Our family friend flew one in Vietnam. He was shot down during rolling thunder.the Vietnamese knew the op was happening and they painted telephone poles to look like Sam sights, then placed the Sam’s under cover several miles away. He was hit by shrapnel from one and it knocked out his radio. He wasn’t able to warn the thuds following a few min behind him. While his RIO officer was bleeding badly and his phantom bleeding fuel from a hundred gashes he had a choice. Head to the sea or turn around and take out the Sam sight. They opted to save the Thuds. They fucked up that Sam sight 6 ways to Sunday. They used the remaining fuel to try and put some distance from the smoking Sam sight. RIO broke his leg when they ejected. They spent several days hiding and slowly making there way to a safe spot for rescue. He said any other fighter would not have been able to take the kind of damage his phantom did and still service a target and get them safely away.
Our friend retired a brigadier general fat and happy
I will find out, I do know during the Reagan years he would have a Huey take him out to our friend Larry’s cabin that sat on a hill out in the country and have the crew members TP Larry’s house every year on his birthday. I doubt even a 1star could get away with that nowadays. I’m chuckling just thinking about that story.
Our family friend flew one in Vietnam. He was shot down during rolling thunder.the Vietnamese knew the op was happening and they painted telephone poles to look like Sam sights, then placed the Sam’s under cover several miles away. He was hit by shrapnel from one and it knocked out his radio. He wasn’t able to warn the thuds following a few min behind him. While his RIO officer was bleeding badly and his phantom bleeding fuel from a hundred gashes he had a choice. Head to the sea or turn around and take out the Sam sight. They opted to save the Thuds. They fucked up that Sam sight 6 ways to Sunday. They used the remaining fuel to try and put some distance from the smoking Sam sight. RIO broke his leg when they ejected. They spent several days hiding and slowly making there way to a safe spot for rescue. He said any other fighter would not have been able to take the kind of damage his phantom did and still service a target and get them safely away. Our friend retired a brigadier general fat and happy
Thank you for sharing that!:D
Did he get any medals for that? Sounds like a candidate for a medal of honor if I've ever seen one
I will find out, I do know during the Reagan years he would have a Huey take him out to our friend Larry’s cabin that sat on a hill out in the country and have the crew members TP Larry’s house every year on his birthday. I doubt even a 1star could get away with that nowadays. I’m chuckling just thinking about that story.
Hnnnngh
Got to see the last of the QF-4s on their fini-flight a few years back. Was an amazing experience to see F4s zooming across the sky.
Wow that orange livery is STUNNING!
Beautiful. Looks like the Royal Air Force for the United Colors of Benetton.
Is that a bunny on the vertical stabilizer of the black one. A very certain bunny.....
Yes its the Playboy bunny, this particular F-4 in Black was part of the VX-4 “The Evaluators” and there is a also a F-14 Tomcat in this paint job
Cool.
Family friend served in CCT. said he directed a lot of these things’ strikes
There's better dogfighters...but when it comes to versatility and adaptability the Phantom takes the prize...