe I'm going to get 1659 00:49:24,695 --> 00:49:27,264 outta here and of course 1660 00:49:27,531 --> 00:49:29,099 I’m looking. I said there's two 1661 00:49:29,099 --> 00:49:30,167 A-1s and that's it. 1662 00:49:30,867 --> 00:49:32,536 And this chopper and everybody's 1663 00:49:32,536 --> 00:49:34,171 getting a crap shot out of them. 1664 00:49:34,871 --> 00:49:37,140 So, here we go the helicopter. 1665 00:49:37,140 --> 00:49:38,542 I'm in the hoists underneath, 1666 00:49:38,542 --> 00:49:39,543 they're bringing me up 1667 00:49:40,344 --> 00:49:41,945 and the two A-1s 1668 00:49:42,346 --> 00:49:42,679 are 1669 00:49:44,181 --> 00:49:45,282 flying around out in front 1670 00:49:45,282 --> 00:49:45,849 of us 1671 00:49:45,949 --> 00:49:47,184 strafing beaches as we go 1672 00:49:47,184 --> 00:49:47,851 along because they're getting 1673 00:49:47,851 --> 00:49:49,353 shot at the whole time. 1674 00:49:51,054 --> 00:49:52,189 So they get me about, 1675 00:49:52,823 --> 00:49:54,191 it’s kind of like the first time 1676 00:49:54,191 --> 00:49:55,392 about 40 feet from the 1677 00:49:55,392 --> 00:49:57,127 helicopter, from the door 1678 00:49:57,794 --> 00:49:59,529 and the hoist breaks. 1679 00:50:00,130 --> 00:50:01,164 So now, 1680 00:50:01,698 --> 00:50:02,699 we’re getting out of there 1681 00:50:03,300 --> 00:50:04,468 they’re getting shot at and 1682 00:50:04,468 --> 00:50:05,836 I'm swinging around underneath 1683 00:50:05,836 --> 00:50:07,704 the helicopter going, "Oh man, 1684 00:50:07,704 --> 00:50:08,872 this is gonna be a long trip." 1685 00:50:08,872 --> 00:50:10,307 When they finally figured out 1686 00:50:10,307 --> 00:50:11,141 how to get me up. 1687 00:50:11,508 --> 00:50:12,209 So, they get me up 1688 00:50:12,576 --> 00:50:13,910 into the helicopter. 1689 00:50:13,910 --> 00:50:15,045 Now it's the same deal. 1690 00:50:15,412 --> 00:50:16,213 I want to go hug 1691 00:50:16,213 --> 00:50:17,347 and kiss everybody. 1692 00:50:17,514 --> 00:50:18,348 and say thanks. 1693 00:50:18,648 --> 00:50:19,349 They're busy. 1694 00:50:19,349 --> 00:50:20,317 They had two guns in 1695 00:50:20,584 --> 00:50:21,885 one on each side of the 1696 00:50:21,885 --> 00:50:22,753 helicopter. 1697 00:50:22,753 --> 00:50:24,187 and they're blazing away 1698 00:50:24,187 --> 00:50:25,389 with these machine guns and 1699 00:50:25,389 --> 00:50:26,923 I want to hug them. 1700 00:50:26,923 --> 00:50:27,891 So, they actually let me 1701 00:50:27,891 --> 00:50:28,759 shoot one of the guns 1702 00:50:28,759 --> 00:50:29,526 for a second, 1703 00:50:30,060 --> 00:50:31,027 and then they 1704 00:50:31,027 --> 00:50:32,195 finally said that's enough of 1705 00:50:32,195 --> 00:50:33,096 that and they strap me 1706 00:50:33,096 --> 00:50:34,064 to the floor 1707 00:50:34,598 --> 00:50:36,767 to get me out of the way. 1708 00:50:37,033 --> 00:50:38,201 So, I was saved 1709 00:50:38,268 --> 00:50:39,770 and they too have booze 1710 00:50:39,770 --> 00:50:40,570 on the helicopter, 1711 00:50:40,670 --> 00:50:41,571 so they gave me a couple of 1712 00:50:41,571 --> 00:50:43,540 miniatures to calm me down. 1713 00:50:43,540 --> 00:50:44,941 Then I got to thank everybody 1714 00:50:45,208 --> 00:50:45,575 And then now 1715 00:50:46,042 --> 00:50:47,444 now the adrenaline’s gone. 1716 00:50:47,444 --> 00:50:49,079 I'm exhausted, which was 1717 00:50:49,346 --> 00:50:51,014 which was really, really great. 1718 00:50:55,719 --> 00:50:57,554 Hollywood has always portrayed 1719 00:50:57,554 --> 00:50:59,389 fighter pilots as fearless, 1720 00:50:59,389 --> 00:51:01,024 steel cold men with 1721 00:51:01,024 --> 00:51:04,127 a fixation for flying women and 1722 00:51:04,127 --> 00:51:06,630 booze in no particular order, 1723 00:51:07,764 --> 00:51:09,966 but in actuality 1724 00:51:09,966 --> 00:51:11,635 they've just been Americans with 1725 00:51:11,635 --> 00:51:14,070 a deep love of country and 1726 00:51:14,070 --> 00:51:16,139 diligence to unsheathe the sword 1727 00:51:16,139 --> 00:51:17,240 of freedom 1728 00:51:17,474 --> 00:51:19,309 kept sharp by their willingness 1729 00:51:19,309 --> 00:51:20,710 to live on its edge. 1730 00:51:21,311 --> 00:51:22,913 Karl Richter knew he would be a 1731 00:51:22,913 --> 00:51:25,415 fighter pilot at a very young 1732 00:51:25,982 --> 00:51:27,918 age by 18 months old, he was 1733 00:51:27,918 --> 00:51:29,453 already climbing a ladder to 1734 00:51:29,453 --> 00:51:31,154 the top of their barn 1735 00:51:31,655 --> 00:51:33,323 to join his dad on the roof. 1736 00:51:33,623 --> 00:51:35,258 His infatuation with heights 1737 00:51:35,258 --> 00:51:37,294 persisted, and his family 1738 00:51:37,294 --> 00:51:38,595 would spot him at the top of the 1739 00:51:38,595 --> 00:51:40,163 trees and the windmill on 1740 00:51:40,163 --> 00:51:41,164 their property. 1741 00:51:41,398 --> 00:51:42,766 By age 18, 1742 00:51:42,933 --> 00:51:44,401 he was already a pilot. 1743 00:51:44,668 --> 00:51:46,236 Was living his dream at 1744 00:51:46,236 --> 00:51:48,104 the U.S. Air Force Academy. 1745 00:51:48,472 --> 00:51:50,574 By the time he was 22, 1746 00:51:50,907 --> 00:51:52,642 he was flying the Thud. 1747 00:51:53,009 --> 00:51:54,277 Didn't take long for him 1748 00:51:54,277 --> 00:51:56,179 to make military history. 1749 00:51:56,480 --> 00:51:57,614 By 23, 1750 00:51:58,281 --> 00:51:59,783 he'd become the youngest pilot, 1751 00:51:59,783 --> 00:52:01,651 in the U.S Air Force to shoot 1752 00:52:01,651 --> 00:52:02,786 down a MiG. 1753 00:52:03,019 --> 00:52:04,154 UHF pilot radio transmissions 1754 00:52:04,521 --> 00:52:06,623 As operation Rolling Thunder 1755 00:52:06,623 --> 00:52:07,924 intensified and dragged 1756 00:52:07,924 --> 00:52:09,192 on well past its 1757 00:52:09,192 --> 00:52:11,161 initial eight week plan, 1758 00:52:11,628 --> 00:52:13,330 More Thud pilots were needed. 1759 00:52:13,830 --> 00:52:15,332 A short temporary duty 1760 00:52:15,332 --> 00:52:17,100 cycling of pilots from Thud 1761 00:52:17,100 --> 00:52:19,035 squadrons based in Japan and the 1762 00:52:19,035 --> 00:52:21,671 U.S. to Thailand wasn't working. 1763 00:52:22,038 --> 00:52:23,874 Military orders, we're now going 1764 00:52:23,874 --> 00:52:25,208 to have to be permanently 1765 00:52:25,208 --> 00:52:27,310 assigned to pilots to complete 1766 00:52:27,310 --> 00:52:29,312 100 combat missions 1767 00:52:30,480 --> 00:52:32,282 one counter...one for the month 1768 00:52:32,282 --> 00:52:34,184 ninety-nine hard ones to go 1769 00:52:35,819 --> 00:52:37,988 Extraordinary times require 1770 00:52:37,988 --> 00:52:39,489 extraordinary gallantry and 1771 00:52:39,489 --> 00:52:40,156 faith. 1772 00:52:40,790 --> 00:52:42,125 A faith not only in 1773 00:52:42,125 --> 00:52:43,527 country and family, 1774 00:52:44,561 --> 00:52:45,962 but a power greater than 1775 00:52:45,962 --> 00:52:47,531 themselves with a 1776 00:52:47,898 --> 00:52:48,865 here I am, 1777 00:52:49,232 --> 00:52:50,734 send me conviction 1778 00:52:52,402 --> 00:52:54,638 Men like Karl Richter. 1779 00:52:55,338 --> 00:52:56,339 How are you gonna explain to 1780 00:52:56,339 --> 00:52:57,374 the wife that, 1781 00:52:57,707 --> 00:52:59,409 you put in for concurrent tour 1782 00:52:59,409 --> 00:53:00,343 you know, you going to take 1783 00:53:00,343 --> 00:53:01,311 flying over her? 1784 00:53:01,411 --> 00:53:02,379 Yeah, it wouldn't happen 1785 00:53:03,079 --> 00:53:03,813 Yeah, that's why 1786 00:53:03,813 --> 00:53:04,414 I'm sticking around. 1787 00:53:04,548 --> 00:53:06,016 You know that's why I guess. 1788 00:53:06,416 --> 00:53:07,717 The flying is good 1789 00:53:08,385 --> 00:53:09,152 and it’s 1790 00:53:09,553 --> 00:53:10,320 it's the kind of deal 1791 00:53:10,320 --> 00:53:12,222 like everybody says, yeah 1792 00:53:12,222 --> 00:53:12,923 that I'm waving the flag, 1793 00:53:12,923 --> 00:53:14,157 but I'm not. At the same time, 1794 00:53:14,157 --> 00:53:16,393 you know, where are going to 1795 00:53:16,993 --> 00:53:17,861 where are you going to stop at? 1796 00:53:17,861 --> 00:53:18,862 You know 1797 00:53:18,862 --> 00:53:20,430 where is...where's communism? 1798 00:53:20,430 --> 00:53:21,064 You going to wait until there're 1799 00:53:21,064 --> 00:53:21,731 in the 1800 00:53:22,732 --> 00:53:23,166 Philippines? 1801 00:53:23,567 --> 00:53:24,267 Or in Australia or 1802 00:53:24,267 --> 00:53:26,036 San Fransisco or the 1803 00:53:26,369 --> 00:53:27,170 Hawaiian Islands? 1804 00:53:27,337 --> 00:53:28,104 You know. 1805 00:53:28,505 --> 00:53:29,573 Do we stop it here or wait untl 1806 00:53:29,573 --> 00:53:31,174 somewhere later on? 1807 00:53:31,942 --> 00:53:32,609 I don't think most the 1808 00:53:32,609 --> 00:53:34,010 people think about that. 1809 00:53:34,377 --> 00:53:36,012 By the age of 24, 1810 00:53:36,246 --> 00:53:38,114 he’d already completed his 100 1811 00:53:38,114 --> 00:53:39,549 combat missions. 1812 00:53:39,749 --> 00:53:41,184 He volunteered to stay for 1813 00:53:41,184 --> 00:53:42,452 another hundred. 1814 00:53:43,053 --> 00:53:44,754 His request was approved. 1815 00:53:44,754 --> 00:53:46,423 When I went to Korat. 1816 00:53:46,423 --> 00:53:47,724 Karl was in the same squadron 1817 00:53:47,724 --> 00:53:48,592 that I was in the 1818 00:53:48,592 --> 00:53:50,760 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron 1819 00:53:51,027 --> 00:53:53,863 and so I got to fly with him for 1820 00:53:53,863 --> 00:53:55,465 about six months while we were 1821 00:53:55,465 --> 00:53:57,534 there, and of course he went on 1822 00:53:57,534 --> 00:53:59,970 and finished a 100, then went on 1823 00:53:59,970 --> 00:54:02,472 to try, try to do another 100. 1824 00:54:02,472 --> 00:54:04,808 I mean he was fearless, totally 1825 00:54:04,808 --> 00:54:07,644 fearless, and he was a 1826 00:54:07,644 --> 00:54:08,612 dedicated American. 1827 00:54:08,612 --> 00:54:10,080 I mean he really believed in 1828 00:54:10,080 --> 00:54:10,947 what he was doing. 1829 00:54:11,247 --> 00:54:12,082 He could fly the airplane 1830 00:54:12,082 --> 00:54:13,316 really well 1831 00:54:13,483 --> 00:54:14,751 and he was just a 1832 00:54:14,751 --> 00:54:16,252 fun, good guy to be with. 1833 00:54:16,453 --> 00:54:18,054 Karl Richter had survived the 1834 00:54:18,054 --> 00:54:19,756 thuds worst year on record 1835 00:54:20,123 --> 00:54:21,224 and he dared to look death 1836 00:54:21,224 --> 00:54:22,292 in the face to do it 1837 00:54:22,292 --> 00:54:23,760 all over again. 1838 00:54:24,761 --> 00:54:26,830 On his 198th mission 1839 00:54:26,830 --> 00:54:28,465 over North Vietnam 1840 00:54:28,598 --> 00:54:31,234 while bombing a bridge, 1841 00:54:31,234 --> 00:54:32,602 Lieutenant Richter's Thud was 1842 00:54:32,602 --> 00:54:33,903 was shot down. 1843 00:54:34,904 --> 00:54:36,406 Battled damaged by 1844 00:54:36,406 --> 00:54:37,407 anti-aircraft fire. 1845 00:54:38,108 --> 00:54:39,776 He ejected over a sharp 1846 00:54:39,776 --> 00:54:40,844 karst terrain. 1847 00:54:41,077 --> 00:54:42,479 His wingman observed 1848 00:54:42,479 --> 00:54:44,114 a good chute and ordered in the 1849 00:54:44,114 --> 00:54:46,316 combat search and rescue team. 1850 00:54:46,416 --> 00:54:48,018 Near death from multiple 1851 00:54:48,018 --> 00:54:49,686 injuries sustained due 1852 00:54:49,686 --> 00:54:51,788 to the studied karst formation, 1853 00:54:52,022 --> 00:54:53,757 they recovered and extracted 1854 00:54:53,757 --> 00:54:55,625 him from North Vietnam. 1855 00:54:55,825 --> 00:54:56,960 Karl Richter, 1856 00:54:57,427 --> 00:54:59,095 the young man who proudly 1857 00:54:59,095 --> 00:55:00,797 stood and lived the essence of 1858 00:55:01,364 --> 00:55:02,766 here I am, 1859 00:55:03,099 --> 00:55:04,467 send me. 1860 00:55:05,101 --> 00:55:08,605 Died on July 28th, 1967 1861 00:55:08,838 --> 00:55:11,174 aboard the rescue helicopter. 1862 00:55:27,490 --> 00:55:28,858 An American hero and 1863 00:55:28,858 --> 00:55:30,360 World War Two Ace 1864 00:55:30,360 --> 00:55:32,162 was about to change everything. 1865 00:55:33,563 --> 00:55:35,298 Colonel Robin Olds 1866 00:55:35,732 --> 00:55:37,200 had had enough 1867 00:55:37,901 --> 00:55:40,036 and as a gesture of defiance, 1868 00:55:40,036 --> 00:55:42,305 began to flaunt a non-regulation 1869 00:55:42,305 --> 00:55:44,541 mustache to the leaders in his 1870 00:55:44,541 --> 00:55:45,975 chain of command. 1871 00:55:46,342 --> 00:55:47,577 Like him, 1872 00:55:47,977 --> 00:55:49,179 other fighter pilots 1873 00:55:49,179 --> 00:55:50,480 began to sport 1874 00:55:50,547 --> 00:55:52,515 the bulletproof mustaches 1875 00:55:52,882 --> 00:55:54,551 as their secret middle finger 1876 00:55:54,551 --> 00:55:56,319 to the policymakers. 1877 00:55:56,920 --> 00:55:57,987 After all, 1878 00:55:58,521 --> 00:55:59,556 men were dying 1879 00:56:00,490 --> 00:56:01,858 and the targeting orders 1880 00:56:01,858 --> 00:56:03,326 were so insane, 1881 00:56:03,860 --> 00:56:05,261 they began to question why 1882 00:56:05,261 --> 00:56:07,330 they were even there. 1883 00:56:08,665 --> 00:56:11,401 Considered the best combat con 1884 00:56:11,568 --> 00:56:12,602 in the history of 1885 00:56:12,602 --> 00:56:14,370 modern air warfare, 1886 00:56:15,105 --> 00:56:16,940 Colonel Robin Olds' 1887 00:56:16,940 --> 00:56:18,842 Operation Bolo 1888 00:56:18,875 --> 00:56:19,843 turned the tide on 1889 00:56:19,843 --> 00:56:21,377 the MiG threat. 1890 00:56:21,911 --> 00:56:24,447 Disguised as bomb laden Thuds 1891 00:56:24,581 --> 00:56:26,916 using F-105 strike routes, 1892 00:56:26,916 --> 00:56:29,786 flight profiles and callsigns, 1893 00:56:30,687 --> 00:56:32,956 Colonel Olds lured MiG 21s 1894 00:56:32,956 --> 00:56:34,624 right into the fangs of his 1895 00:56:34,624 --> 00:56:36,059 F-4 Wolf Pack 1896 00:56:37,227 --> 00:56:38,228 He and his men were 1897 00:56:38,228 --> 00:56:39,095 ready to fight 1898 00:56:39,763 --> 00:56:40,964 and fight they did. 1899 00:56:41,931 --> 00:56:43,767 Close to half of Vietnam's 1900 00:56:43,767 --> 00:56:45,935 MiG 21s were demolished. 1901 00:56:46,469 --> 00:56:48,404 North Vietnam immediately put a 1902 00:56:48,404 --> 00:56:50,206 price on Robin Olds' head 1903 00:56:50,774 --> 00:56:52,375 and grounded their Air Force 1904 00:56:52,375 --> 00:56:54,778 for months to devise new tactics 1905 00:56:56,279 --> 00:56:57,647 The commander-in-chief 1906 00:56:57,647 --> 00:56:59,282 personally asked Robin Olds 1907 00:56:59,282 --> 00:57:00,416 what should be done 1908 00:57:00,416 --> 00:57:01,317 about Vietnam. 1909 00:57:01,818 --> 00:57:03,086 He didn't sugar coat it. 1910 00:57:03,553 --> 00:57:04,554 Good Lord...you got the best 1911 00:57:04,554 --> 00:57:05,421 armed services you've 1912 00:57:05,421 --> 00:57:06,422 ever fielded. 1913 00:57:06,923 --> 00:57:08,124 Why don't you use them? 1914 00:57:08,224 --> 00:57:09,392 one way to stop 1915 00:57:09,392 --> 00:57:09,959 the darn thing. 1916 00:57:09,959 --> 00:57:11,294 It's very simple 1917 00:57:12,162 --> 00:57:13,062 from my own humble 1918 00:57:13,062 --> 00:57:14,097 point of view, 1919 00:57:14,731 --> 00:57:15,765 win it. 1920 00:57:17,133 --> 00:57:18,067 That's easy. 1921 00:57:18,234 --> 00:57:18,835 What we're doing is 1922 00:57:18,835 --> 00:57:20,103 the hard way 1923 00:57:20,603 --> 00:57:21,437 and the worst way of all 1924 00:57:21,437 --> 00:57:22,138 is to get out 1925 00:57:22,138 --> 00:57:23,673 once you got your foot in it. 1926 00:57:25,008 --> 00:57:26,976 LBJ was startled. 1927 00:57:27,343 --> 00:57:29,012 The American fighting spirited 1928 00:57:29,012 --> 00:57:31,748 had bypassed Washington shackles 1929 00:57:31,748 --> 00:57:33,583 in dealing with the air menace, 1930 00:57:34,317 --> 00:57:35,451 and now it was onto 1931 00:57:35,451 --> 00:57:36,619 the SAM threat. 1932 00:57:36,753 --> 00:57:38,288 My name is Ben Fuller. 1933 00:57:38,288 --> 00:57:40,356 I retired from the Air Force 1934 00:57:40,356 --> 00:57:41,991 in 1977 1935 00:57:42,091 --> 00:57:43,326 as a full colonel. 1936 00:57:43,326 --> 00:57:44,861 I had been flying the F-105 for 1937 00:57:44,861 --> 00:57:46,162 quite a while. 1938 00:57:46,296 --> 00:57:47,864 Primary mission, of course in 1939 00:57:47,864 --> 00:57:49,199 Europe was a 1940 00:57:49,199 --> 00:57:51,634 tactical nuclear delivery of an 1941 00:57:51,634 --> 00:57:52,836 atomic weapon against 1942 00:57:52,836 --> 00:57:54,537 the Soviet Bloc Nations. 1943 00:57:54,537 --> 00:57:56,539 I spent a little over, I guess 1944 00:57:56,539 --> 00:57:58,374 two and a half years of that 1945 00:57:58,374 --> 00:58:00,777 tour when all of a sudden 1946 00:58:01,811 --> 00:58:03,847 the war in North Vietnam got 1947 00:58:03,847 --> 00:58:05,648 hotter and they started pulling 1948 00:58:05,648 --> 00:58:08,017 all of the F-105s out of Europe 1949 00:58:08,017 --> 00:58:09,652 and sending them over to a 1950 00:58:10,186 --> 00:58:11,955 to bases in Thailand. 1951 00:58:11,955 --> 00:58:14,457 I, somewhere around December 1952 00:58:14,457 --> 00:58:17,393 1966, I received orders 1953 00:58:17,560 --> 00:58:18,161 to go 1954 00:58:18,895 --> 00:58:19,495 to ah 1955 00:58:20,029 --> 00:58:21,331 Takhli Thailand 1956 00:58:21,397 --> 00:58:23,032 as a Wild Weasel pilot. 1957 00:58:23,032 --> 00:58:24,200 Nobody knew what a 1958 00:58:24,200 --> 00:58:25,335 Wild Weasel was. 1959 00:58:25,335 --> 00:58:26,536 We thought everybody 1960 00:58:26,536 --> 00:58:27,403 was the same. 1961 00:58:27,403 --> 00:58:29,572 We just were fighter pilots. 1962 00:58:30,306 --> 00:58:31,708 And so, we went up to 1963 00:58:31,708 --> 00:58:32,642 Wing Headquarters 1964 00:58:32,642 --> 00:58:35,545 to read the secret orders and 1965 00:58:35,545 --> 00:58:37,680 see what the definition of 1966 00:58:37,680 --> 00:58:38,548 Weasel was 1967 00:58:39,082 --> 00:58:41,317 and it says it that they were 1968 00:58:41,317 --> 00:58:42,819 aircraft that were equipped with 1969 00:58:42,819 --> 00:58:44,888 special electronic equipment 1970 00:58:45,722 --> 00:58:47,991 to seek out and destroy 1971 00:58:48,324 --> 00:58:50,693 surface to air missile sites 1972 00:58:51,027 --> 00:58:52,862 by trolling for them. 1973 00:58:53,096 --> 00:58:54,731 And I said, "what the hell is 1974 00:58:54,731 --> 00:58:56,366 trolling for a SAM?" 1975 00:58:57,100 --> 00:58:58,401 And they said, "That's where 1976 00:58:58,401 --> 00:58:59,569 you fly around and hope they'll 1977 00:58:59,569 --> 00:59:00,570 shoot at you 1978 00:59:01,070 --> 00:59:01,938 and that way you'll know 1979 00:59:01,938 --> 00:59:02,906 where they are. 1980 00:59:03,006 --> 00:59:04,841 I've got my PCS orders to 1981 00:59:04,841 --> 00:59:06,676 Nellis first for a 1982 00:59:07,076 --> 00:59:08,678 twelve sortie 1983 00:59:09,045 --> 00:59:10,179 training flight 1984 00:59:10,880 --> 00:59:13,249 and where we married up with our 1985 00:59:13,249 --> 00:59:14,951 electronic warfare officer 1986 00:59:15,551 --> 00:59:17,186 to fondly be called 1987 00:59:17,253 --> 00:59:18,254 a Bear 1988 00:59:18,421 --> 00:59:19,022 later on 1989 00:59:19,522 --> 00:59:20,556 A trained bear. 1990 00:59:20,924 --> 00:59:22,358 I'm Stan Goldstein. At the time 1991 00:59:22,358 --> 00:59:24,460 I became a Wild Weasel I was a 1992 00:59:24,460 --> 00:59:26,863 major and I got to fly in the 1993 00:59:26,863 --> 00:59:28,531 105 and become a Wild Weasel. 1994 00:59:28,531 --> 00:59:29,365 The best thing that ever 1995 00:59:29,365 --> 00:59:30,867 happened to me. 1996 00:59:30,867 --> 00:59:32,869 The key to flying Wild Weasel 1997 00:59:32,869 --> 00:59:34,037 missions is to have 1998 00:59:34,037 --> 00:59:36,039 good crew coordination. 1999 00:59:36,406 --> 00:59:37,941 And of course the question is 2000 00:59:37,941 --> 00:59:39,409 how do you figure out who you're 2001 00:59:39,409 --> 00:59:40,810 gonna crew up with? 2002 00:59:40,944 --> 00:59:42,812 Well, the marriage dance 2003 00:59:42,812 --> 00:59:44,580 is quite interesting. 2004 00:59:44,580 --> 00:59:46,316 They finally figured out to 2005 00:59:46,316 --> 00:59:46,983 leave it up to 2006 00:59:46,983 --> 00:59:48,484 the crews themselves. 2007 00:59:48,618 --> 00:59:49,619 So there were some 2008 00:59:49,752 --> 00:59:50,553 I think eight 2009 00:59:50,620 --> 00:59:52,822 eight pilots and eight EWOs, 2010 00:59:52,822 --> 00:59:54,290 backseaters, GIBs, Bears, 2011 00:59:54,290 --> 00:59:55,758 whatever you want to call us. 2012 00:59:56,059 --> 00:59:57,560 And we all meet up in Vegas 2013 00:59:57,560 --> 01:00:00,396 and of course there 2014 01:00:00,396 --> 01:00:01,664 several hours at the bar 2015 01:00:01,664 --> 01:00:03,166 where the big determination 2016 01:00:03,166 --> 01:00:03,833 is made. 2017 01:00:04,000 --> 01:00:05,601 That was quite an experience 2018 01:00:05,601 --> 01:00:07,270 because most of the Bears 2019 01:00:07,270 --> 01:00:08,104 had come from 2020 01:00:08,938 --> 01:00:09,272 SAC 2021 01:00:09,505 --> 01:00:10,473 Strategic Air Command 2022 01:00:10,473 --> 01:00:12,175 where they flew in the middle of 2023 01:00:12,175 --> 01:00:13,343 a bomber somewhere 2024 01:00:13,843 --> 01:00:15,278 and were lucky if they had 2025 01:00:15,278 --> 01:00:16,679 a small window to look out of 2026 01:00:16,679 --> 01:00:18,648 So when we got our bears in 2027 01:00:18,648 --> 01:00:19,816 there for the first mission 2028 01:00:19,816 --> 01:00:21,417 or two, it was mostly getting 2029 01:00:21,417 --> 01:00:23,486 them used to what it was like 2030 01:00:23,486 --> 01:00:25,421 flying upside down and doing 2031 01:00:25,421 --> 01:00:27,323 rolls and everything with a 2032 01:00:27,323 --> 01:00:28,424 total plexiglass 2033 01:00:29,192 --> 01:00:30,693 window to look out of 2034 01:00:31,160 --> 01:00:32,528 and...to... 2035 01:00:32,996 --> 01:00:34,030 to concentrate on 2036 01:00:34,030 --> 01:00:35,164 what they were supposed to be 2037 01:00:35,164 --> 01:00:36,532 concentrating on and that was 2038 01:00:36,532 --> 01:00:37,467 the black boxes that 2039 01:00:37,467 --> 01:00:38,668 were in the back seat. 2040 01:00:38,835 --> 01:00:40,603 As my first time wearing a 2041 01:00:40,603 --> 01:00:43,673 G-suit, I had flown in B-57s 2042 01:00:43,673 --> 01:00:45,174 before so I had some 2043 01:00:45,174 --> 01:00:46,943 experience. I also had jet time 2044 01:00:46,943 --> 01:00:49,612 in the front and back of B-66s 2045 01:00:49,612 --> 01:00:51,214 which I'm glad I avoided 2046 01:00:51,981 --> 01:00:53,349 by getting into the Thuds. 2047 01:00:53,850 --> 01:00:55,518 We go through Weasel school. 2048 01:00:55,518 --> 01:00:56,986 We learn how to 2049 01:00:57,820 --> 01:00:58,721 drop bombs. 2050 01:00:59,522 --> 01:01:00,857 We learn how to maneuver, 2051 01:01:00,857 --> 01:01:02,725 how to recognize the signals. 2052 01:01:03,059 --> 01:01:04,961 The Wild Weasel aircraft 2053 01:01:04,961 --> 01:01:05,661 were developed 2054 01:01:06,629 --> 01:01:08,498 because of a high threat from 2055 01:01:08,498 --> 01:01:09,899 surface to air missiles. 2056 01:01:09,899 --> 01:01:12,335 that were plaguing the 105s 2057 01:01:12,335 --> 01:01:14,303 and other aircraft over 2058 01:01:14,303 --> 01:01:15,538 North Vietnam. 2059 01:01:15,738 --> 01:01:17,573 I used to try to describe this 2060 01:01:17,573 --> 01:01:18,908 pretty much as 2061 01:01:19,242 --> 01:01:20,343 how this all worked 2062 01:01:20,843 --> 01:01:22,345 like the people who carry 2063 01:01:23,046 --> 01:01:24,213 fuzz busters in their 2064 01:01:24,213 --> 01:01:26,482 automobiles to detect where the 2065 01:01:26,482 --> 01:01:28,017 highway patrol 2066 01:01:28,017 --> 01:01:28,985 is up ahead 2067 01:01:30,053 --> 01:01:31,020 trying to determine your 2068 01:01:31,320 --> 01:01:32,588 air speed or 2069 01:01:32,889 --> 01:01:34,190 your speed of your car. 2070 01:01:34,490 --> 01:01:36,993 And it emits a signal 2071 01:01:37,260 --> 01:01:38,428 and then the fuzz buster 2072 01:01:38,428 --> 01:01:38,995 in the car 2073 01:01:38,995 --> 01:01:40,263 picked up the signal 2074 01:01:40,496 --> 01:01:41,697 and that way you knew 2075 01:01:41,697 --> 01:01:42,899 that you had a threat. 2076 01:01:43,166 --> 01:01:45,201 It was the same idea with the 2077 01:01:45,368 --> 01:01:46,235 Wild Weasels. 2078 01:01:47,537 --> 01:01:48,704 We picked up a various 2079 01:01:49,172 --> 01:01:50,073 number of threats which 2080 01:01:50,073 --> 01:01:51,607 a Bear can explain 2081 01:01:51,607 --> 01:01:52,775 to you much better, 2082 01:01:53,209 --> 01:01:55,011 but mainly the threat 2083 01:01:55,011 --> 01:01:57,513 we were looking for was the SA-2 2084 01:01:57,713 --> 01:01:58,748 Surface to Air Missile. 2085 01:01:58,748 --> 01:02:00,116 Got this patch here, 2086 01:02:00,249 --> 01:02:01,551 Wild Weasel patch. 2087 01:02:01,551 --> 01:02:03,519 It says, YGBSM. 2088 01:02:04,053 --> 01:02:05,755 Jack Donovan who is one 2089 01:02:05,755 --> 01:02:06,722 of the Weasels on 2090 01:02:06,722 --> 01:02:08,791 Wild Weasel 1 - the F100s. 2091 01:02:08,791 --> 01:02:10,293 And he and Gary Willard 2092 01:02:10,293 --> 01:02:11,694 as some of you may know, 2093 01:02:12,528 --> 01:02:14,030 great Thud pilot, 2094 01:02:14,030 --> 01:02:15,631 great Hun pilot. 2095 01:02:15,798 --> 01:02:17,233 Anyway, they go to a 2096 01:02:17,233 --> 01:02:19,602 secret place out in Long Beach 2097 01:02:19,735 --> 01:02:20,403 and they go into the 2098 01:02:20,403 --> 01:02:21,737 North American hanger 2099 01:02:21,971 --> 01:02:23,072 and the Secretary of 2100 01:02:23,072 --> 01:02:24,040 the Air Force is sitting 2101 01:02:24,040 --> 01:02:25,708 on the side smoking a pipe 2102 01:02:25,875 --> 01:02:27,276 with his arms crossed. 2103 01:02:27,410 --> 01:02:29,045 And they explain to 2104 01:02:30,379 --> 01:02:31,981 everybody what the mission of 2105 01:02:31,981 --> 01:02:33,549 the Wild Weasels is going to be. 2106 01:02:34,417 --> 01:02:35,985 And then, Donovan tries to 2107 01:02:35,985 --> 01:02:37,053 summarize this. 2108 01:02:37,420 --> 01:02:38,588 "Let me get this straight. 2109 01:02:38,588 --> 01:02:39,956 You’re gonna put me in the back 2110 01:02:39,956 --> 01:02:41,724 seat with some crazy ass fighter 2111 01:02:41,724 --> 01:02:43,059 pilot and you want me 2112 01:02:43,059 --> 01:02:44,660 to patrol and be a target for 2113 01:02:44,660 --> 01:02:46,629 SAMs? You gotta be shitting me." 2114 01:02:46,796 --> 01:02:48,131 So, YGBSM 2115 01:02:48,131 --> 01:02:49,665 has become the motto 2116 01:02:49,732 --> 01:02:51,934 of the Wild Weasels and one 2117 01:02:51,934 --> 01:02:53,102 we try to live up to. 2118 01:02:53,102 --> 01:02:54,971 And it's on all our gear. 2119 01:02:54,971 --> 01:02:56,405 I was leading a flight. 2120 01:02:56,639 --> 01:02:57,673 It was Carbine flight. 2121 01:02:57,773 --> 01:02:59,909 I was Carbine 1. Carbine 2, 2122 01:02:59,909 --> 01:03:01,144 another Weasel pilot, 2123 01:03:01,144 --> 01:03:02,678 Joe Ritter, and his back seater, 2124 01:03:02,678 --> 01:03:04,280 McGuken, John McGuken. 2125 01:03:04,280 --> 01:03:06,682 Number three was Leo Thorsness 2126 01:03:06,682 --> 01:03:08,084 and Harry Johnson. 2127 01:03:08,084 --> 01:03:09,018 Carbine 4, 2128 01:03:09,018 --> 01:03:10,319 was Lieutenant Bob Abbott. 2129 01:03:10,319 --> 01:03:11,654 We were approximately 2130 01:03:12,288 --> 01:03:14,290 30 miles so as 2131 01:03:14,457 --> 01:03:16,092 routine for the Weasel Flight 2132 01:03:16,092 --> 01:03:16,993 to be out front 2133 01:03:17,527 --> 01:03:18,661 of the strike force 2134 01:03:18,661 --> 01:03:20,429 and there were twelve other 2135 01:03:20,429 --> 01:03:21,697 F105's behind us. 2136 01:03:22,298 --> 01:03:23,299 Off to my right, 2137 01:03:23,466 --> 01:03:24,467 Leo Thorsness 2138 01:03:24,467 --> 01:03:26,169 in number three was just 2139 01:03:26,169 --> 01:03:27,203 almost a beam me off 2140 01:03:27,203 --> 01:03:28,671 to the right side. 2141 01:03:29,338 --> 01:03:30,806 I caught his 2142 01:03:31,374 --> 01:03:33,109 plane exploding. 2143 01:03:33,776 --> 01:03:34,777 And It was 2144 01:03:34,877 --> 01:03:37,180 almost totally engulfed in fire. 2145 01:03:37,780 --> 01:03:40,983 And my of course reaction is, 2146 01:03:41,117 --> 01:03:42,118 "Get out, get out!" 2147 01:03:42,118 --> 01:03:43,352 I'm screaming like 2148 01:03:43,653 --> 01:03:44,854 duh...you know. 2149 01:03:45,188 --> 01:03:46,389 I'm sure he knows that 2150 01:03:46,389 --> 01:03:47,690 he's got a problem. 2151 01:03:48,024 --> 01:03:49,559 And he did call, 2152 01:03:49,559 --> 01:03:50,726 "Mayday, mayday, mayday 2153 01:03:52,028 --> 01:03:53,296 This is Carbine 3" 2154 01:03:53,496 --> 01:03:55,698 And he immediately ejected. 2155 01:03:57,233 --> 01:03:58,467 We saw parachutes from 2156 01:03:58,467 --> 01:03:59,135 both people. 2157 01:03:59,669 --> 01:04:01,370 And Leo, bless his sole, 2158 01:04:01,370 --> 01:04:03,072 he was my mentor over there, 2159 01:04:03,072 --> 01:04:05,007 heard their beepers. 2160 01:04:06,309 --> 01:04:07,043 So right after 2161 01:04:07,043 --> 01:04:08,211 those transmissions, 2162 01:04:08,344 --> 01:04:10,580 I'm calling a channel change 2163 01:04:10,580 --> 01:04:12,982 and I can't raise number four. 2164 01:04:14,183 --> 01:04:14,884 And 2165 01:04:15,251 --> 01:04:15,985 we 2166 01:04:16,219 --> 01:04:17,086 assume and then, 2167 01:04:17,086 --> 01:04:18,888 number 2 comes back and 2168 01:04:18,888 --> 01:04:20,356 advises me that he thinks 2169 01:04:20,356 --> 01:04:22,325 that he saw number 4 2170 01:04:22,592 --> 01:04:23,526 hit also 2171 01:04:23,759 --> 01:04:25,394 just within seconds of Leo. 2172 01:04:25,528 --> 01:04:27,496 We're talking in the aircraft 2173 01:04:27,496 --> 01:04:29,565 between us, what did this? 2174 01:04:29,932 --> 01:04:30,766 Nobody had said 2175 01:04:30,766 --> 01:04:32,268 anything about MiGs. 2176 01:04:33,169 --> 01:04:34,670 We knew it could have been 2177 01:04:34,670 --> 01:04:36,172 anti-aircraft fire, but we 2178 01:04:36,172 --> 01:04:38,274 weren't over places that 2179 01:04:38,274 --> 01:04:39,008 would have a lot of 2180 01:04:39,008 --> 01:04:39,875 anti-aircraft, 2181 01:04:40,376 --> 01:04:41,244 so we didn't know 2182 01:04:41,444 --> 01:04:43,112 what had hit them at this time 2183 01:04:43,379 --> 01:04:44,780 So all of the sudden in 2184 01:04:44,780 --> 01:04:45,715 the middle of this, 2185 01:04:46,249 --> 01:04:47,083 Tomahawk, 2186 01:04:47,283 --> 01:04:48,618 who is flying top cover 2187 01:04:48,618 --> 01:04:50,686 up there and relaying messages, 2188 01:04:51,187 --> 01:04:52,288 he gets hit. 2189 01:04:52,455 --> 01:04:54,624 Tomahawk 4 is shotdown by 2190 01:04:54,624 --> 01:04:55,791 another MiG. 2191 01:04:57,093 --> 01:04:59,428 And number 3 is hit by either 2192 01:04:59,428 --> 01:05:01,964 his explosion or a 2193 01:05:01,964 --> 01:05:02,798 separate missile they 2194 01:05:02,798 --> 01:05:04,066 don’t know which. 2195 01:05:04,233 --> 01:05:06,769 But, Tomahawk 3, Al Linski, he 2196 01:05:07,270 --> 01:05:08,871 managed to keep his 2197 01:05:08,871 --> 01:05:09,372 plane together 2198 01:05:09,939 --> 01:05:11,540 and make it back 2199 01:05:11,540 --> 01:05:13,609 to emergency landing at 2200 01:05:13,609 --> 01:05:14,944 Udorn Air Force Base 2201 01:05:14,944 --> 01:05:15,778 in Thailand. 2202 01:05:15,911 --> 01:05:17,747 Captain Joe Abbott was the 2203 01:05:18,281 --> 01:05:19,749 was the Tomahawk 4 2204 01:05:19,882 --> 01:05:21,384 who was also shot down. 2205 01:05:21,550 --> 01:05:23,052 And nothing is going 2206 01:05:23,419 --> 01:05:24,387 the way we want it to go 2207 01:05:24,387 --> 01:05:26,222 at this point in time. 2208 01:05:26,656 --> 01:05:27,990 We've got you know 2209 01:05:27,990 --> 01:05:30,326 another guy on the ground. 2210 01:05:30,660 --> 01:05:32,762 And a lot of MiGs in the area 2211 01:05:32,762 --> 01:05:34,096 and things are beginning to 2212 01:05:34,096 --> 01:05:35,097 look pretty grim. 2213 01:05:35,097 --> 01:05:35,798 But then the next 2214 01:05:35,798 --> 01:05:37,400 thing we know is 2215 01:05:37,466 --> 01:05:39,735 the lead chopper is aborting. 2216 01:05:39,735 --> 01:05:41,937 He's had hydraulic problems. 2217 01:05:41,937 --> 01:05:43,973 So chopper number 2 aborts 2218 01:05:43,973 --> 01:05:46,075 with him as is their procedure 2219 01:05:46,075 --> 01:05:48,778 according to their protocols. 2220 01:05:49,512 --> 01:05:52,014 So now, Crown says we’re just 2221 01:05:52,014 --> 01:05:53,449 gonna have to call everything 2222 01:05:53,449 --> 01:05:56,452 off and come back tomorrow, 2223 01:05:57,186 --> 01:05:58,954 and so 2224 01:05:59,955 --> 01:06:00,956 we all gathered up 2225 01:06:00,956 --> 01:06:01,957 and went home. 2226 01:06:02,758 --> 01:06:04,293 And the last thing I remember 2227 01:06:04,293 --> 01:06:06,195 from the ground was Leo 2228 01:06:06,195 --> 01:06:07,029 on the radio 2229 01:06:07,196 --> 01:06:08,097 survival radios 2230 01:06:08,097 --> 01:06:09,865 saying get me out of here. 2231 01:06:10,533 --> 01:06:12,034 And so all the way home 2232 01:06:12,034 --> 01:06:13,669 I had a lot of tears. 2233 01:06:13,669 --> 01:06:14,870 And I that was a four hour 2234 01:06:14,870 --> 01:06:16,605 and fifteen minute mission 2235 01:06:16,605 --> 01:06:18,474 that accomplished nothing. 2236 01:06:19,442 --> 01:06:21,043 And that was the worst 2237 01:06:21,043 --> 01:06:23,479 mission of my one hundred. 2238 01:06:23,479 --> 01:06:24,847 And I'm glad I didn't have to 2239 01:06:24,847 --> 01:06:26,882 repeat it again. 2240 01:06:40,463 --> 01:06:42,064 Thud combat operations 2241 01:06:42,064 --> 01:06:43,632 out of Thailand 2242 01:06:44,300 --> 01:06:46,302 developed an unspoken bond 2243 01:06:46,302 --> 01:06:48,904 among the officers who flew them 2244 01:06:49,071 --> 01:06:50,206 and the non-commissioned 2245 01:06:50,206 --> 01:06:52,141 officers and enlistees who 2246 01:06:52,141 --> 01:06:53,342 maintained them. 2247 01:06:53,409 --> 01:06:54,577 Their one goal? 2248 01:06:54,744 --> 01:06:56,379 Put bombs on target. 2249 01:06:56,746 --> 01:06:58,414 For each Thud pilot assigned to 2250 01:06:58,414 --> 01:07:00,916 the squadron had an F-105 with 2251 01:07:00,916 --> 01:07:02,685 his name on it during his tour. 2252 01:07:03,152 --> 01:07:04,754 It was in name only. 2253 01:07:05,154 --> 01:07:06,856 He would fly whatever Thud that 2254 01:07:06,856 --> 01:07:07,923 he was scheduled for 2255 01:07:07,923 --> 01:07:08,991 on that day. 2256 01:07:10,259 --> 01:07:11,394 For Thud Crew Chiefs 2257 01:07:11,394 --> 01:07:12,194 and their team 2258 01:07:12,194 --> 01:07:13,396 on the other hand, 2259 01:07:14,163 --> 01:07:15,331 it was a true relationship 2260 01:07:15,331 --> 01:07:17,066 between man and machine. 2261 01:07:17,733 --> 01:07:19,101 Their assigned aircraft became 2262 01:07:19,101 --> 01:07:21,570 their child that they would care 2263 01:07:21,570 --> 01:07:22,738 for and nurture. 2264 01:07:22,905 --> 01:07:23,839 In actuality, 2265 01:07:24,673 --> 01:07:26,509 Crew Chiefs only let the pilots 2266 01:07:26,509 --> 01:07:29,111 borrow "his" personal aircraft. 2267 01:07:29,111 --> 01:07:30,880 My name is Jeff Puras. 2268 01:07:30,880 --> 01:07:32,681 I arrived in Korat Thailand 2269 01:07:32,681 --> 01:07:36,118 in May 1967 and I was assigned 2270 01:07:36,118 --> 01:07:37,453 to a Wild Weasel aircraft. 2271 01:07:37,453 --> 01:07:39,054 Life on the flight line was day 2272 01:07:39,054 --> 01:07:41,023 after day of almost exactly the 2273 01:07:41,023 --> 01:07:41,791 same routine. 2274 01:07:42,591 --> 01:07:43,726 launch, recovery, 2275 01:07:44,727 --> 01:07:45,394 count them when they 2276 01:07:45,394 --> 01:07:46,028 were coming back. 2277 01:07:46,362 --> 01:07:47,062 There's a gap. 2278 01:07:47,930 --> 01:07:48,764 The Weasels 2279 01:07:49,098 --> 01:07:50,132 The Weasels seem to be 2280 01:07:50,132 --> 01:07:51,200 stragglers because they were 2281 01:07:51,200 --> 01:07:52,301 first in, last out. 2282 01:07:52,868 --> 01:07:54,203 They would be 2283 01:07:55,204 --> 01:07:56,472 It's always nervous time. 2284 01:07:56,472 --> 01:07:57,640 You see the strike force 2285 01:07:57,640 --> 01:07:58,474 you know come back 2286 01:07:58,774 --> 01:07:59,141 there's one 2287 01:07:59,275 --> 01:07:59,642 there's one 2288 01:07:59,642 --> 01:08:00,242 watch them land. 2289 01:08:00,543 --> 01:08:01,977 And then you wouldn’t see yours 2290 01:08:01,977 --> 01:08:03,379 then oh, there it is. 2291 01:08:03,379 --> 01:08:04,313 You'd be relieved. 2292 01:08:04,613 --> 01:08:05,281 And ugh, 2293 01:08:05,448 --> 01:08:06,549 I went up the front ladder 2294 01:08:06,549 --> 01:08:07,616 and who's ever helping me 2295 01:08:07,616 --> 01:08:08,617 do the back seater. 2296 01:08:08,918 --> 01:08:09,585 And... 2297 01:08:10,319 --> 01:08:11,320 his hands were shaking so bad 2298 01:08:11,320 --> 01:08:11,954 he couldn't hook 2299 01:08:11,954 --> 01:08:13,322 his harness up. 2300 01:08:13,756 --> 01:08:16,425 And...ugh...he...and 2301 01:08:16,425 --> 01:08:18,761 I just watched and said 2302 01:08:18,761 --> 01:08:20,296 relax sir, I'll get it for ya. 2303 01:08:20,496 --> 01:08:21,497 So I helped him with his 2304 01:08:21,730 --> 01:08:22,631 with his straps and stuff. 2305 01:08:22,631 --> 01:08:24,467 And I wondered what in the heck 2306 01:08:24,467 --> 01:08:26,602 were they tasked with that day? 2307 01:08:26,669 --> 01:08:28,938 My name is Larry Henlsey. 2308 01:08:28,938 --> 01:08:32,007 I was a Crew Chief on the F-105 2309 01:08:32,475 --> 01:08:34,243 at Takhli, Thailand 2310 01:08:34,243 --> 01:08:36,779 in the year 1967. 2311 01:08:38,981 --> 01:08:39,982 It was always 2312 01:08:40,816 --> 01:08:42,284 a sad deal to see 2313 01:08:42,284 --> 01:08:43,853 three airplanes in the sky 2314 01:08:43,853 --> 01:08:45,421 coming back as opposed to the 2315 01:08:45,421 --> 01:08:47,323 four that took off and 2316 01:08:47,656 --> 01:08:49,358 one of those days, 2317 01:08:49,859 --> 01:08:52,495 my plane that I had launched 2318 01:08:53,295 --> 01:08:54,630 didn't return. 2319 01:08:54,930 --> 01:08:56,265 and they didn't tell us 2320 01:08:56,265 --> 01:08:57,833 much about what happened 2321 01:08:57,833 --> 01:08:59,969 other than they just came and 2322 01:08:59,969 --> 01:09:01,637 got the forms binder 2323 01:09:01,637 --> 01:09:02,471 for the airplane 2324 01:09:02,471 --> 01:09:03,839 that the plane was lost 2325 01:09:03,839 --> 01:09:06,775 and the pilot didn't survive. 2326 01:09:06,775 --> 01:09:08,711 He was lost as well. 2327 01:09:09,445 --> 01:09:11,514 And I think they recovered his 2328 01:09:11,514 --> 01:09:13,382 remains sometime in the '80s 2329 01:09:13,382 --> 01:09:14,483 and finally got to 2330 01:09:14,483 --> 01:09:16,552 return them back to his family. 2331 01:09:16,552 --> 01:09:17,786 I couldn't have made any 2332 01:09:17,786 --> 01:09:18,988 difference other than making 2333 01:09:18,988 --> 01:09:20,222 sure the best airplane in the 2334 01:09:20,222 --> 01:09:21,490 world leaves. 2335 01:09:21,857 --> 01:09:23,225 Make sure it's perfect. 2336 01:09:23,325 --> 01:09:24,226 But, it was, 2337 01:09:24,627 --> 01:09:25,294 I was sick for three, 2338 01:09:25,294 --> 01:09:26,562 I was just sick 2339 01:09:26,829 --> 01:09:28,230 sick when it happened. 2340 01:09:28,564 --> 01:09:29,899 It's just more than, 2341 01:09:30,299 --> 01:09:30,833 it's almost more than 2342 01:09:30,833 --> 01:09:31,367 you can bear. 2343 01:09:31,534 --> 01:09:32,301 Some of the Crew Chiefs 2344 01:09:32,301 --> 01:09:33,035 had horrible problems 2345 01:09:33,669 --> 01:09:35,170 after a shoot down of their 2346 01:09:35,170 --> 01:09:36,872 plane and it happened a lot. 2347 01:09:37,039 --> 01:09:38,507 Something that 2348 01:09:40,309 --> 01:09:41,744 you...just...it’s 2349 01:09:41,744 --> 01:09:43,846 a hard thing to deal with 2350 01:09:43,846 --> 01:09:45,748 when you lose the 2351 01:09:45,748 --> 01:09:47,349 plane, but you lose the man that 2352 01:09:47,349 --> 01:09:48,584 you had just strapped 2353 01:09:48,684 --> 01:09:50,519 in that airplane. 2354 01:09:50,653 --> 01:09:51,186 And... 2355 01:09:52,221 --> 01:09:54,256 that was a proud time when 2356 01:09:54,256 --> 01:09:56,859 you taxied that airplane out and 2357 01:09:56,859 --> 01:09:59,094 gave that pilot a salute 2358 01:09:59,728 --> 01:10:01,196 And you were one of the last 2359 01:10:01,196 --> 01:10:02,598 ones that talked to him on the 2360 01:10:02,598 --> 01:10:04,533 ground because you were hooked 2361 01:10:04,533 --> 01:10:06,001 up with a headset. 2362 01:10:06,869 --> 01:10:08,337 And you tell him you'll 2363 01:10:08,337 --> 01:10:10,039 see him when he gets back and 2364 01:10:10,839 --> 01:10:13,175 he didn't return. 2365 01:10:15,077 --> 01:10:16,412 For Thud Crew Chief, he was the 2366 01:10:16,412 --> 01:10:17,746 one responsible for the air 2367 01:10:17,746 --> 01:10:19,181 worthiness 2368 01:10:19,248 --> 01:10:21,951 servicing, launch and recovery 2369 01:10:21,951 --> 01:10:22,885 of this incredible 2370 01:10:22,885 --> 01:10:23,752 piece of metal. 2371 01:10:24,086 --> 01:10:25,621 F-105 availability 2372 01:10:25,621 --> 01:10:27,189 in Southeast Asia was the 2373 01:10:27,189 --> 01:10:28,757 highest for the entire 2374 01:10:28,757 --> 01:10:29,858 Thud fleet, 2375 01:10:30,559 --> 01:10:32,428 a testament to the dedication 2376 01:10:33,228 --> 01:10:34,863 and hard work of the maintenance 2377 01:10:34,863 --> 01:10:36,198 core of Crew Chiefs, 2378 01:10:36,865 --> 01:10:37,800 Line Chiefs 2379 01:10:38,267 --> 01:10:39,535 and behind the flight line 2380 01:10:39,535 --> 01:10:40,869 maintenance shops. 2381 01:10:41,637 --> 01:10:43,439 A multitude of maintenance 2382 01:10:43,439 --> 01:10:44,206 specialists in 2383 01:10:44,406 --> 01:10:45,307 engines, 2384 01:10:45,741 --> 01:10:46,642 hydraulics, 2385 01:10:46,909 --> 01:10:47,810 avionics 2386 01:10:48,377 --> 01:10:49,979 and electronics supported the 2387 01:10:49,979 --> 01:10:50,813 Crew Chief 2388 01:10:51,947 --> 01:10:53,248 along with the armors and 2389 01:10:53,248 --> 01:10:54,917 munitions personnel 2390 01:10:54,917 --> 01:10:55,884 who assembled, 2391 01:10:56,051 --> 01:10:57,386 delivered and loaded 2392 01:10:57,386 --> 01:10:58,621 the weapons. 2393 01:10:59,321 --> 01:11:00,255 It was an all out 2394 01:11:00,255 --> 01:11:02,124 team effort to get that Thud to 2395 01:11:02,124 --> 01:11:04,126 complete it's assigned mission. 2396 01:11:04,259 --> 01:11:05,628 Outside of maintenance, 2397 01:11:05,928 --> 01:11:07,296 there were other organizations 2398 01:11:07,963 --> 01:11:08,998 supplies, 2399 01:11:09,131 --> 01:11:10,165 transportation, 2400 01:11:10,499 --> 01:11:11,567 security. 2401 01:11:11,600 --> 01:11:13,268 Took a lot get the pointy end 2402 01:11:13,268 --> 01:11:14,670 of the spear to the target. 2403 01:11:14,970 --> 01:11:16,338 As losses mounted, 2404 01:11:16,672 --> 01:11:18,307 a painful personal bond 2405 01:11:18,307 --> 01:11:19,508 between maintainers 2406 01:11:19,508 --> 01:11:21,176 and pilots developed. 2407 01:11:21,243 --> 01:11:22,611 Crew Chiefs had to live with the 2408 01:11:22,611 --> 01:11:24,013 fact that their face 2409 01:11:24,513 --> 01:11:26,015 only inches away from the 2410 01:11:26,015 --> 01:11:27,082 pilot's during the 2411 01:11:27,082 --> 01:11:28,417 strap-in process 2412 01:11:28,917 --> 01:11:30,786 had the potential to be the last 2413 01:11:31,020 --> 01:11:32,588 close human experience 2414 01:11:32,588 --> 01:11:33,489 for that pilot. 2415 01:11:33,756 --> 01:11:35,591 Their emphatic thumbs up 2416 01:11:35,791 --> 01:11:37,626 signaled to the Thud pilots 2417 01:11:37,960 --> 01:11:39,495 that everything was okay 2418 01:11:39,662 --> 01:11:41,263 and his Thud was ready to fight. 2419 01:11:41,497 --> 01:11:42,831 Gathering at the edge of 2420 01:11:42,831 --> 01:11:44,500 the ramp facing the runway, 2421 01:11:44,800 --> 01:11:46,302 the maintainers would watch 2422 01:11:46,302 --> 01:11:47,836 their aircraft take off 2423 01:11:48,037 --> 01:11:49,672 nudging the man next to him 2424 01:11:49,972 --> 01:11:50,773 when he'd spot it 2425 01:11:50,773 --> 01:11:51,640 take to the air 2426 01:11:52,007 --> 01:11:53,475 They would prepare their spots 2427 01:11:53,475 --> 01:11:54,610 for recovery 2428 01:11:54,943 --> 01:11:56,478 optimistically expecting their 2429 01:11:56,478 --> 01:11:58,347 aircraft to return. 2430 01:11:58,881 --> 01:11:59,782 Sadly, 2431 01:11:59,982 --> 01:12:01,950 some would not. 2432 01:12:03,652 --> 01:12:04,687 I'm Vic Vizcarra 2433 01:12:05,054 --> 01:12:06,522 and I flew the Thud 2434 01:12:06,689 --> 01:12:08,891 and did three combat tours 2435 01:12:09,124 --> 01:12:10,392 to Southeast Asia. 2436 01:12:10,492 --> 01:12:12,861 On six November, 1966, 2437 01:12:13,228 --> 01:12:14,897 I was flying in a two ship 2438 01:12:15,497 --> 01:12:16,865 Iron Hand mission. 2439 01:12:17,366 --> 01:12:18,233 We were searching for 2440 01:12:18,233 --> 01:12:19,668 three new suspected 2441 01:12:20,002 --> 01:12:20,736 SAM sites 2442 01:12:20,903 --> 01:12:22,004 above the DMZ. 2443 01:12:22,304 --> 01:12:23,005 While searching for 2444 01:12:23,005 --> 01:12:23,806 these targets, 2445 01:12:23,872 --> 01:12:25,574 I started having engine problems 2446 01:12:26,141 --> 01:12:27,376 which I thought I could save the 2447 01:12:27,376 --> 01:12:29,344 aircraft and nurse it back home. 2448 01:12:30,045 --> 01:12:30,879 The further we got 2449 01:12:30,879 --> 01:12:31,814 into the flight, 2450 01:12:32,081 --> 01:12:33,549 the more serious my situation 2451 01:12:33,549 --> 01:12:35,684 got where I was no longer able 2452 01:12:35,684 --> 01:12:37,152 to maintain air speed 2453 01:12:37,152 --> 01:12:38,320 or altitude. 2454 01:12:38,654 --> 01:12:39,722 And I informed 2455 01:12:39,922 --> 01:12:40,923 Clipper 1 2456 01:12:41,256 --> 01:12:42,524 that I was having to eject. 2457 01:12:43,225 --> 01:12:44,927 Okay...Clipper 2's got his 2458 01:12:44,927 --> 01:12:45,928 lanyard hooked up, I must get 2459 01:12:45,928 --> 01:12:46,528 out of this thing 2460 01:12:46,528 --> 01:12:47,596 I've got no airspeed 2461 01:12:47,596 --> 01:12:48,697 left at all hardly 2462 01:12:48,697 --> 01:12:49,431 Roger Clipper 2.... 2463 01:12:50,232 --> 01:12:52,034 The seat did a huge somersault 2464 01:12:52,034 --> 01:12:53,836 where I could see my feet above 2465 01:12:53,836 --> 01:12:55,070 the blue sky 2466 01:12:55,370 --> 01:12:56,605 and came back around. 2467 01:12:56,739 --> 01:12:58,774 The parachute ride down 2468 01:12:59,074 --> 01:12:59,775 was very 2469 01:12:59,942 --> 01:13:00,676 serene, 2470 01:13:01,009 --> 01:13:01,777 peaceful, 2471 01:13:02,444 --> 01:13:03,078 very quiet. 2472 01:13:03,078 --> 01:13:04,947 Looked down and saw I was going 2473 01:13:04,947 --> 01:13:06,615 to land in very dense jungle 2474 01:13:07,416 --> 01:13:08,550 so I prepared for that. 2475 01:13:09,051 --> 01:13:10,119 Once on the ground, 2476 01:13:10,219 --> 01:13:11,587 I established contact with 2477 01:13:11,587 --> 01:13:12,588 Clipper lead 2478 01:13:13,055 --> 01:13:14,556 who informed me that 2479 01:13:15,290 --> 01:13:16,291 search and rescue assets 2480 01:13:16,291 --> 01:13:17,259 were on their way. 2481 01:13:17,359 --> 01:13:18,761 And he instructed me to 2482 01:13:19,294 --> 01:13:20,129 go off the air 2483 01:13:20,129 --> 01:13:21,263 and save the battery. 2484 01:13:21,363 --> 01:13:22,197 May Day, May Day, 2485 01:13:22,197 --> 01:13:22,798 May Day 2486 01:13:22,798 --> 01:13:23,632 Crown, do you read? 2487 01:13:23,866 --> 01:13:25,467 I’ll show Vic this tape here 2488 01:13:28,237 --> 01:13:29,371 when we get back 2489 01:13:30,873 --> 01:13:32,775 My name is Bob Cooper. 2490 01:13:33,041 --> 01:13:34,076 Late in the afternoon, 2491 01:13:34,076 --> 01:13:35,477 we were launched 2492 01:13:35,778 --> 01:13:37,412 on my birthday 2493 01:13:37,746 --> 01:13:39,414 We heard from Red Crown 2494 01:13:39,414 --> 01:13:42,251 that a 105 pilot had 2495 01:13:42,618 --> 01:13:43,819 punched out 2496 01:13:44,553 --> 01:13:46,255 due to compressor failure 2497 01:13:46,255 --> 01:13:46,822 I think. 2498 01:13:46,822 --> 01:13:48,891 That's all we knew. 2499 01:13:49,424 --> 01:13:51,160 My boss on Halsey, 2500 01:13:51,160 --> 01:13:52,895 Captain Le Bourgeois said, 2501 01:13:53,295 --> 01:13:55,230 "hold in that position", 2502 01:13:56,064 --> 01:13:58,133 because I was just off coast. 2503 01:13:58,767 --> 01:14:00,936 Red Crown then said that no, 2504 01:14:02,437 --> 01:14:03,438 the Air Force couldn't get 2505 01:14:03,438 --> 01:14:05,641 there before sundown. 2506 01:14:06,642 --> 01:14:08,811 Send that poor little H-2 2507 01:14:10,145 --> 01:14:10,913 in after him, 2508 01:14:11,313 --> 01:14:12,981 so, in we went. 2509 01:14:13,315 --> 01:14:14,950 I went to look for a place 2510 01:14:14,950 --> 01:14:16,451 to hide meanwhile 2511 01:14:16,752 --> 01:14:17,986 and found a cave in which 2512 01:14:17,986 --> 01:14:18,987 I entered. 2513 01:14:18,987 --> 01:14:19,688 It was the first time 2514 01:14:19,688 --> 01:14:20,856 I thought of the family. 2515 01:14:22,124 --> 01:14:24,126 My boys were only 2516 01:14:24,626 --> 01:14:26,028 six and five at the time. 2517 01:14:26,195 --> 01:14:27,796 I was sure that if I did not get 2518 01:14:27,796 --> 01:14:29,131 rescued they'd at least still 2519 01:14:29,131 --> 01:14:30,699 be able to remember me, 2520 01:14:31,166 --> 01:14:32,100 but I was concerned. 2521 01:14:32,100 --> 01:14:34,002 I had a daughter that was 2522 01:14:34,436 --> 01:14:36,004 less than a year old and she 2523 01:14:36,004 --> 01:14:37,139 would never know me if I didn't 2524 01:14:37,139 --> 01:14:38,140 get rescued, 2525 01:14:38,640 --> 01:14:40,142 so I said a little prayer. 2526 01:14:40,475 --> 01:14:41,176 And... 2527 01:14:41,510 --> 01:14:43,145 As I finished my prayer, 2528 01:14:43,779 --> 01:14:44,479 I heard 2529 01:14:44,680 --> 01:14:45,614 the aircraft returning 2530 01:14:45,614 --> 01:14:46,548 into the area. 2531 01:14:46,715 --> 01:14:48,150 I went back out 2532 01:14:48,550 --> 01:14:49,551 from the cave. 2533 01:14:49,885 --> 01:14:51,019 and made contact. 2534 01:14:51,119 --> 01:14:51,987 And... 2535 01:14:52,387 --> 01:14:53,288 it was the 2536 01:14:53,622 --> 01:14:55,490 The Sandy rescue 2537 01:14:56,291 --> 01:14:57,192 that was trying to make contact 2538 01:14:57,192 --> 01:14:58,060 with me. 2539 01:14:58,794 --> 01:15:00,362 I have to give it to those guys. 2540 01:15:00,362 --> 01:15:01,964 They have big brass ones. 2541 01:15:01,964 --> 01:15:03,398 While I was in the cave, 2542 01:15:03,999 --> 01:15:05,300 the weather conditions had 2543 01:15:05,300 --> 01:15:07,069 changed abruptly from when 2544 01:15:07,069 --> 01:15:07,703 I bailed out 2545 01:15:08,170 --> 01:15:09,037 and now 2546 01:15:09,204 --> 01:15:11,039 we had a huge overcast 2547 01:15:11,573 --> 01:15:13,242 with one sucker hole. 2548 01:15:13,742 --> 01:15:15,644 And hear, Sandy Lead, 2549 01:15:15,978 --> 01:15:17,246 tell his wingman he says, 2550 01:15:17,379 --> 01:15:19,248 "I think I can spiral down 2551 01:15:19,748 --> 01:15:20,816 through that hole and get 2552 01:15:20,916 --> 01:15:21,917 beneath the stuff." 2553 01:15:22,417 --> 01:15:23,852 And here I'm looking at 2554 01:15:23,852 --> 01:15:25,721 these karst mountains, 2555 01:15:26,021 --> 01:15:27,222 the tops of them disappearing 2556 01:15:27,222 --> 01:15:28,390 into the clouds 2557 01:15:28,690 --> 01:15:29,892 That took guts for him 2558 01:15:29,892 --> 01:15:30,425 to do that. 2559 01:15:30,525 --> 01:15:32,361 He flew directly over me 2560 01:15:32,661 --> 01:15:33,862 and I got all excited 2561 01:15:33,862 --> 01:15:34,997 and I informed him he 2562 01:15:34,997 --> 01:15:36,231 had just flown over me. 2563 01:15:36,598 --> 01:15:38,033 He did not acknowledge 2564 01:15:38,333 --> 01:15:40,102 or rock his wings or anything. 2565 01:15:40,335 --> 01:15:41,370 Later on, in reading the 2566 01:15:41,370 --> 01:15:43,505 transcripts from the command 2567 01:15:43,505 --> 01:15:45,340 post of this rescue, 2568 01:15:45,707 --> 01:15:47,075 I found out that he actually 2569 01:15:47,075 --> 01:15:48,010 did hear me, 2570 01:15:48,277 --> 01:15:49,111 but he was smart and 2571 01:15:49,111 --> 01:15:50,245 he's playing the game. 2572 01:15:50,245 --> 01:15:51,013 Making sure, 2573 01:15:51,213 --> 01:15:51,914 he didn't want to give my 2574 01:15:51,914 --> 01:15:53,015 location away in case 2575 01:15:53,015 --> 01:15:54,182 there were bad guys 2576 01:15:54,182 --> 01:15:55,017 around the area. 2577 01:15:55,117 --> 01:15:58,453 You could see in the distance 2578 01:15:58,453 --> 01:16:03,191 where the coastal plain started 2579 01:16:03,191 --> 01:16:04,059 to rise. 2580 01:16:04,559 --> 01:16:05,427 At about 2581 01:16:05,527 --> 01:16:07,963 2,000 feet, the cloud deck 2582 01:16:07,963 --> 01:16:09,898 started and it was solid. 2583 01:16:10,432 --> 01:16:12,601 So we climbed up to about 2584 01:16:13,302 --> 01:16:15,237 8,000...I think 2585 01:16:15,604 --> 01:16:16,738 We usually went in pretty 2586 01:16:16,738 --> 01:16:17,606 high anyway, 2587 01:16:17,773 --> 01:16:18,774 keeps you out of 2588 01:16:18,774 --> 01:16:19,574 the ground fire 2589 01:16:19,574 --> 01:16:20,943 ...small arms fire, 2590 01:16:21,410 --> 01:16:22,077 because they love 2591 01:16:22,077 --> 01:16:23,578 to shoot at people. 2592 01:16:24,279 --> 01:16:26,114 Anyway, we got above it. 2593 01:16:26,581 --> 01:16:27,416 We joined up with 2594 01:16:27,416 --> 01:16:28,884 those two Sandys. 2595 01:16:29,618 --> 01:16:31,787 One of them had managed to get 2596 01:16:31,787 --> 01:16:33,088 below the clouds 2597 01:16:33,488 --> 01:16:34,923 which was amazing. 2598 01:16:35,724 --> 01:16:37,259 And he was, 2599 01:16:37,926 --> 01:16:38,927 must have been having 2600 01:16:39,561 --> 01:16:40,262 some 2601 01:16:41,129 --> 01:16:42,564 difficulty maneuvering 2602 01:16:42,564 --> 01:16:43,598 in those valleys 2603 01:16:43,598 --> 01:16:44,800 because all the peaks were 2604 01:16:44,800 --> 01:16:46,101 shrouded in clouds. 2605 01:16:46,468 --> 01:16:47,769 He said, "there's a hole, 2606 01:16:47,769 --> 01:16:48,904 I'm coming up". 2607 01:16:49,271 --> 01:16:50,272 Sure enough, there was 2608 01:16:50,272 --> 01:16:50,939 a hole there. 2609 01:16:51,306 --> 01:16:52,507 I could see all the way to 2610 01:16:52,507 --> 01:16:54,409 the jungle canopy. 2611 01:16:54,509 --> 01:16:55,477 Couldn't see the ground. 2612 01:16:56,345 --> 01:16:57,179 He came up, 2613 01:16:57,646 --> 01:16:58,480 I went down. 2614 01:16:59,114 --> 01:17:00,515 Got under the clouds in a 2615 01:17:00,515 --> 01:17:02,451 valley running North and South 2616 01:17:03,085 --> 01:17:04,086 Nothing was in it. 2617 01:17:04,252 --> 01:17:04,853 I... 2618 01:17:05,253 --> 01:17:06,755 was so disappointed 2619 01:17:06,755 --> 01:17:08,156 I couldn't stand it by then. 2620 01:17:08,156 --> 01:17:09,758 We searched up and down there. 2621 01:17:09,758 --> 01:17:11,360 The Sandys were talking 2622 01:17:11,526 --> 01:17:12,094 to Vic. 2623 01:17:12,327 --> 01:17:13,595 I couldn't hear Vic. 2624 01:17:13,795 --> 01:17:15,464 I could hear them. 2625 01:17:16,798 --> 01:17:17,866 One of them said, 2626 01:17:18,100 --> 01:17:19,301 "I think I'm on top 2627 01:17:19,301 --> 01:17:20,802 of you right now." 2628 01:17:20,869 --> 01:17:23,138 I switched my radio to ADF 2629 01:17:24,539 --> 01:17:25,941 and got a lock on him. 2630 01:17:26,942 --> 01:17:28,276 I went to the East 2631 01:17:28,477 --> 01:17:29,811 over a low ridge 2632 01:17:30,112 --> 01:17:32,381 As soon as I crossed that 2633 01:17:32,381 --> 01:17:34,349 I saw a hazy red smoke. 2634 01:17:34,549 --> 01:17:36,151 Aha...the right valley 2635 01:17:36,885 --> 01:17:37,853 At last. 2636 01:17:39,454 --> 01:17:41,723 We went up and down that 2637 01:17:41,723 --> 01:17:42,858 side of the valley 2638 01:17:42,858 --> 01:17:43,959 for quite awhile, 2639 01:17:44,159 --> 01:17:45,994 but then we came across 2640 01:17:46,962 --> 01:17:47,963 the wreckage. 2641 01:17:49,131 --> 01:17:50,899 And shortly after that, 2642 01:17:50,899 --> 01:17:53,135 we saw the chute. 2643 01:17:54,302 --> 01:17:56,538 Then, I got talking to Vic. 2644 01:17:56,905 --> 01:17:58,040 He said he's about, 2645 01:17:58,206 --> 01:18:00,509 I don't know, 100, 200 yards 2646 01:18:01,810 --> 01:18:03,078 one way or the other 2647 01:18:03,078 --> 01:18:03,979 of the chute. 2648 01:18:03,979 --> 01:18:06,314 North I think. 2649 01:18:06,581 --> 01:18:09,684 So we slowed down and 2650 01:18:09,684 --> 01:18:11,186 he talked us right over 2651 01:18:11,186 --> 01:18:11,553 the top. 2652 01:18:11,820 --> 01:18:14,389 Never did see him, ever. 2653 01:18:14,556 --> 01:18:15,724 These guys were good. 2654 01:18:15,724 --> 01:18:16,324 I couldn't believe it. 2655 01:18:16,324 --> 01:18:17,492 When they dropped 2656 01:18:17,492 --> 01:18:19,094 the tree penetrator through 2657 01:18:19,094 --> 01:18:19,928 the trees, 2658 01:18:20,328 --> 01:18:21,763 I only had to take one step 2659 01:18:21,863 --> 01:18:22,664 to reach it. 2660 01:18:22,731 --> 01:18:24,166 I folded down the blades, 2661 01:18:24,266 --> 01:18:25,167 jumped on it. 2662 01:18:25,367 --> 01:18:26,568 Now the only thing left to do 2663 01:18:26,568 --> 01:18:28,236 was to secure the 2664 01:18:28,236 --> 01:18:29,704 safety line around. 2665 01:18:29,838 --> 01:18:31,573 I couldn't hook it up. 2666 01:18:31,740 --> 01:18:32,741 Anyway, we sent the 2667 01:18:32,741 --> 01:18:34,009 penetrator down 2668 01:18:34,709 --> 01:18:36,745 and waited and waited 2669 01:18:37,179 --> 01:18:38,513 and waited. 2670 01:18:38,613 --> 01:18:40,615 And I was running out of fuel 2671 01:18:40,615 --> 01:18:42,717 and I said come on. 2672 01:18:45,020 --> 01:18:45,921 Finally, I switched the 2673 01:18:45,921 --> 01:18:47,355 loud hailer 2674 01:18:48,557 --> 01:18:50,025 and I think he heard me. 2675 01:18:50,959 --> 01:18:51,726 Said, you've got to 2676 01:18:51,726 --> 01:18:52,894 get on that seat 2677 01:18:53,395 --> 01:18:54,062 because I'm running 2678 01:18:54,062 --> 01:18:55,530 out of gas. 2679 01:18:56,531 --> 01:18:57,532 Next thing I hear through 2680 01:18:57,532 --> 01:18:58,900 this megaphone is, 2681 01:18:59,101 --> 01:19:00,602 "Hurry up, let us know when we 2682 01:19:00,602 --> 01:19:01,403 can pull you up. 2683 01:19:01,403 --> 01:19:02,604 We're low on fuel." 2684 01:19:02,971 --> 01:19:04,206 That made me even more nervous 2685 01:19:04,206 --> 01:19:05,440 and I tried harder 2686 01:19:05,807 --> 01:19:07,209 without any success. 2687 01:19:07,542 --> 01:19:09,244 So finally out of desperation, 2688 01:19:09,244 --> 01:19:09,878 I didn't want them 2689 01:19:09,878 --> 01:19:10,979 leaving without me, 2690 01:19:11,279 --> 01:19:12,881 so I finally out of desperation 2691 01:19:13,215 --> 01:19:14,216 on the radio said, 2692 01:19:14,583 --> 01:19:15,617 I was gonna say, 2693 01:19:15,717 --> 01:19:16,751 okay, I'm ready. 2694 01:19:17,052 --> 01:19:18,120 As soon as they heard 2695 01:19:18,120 --> 01:19:19,054 okay, 2696 01:19:19,287 --> 01:19:20,222 they jerked me up 2697 01:19:20,222 --> 01:19:21,223 which made me lose the 2698 01:19:21,223 --> 01:19:22,624 grip on my radio. I lost it. 2699 01:19:22,624 --> 01:19:23,592 Dropped it in there. 2700 01:19:23,758 --> 01:19:24,926 But the good news is now I at 2701 01:19:24,926 --> 01:19:26,094 least had two hands to hold on 2702 01:19:26,094 --> 01:19:27,162 to the cable. 2703 01:19:27,162 --> 01:19:28,997 Shortly after that, the crewman 2704 01:19:28,997 --> 01:19:30,832 that was running the hoist, 2705 01:19:30,832 --> 01:19:32,767 Meyer I think his name was 2706 01:19:33,969 --> 01:19:35,604 said, I think I got him. 2707 01:19:36,138 --> 01:19:37,506 And sure enough, he started 2708 01:19:37,506 --> 01:19:38,406 reeling the cable in. 2709 01:19:38,406 --> 01:19:40,442 We were really in a high hover, 2710 01:19:40,442 --> 01:19:43,512 about 180 feet. That's big time. 2711 01:19:44,346 --> 01:19:46,281 And... 2712 01:19:46,481 --> 01:19:47,749 shortly after that, 2713 01:19:47,749 --> 01:19:48,783 he said, "We do, we do 2714 01:19:48,783 --> 01:19:49,518 we have him, we have him" 2715 01:19:49,518 --> 01:19:50,652 And I looked down and there 2716 01:19:50,652 --> 01:19:51,987 hugging that post baby. 2717 01:19:52,821 --> 01:19:53,855 And I took off. 2718 01:19:53,989 --> 01:19:55,190 I started climb up. 2719 01:19:55,190 --> 01:19:56,358 We didn't get the guy until 2720 01:19:56,358 --> 01:19:57,659 we were in the middle 2721 01:19:57,659 --> 01:19:59,427 of the clouds. 2722 01:20:00,262 --> 01:20:02,097 I had to get out of there. 2723 01:20:02,931 --> 01:20:03,832 They pulled me up 2724 01:20:04,166 --> 01:20:05,100 through the trees. 2725 01:20:06,668 --> 01:20:07,936 They had to use my shoulder 2726 01:20:07,936 --> 01:20:09,171 as a battering ram to get 2727 01:20:09,171 --> 01:20:11,039 through this one branch. 2728 01:20:11,439 --> 01:20:12,374 But finally, 2729 01:20:12,641 --> 01:20:14,009 I felt somebody grab the 2730 01:20:14,676 --> 01:20:16,044 nap of my collar and pulled 2731 01:20:16,044 --> 01:20:17,045 me into this chopper 2732 01:20:17,812 --> 01:20:18,680 as it tilted down 2733 01:20:18,680 --> 01:20:19,614 and it sped away 2734 01:20:22,050 --> 01:20:24,186 I checked my tacan. 2735 01:20:25,120 --> 01:20:26,288 I knew Da Nang was 2736 01:20:27,055 --> 01:20:27,822 impossible. 2737 01:20:27,822 --> 01:20:31,293 I could not get near Da Nang. 2738 01:20:31,826 --> 01:20:33,028 Nakhon Phanom was also 2739 01:20:33,028 --> 01:20:34,229 too far away. 2740 01:20:35,130 --> 01:20:36,231 And that's where I'd 2741 01:20:36,231 --> 01:20:37,999 always intended to go if we 2742 01:20:37,999 --> 01:20:39,834 managed to get out, 2743 01:20:40,302 --> 01:20:41,703 but it was too far away. 2744 01:20:42,537 --> 01:20:44,372 One of the Sandys just gave me 2745 01:20:44,372 --> 01:20:46,408 a head bearing and distance to 2746 01:20:46,408 --> 01:20:48,577 Halsey and be darn it was about 2747 01:20:48,577 --> 01:20:49,878 50 miles away. 2748 01:20:49,878 --> 01:20:50,979 I'm Curtis Venable, 2749 01:20:50,979 --> 01:20:53,715 I was a Senior Rescue Crewman 2750 01:20:53,715 --> 01:20:55,717 on Helicopter Combat Support 2751 01:20:55,717 --> 01:20:57,052 Squadron One. 2752 01:20:57,419 --> 01:20:59,588 Captain Le Bourgeois called me 2753 01:20:59,588 --> 01:21:01,156 to the bridge and he told me 2754 01:21:02,190 --> 01:21:03,992 he wanted to know what the 2755 01:21:04,426 --> 01:21:06,895 fuel load was for my helicopter. 2756 01:21:06,895 --> 01:21:07,596 And I told him. 2757 01:21:08,163 --> 01:21:09,164 And then I found out 2758 01:21:09,164 --> 01:21:10,865 where the helicopter was at. 2759 01:21:11,766 --> 01:21:13,535 I decided at that point 2760 01:21:13,535 --> 01:21:15,003 that they weren't getting back 2761 01:21:16,171 --> 01:21:16,838 So... 2762 01:21:17,105 --> 01:21:18,173 that's what I told him. 2763 01:21:22,510 --> 01:21:24,246 And he went full blast. 2764 01:21:24,879 --> 01:21:26,748 He went full bores online 2765 01:21:27,449 --> 01:21:28,450 and we run about 2766 01:21:28,450 --> 01:21:30,085 45 minutes down stream. 2767 01:21:30,919 --> 01:21:32,921 I later was told that 2768 01:21:33,388 --> 01:21:35,257 we were doing 42 knots. 2769 01:21:35,924 --> 01:21:37,125 Captain Le Bourgeois, 2770 01:21:37,192 --> 01:21:38,693 God bless him, 2771 01:21:39,194 --> 01:21:41,796 he turned that ship South 2772 01:21:42,631 --> 01:21:43,265 flank speed 2773 01:21:43,265 --> 01:21:44,633 all the way down that coast. 2774 01:21:44,899 --> 01:21:46,901 And he was right off the coast 2775 01:21:46,901 --> 01:21:48,136 about 20 miles 2776 01:21:48,803 --> 01:21:50,472 by the time we got there...but 2777 01:21:51,740 --> 01:21:52,874 but that's where I went. 2778 01:21:53,475 --> 01:21:54,609 I wasn't sure I was gonna 2779 01:21:54,609 --> 01:21:55,777 get there, 2780 01:21:56,077 --> 01:21:56,978 but I knew if I could 2781 01:21:56,978 --> 01:21:58,446 get to the water, 2782 01:21:58,780 --> 01:22:01,750 we'd had a good chance of 2783 01:22:01,750 --> 01:22:02,817 getting picked up. 2784 01:22:03,251 --> 01:22:04,719 I couldn't go down in 2785 01:22:04,719 --> 01:22:06,888 North Vietnam. 2786 01:22:06,888 --> 01:22:09,157 That never crossed my mind 2787 01:22:09,157 --> 01:22:10,625 Or Laos for that matter 2788 01:22:10,959 --> 01:22:12,827 that wasn't a whole lot better 2789 01:22:13,261 --> 01:22:14,763 That's why I like, go to 2790 01:22:14,763 --> 01:22:15,330 the water. 2791 01:22:15,497 --> 01:22:16,231 You know...Navy. 2792 01:22:16,298 --> 01:22:17,399 What else can you do? 2793 01:22:17,399 --> 01:22:18,833 Got to head for the water and 2794 01:22:20,068 --> 01:22:21,436 that's what we did. 2795 01:22:21,770 --> 01:22:23,171 In the chopper it was so noisy 2796 01:22:23,171 --> 01:22:24,339 we could not talk to each other. 2797 01:22:24,339 --> 01:22:25,240 But this young 2798 01:22:25,307 --> 01:22:26,641 looking gunner 2799 01:22:26,641 --> 01:22:28,310 kept on looking over at me 2800 01:22:28,310 --> 01:22:29,477 and kept on giving me 2801 01:22:29,477 --> 01:22:31,146 the old thumbs up sign. 2802 01:22:31,146 --> 01:22:32,580 I acknowledged back 2803 01:22:33,014 --> 01:22:34,282 so I was feeling really good 2804 01:22:34,282 --> 01:22:35,617 that everything's fine. 2805 01:22:35,950 --> 01:22:37,152 Pretty soon, 2806 01:22:37,652 --> 01:22:39,120 he hands me a 2807 01:22:39,421 --> 01:22:40,422 Mae West 2808 01:22:40,955 --> 01:22:42,190 to put on. I think I’m heading 2809 01:22:42,190 --> 01:22:43,958 West towards Nakhon Phanom 2810 01:22:43,958 --> 01:22:45,126 where the rescue 2811 01:22:45,860 --> 01:22:47,195 Air Force rescue units 2812 01:22:47,195 --> 01:22:47,996 came from. 2813 01:22:48,263 --> 01:22:50,031 So I need a life vest 2814 01:22:50,031 --> 01:22:52,000 just to cross the Mekong River? 2815 01:22:52,500 --> 01:22:53,835 But then, he opens up the 2816 01:22:53,835 --> 01:22:55,437 door and starts dumping 2817 01:22:55,437 --> 01:22:55,937 things out. 2818 01:22:56,104 --> 01:22:56,805 The machine gun, 2819 01:22:56,805 --> 01:22:58,006 all the ammo cans. 2820 01:22:58,340 --> 01:22:59,374 I'm thinking to myself 2821 01:22:59,374 --> 01:23:00,842 what the heck's going on? 2822 01:23:00,842 --> 01:23:01,876 And then I remember their 2823 01:23:01,876 --> 01:23:03,044 dramatic call, 2824 01:23:03,345 --> 01:23:04,713 hurry up let us know 2825 01:23:04,713 --> 01:23:06,281 when we can pull you up, 2826 01:23:06,281 --> 01:23:07,782 we're low on on fuel. 2827 01:23:08,216 --> 01:23:09,784 Started a slow, 2828 01:23:10,018 --> 01:23:11,886 a low powered descent 2829 01:23:12,487 --> 01:23:13,955 just to keep some 2830 01:23:14,022 --> 01:23:15,490 fuel in the tank. 2831 01:23:16,358 --> 01:23:17,459 And we managed to get 2832 01:23:17,459 --> 01:23:18,560 to the water. 2833 01:23:18,693 --> 01:23:20,195 A friend of mine was flying an 2834 01:23:20,195 --> 01:23:21,696 H-3 off the coast 2835 01:23:21,896 --> 01:23:23,031 Apparently someone had 2836 01:23:23,031 --> 01:23:23,832 stationed him there 2837 01:23:23,832 --> 01:23:24,666 and I don't know which 2838 01:23:24,666 --> 01:23:26,568 carrier he was from, 2839 01:23:27,502 --> 01:23:28,803 but... 2840 01:23:30,038 --> 01:23:31,339 I knew we were home free at that 2841 01:23:31,339 --> 01:23:32,507 point even if I had to 2842 01:23:32,507 --> 01:23:34,075 go in the water. 2843 01:23:35,043 --> 01:23:36,711 But the thing kept flying. 2844 01:23:37,178 --> 01:23:37,912 Not a hiccup. 2845 01:23:37,912 --> 01:23:39,247 I couldn't believe. 2846 01:23:39,848 --> 01:23:41,015 The H-2 has a two 2847 01:23:41,015 --> 01:23:43,318 hour endurance capacity. 2848 01:23:43,585 --> 01:23:44,886 I was two and half hours 2849 01:23:44,886 --> 01:23:46,755 at that point. 2850 01:23:46,888 --> 01:23:48,857 I said, keep going as 2851 01:23:48,857 --> 01:23:50,258 long as it will fly. 2852 01:23:50,258 --> 01:23:51,826 And sure enough 2853 01:23:51,826 --> 01:23:54,429 by golly, I got to Halsey, 2854 01:23:54,429 --> 01:23:56,231 put it down and 2855 01:23:56,531 --> 01:23:57,999 the picture was taken. 2856 01:23:57,999 --> 01:24:01,035 laughing 2857 01:24:01,102 --> 01:24:03,104 Surprise...surprise. 2858 01:24:03,671 --> 01:24:05,840 When the helicopter landed 2859 01:24:05,840 --> 01:24:07,409 aboard, I did the refueling 2860 01:24:07,409 --> 01:24:10,011 myself and we had about 2861 01:24:10,011 --> 01:24:11,513 five gallons of usable fuel 2862 01:24:11,513 --> 01:24:13,047 on board. We almost lost it. 2863 01:24:13,047 --> 01:24:15,784 And there's an iconic photograph 2864 01:24:15,784 --> 01:24:17,218 of me with big bug eyes. 2865 01:24:17,719 --> 01:24:19,354 And everybody that sees it says 2866 01:24:19,387 --> 01:24:21,222 man, you must have been scared. 2867 01:24:21,389 --> 01:24:22,257 I really wasn't. 2868 01:24:22,390 --> 01:24:23,425 I was shocked. 2869 01:24:23,758 --> 01:24:24,893 I was shocked to find out 2870 01:24:24,893 --> 01:24:25,960 I was on a ship. 2871 01:24:26,694 --> 01:24:27,762 Of course the joke in 2872 01:24:27,762 --> 01:24:28,930 the family is that this 2873 01:24:28,930 --> 01:24:30,632 was the most expensive Navy 2874 01:24:30,632 --> 01:24:32,400 rescue ever and that I had to 2875 01:24:32,400 --> 01:24:33,268 give them my first 2876 01:24:33,268 --> 01:24:34,636 and second born because 2877 01:24:34,636 --> 01:24:36,905 both sons went into Navy Air. 2878 01:24:39,307 --> 01:24:41,075 On October 31st, 2879 01:24:41,576 --> 01:24:42,877 1968, 2880 01:24:43,778 --> 01:24:45,113 one of the most controversial 2881 01:24:45,113 --> 01:24:47,215 military campaigns in 2882 01:24:47,215 --> 01:24:49,150 United States history 2883 01:24:49,384 --> 01:24:50,819 came to a halt. 2884 01:24:51,753 --> 01:24:53,555 There was no fan fare or 2885 01:24:53,755 --> 01:24:55,423 or ticker tape parades. 2886 01:24:55,890 --> 01:24:57,592 Thud pilots would go on 2887 01:24:57,592 --> 01:24:59,928 to fight an unwinnable war 2888 01:25:00,295 --> 01:25:02,096 run by politicians for 2889 01:25:02,096 --> 01:25:03,331 another five years. 2890 01:25:03,565 --> 01:25:04,966 Senior officials in the 2891 01:25:04,966 --> 01:25:06,468 Johnson Administration 2892 01:25:06,835 --> 01:25:09,170 facilitated more Thuds being 2893 01:25:09,170 --> 01:25:11,306 shot down than any enemy gunner, 2894 01:25:11,573 --> 01:25:14,142 MiG pilot or SAM site operator. 2895 01:25:15,009 --> 01:25:16,778 One of the greatest casualties 2896 01:25:16,778 --> 01:25:18,513 of the air war in Vietnam was 2897 01:25:18,513 --> 01:25:20,281 loss of trust of the 2898 01:25:20,281 --> 01:25:21,783 US government by the 2899 01:25:21,783 --> 01:25:23,651 very men defending it. 2900 01:25:24,652 --> 01:25:26,588 Thud pilots are a testament to 2901 01:25:26,588 --> 01:25:28,857 extraordinary heroism, 2902 01:25:29,457 --> 01:25:30,658 determination 2903 01:25:31,025 --> 01:25:32,861 and sacrifice of men willing to 2904 01:25:32,861 --> 01:25:34,696 serve their country at whatever 2905 01:25:34,696 --> 01:25:35,497 cost. 2906 01:25:35,797 --> 01:25:37,265 Too many of their names are 2907 01:25:37,265 --> 01:25:39,267 forever inscribed on a 2908 01:25:39,267 --> 01:25:41,870 polished black granite wall, 2909 01:25:41,870 --> 01:25:43,204 resting solemnly at the 2910 01:25:43,204 --> 01:25:45,006 nation’s capital. 2911 01:25:45,006 --> 01:25:46,341 The long list of the 2912 01:25:46,341 --> 01:25:51,012 58,286 names of America's 2913 01:25:51,012 --> 01:25:53,515 best etched in the order they 2914 01:25:53,515 --> 01:25:55,016 were taken from us 2915 01:25:55,383 --> 01:25:58,019 honors them and silently serves 2916 01:25:58,019 --> 01:26:00,688 as a deafening reminder. 2917 01:26:01,155 --> 01:26:03,825 50 years after Rolling Thunder, 2918 01:26:04,158 --> 01:26:06,828 these names set in stone 2919 01:26:07,395 --> 01:26:09,364 serve as a warning. 2920 01:26:10,231 --> 01:26:12,233 A warning to the political class 2921 01:26:12,233 --> 01:26:13,334 who order America's 2922 01:26:13,334 --> 01:26:14,369 sons and daughters 2923 01:26:14,369 --> 01:26:16,671 in to harms way. 2924 01:26:16,871 --> 01:26:18,673 Disfunctional strategies with no 2925 01:26:18,673 --> 01:26:20,008 intention of winning 2926 01:26:20,008 --> 01:26:21,709 will not stand. 2927 01:26:22,477 --> 01:26:24,546 Never again. 176022

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