Lt.
Mike "Elf" Cryer - OV-10
"Bronco" - Covey 597, 1970-71 Pleiku  Mike
wrote the story, "Up, Over, Sideways, Down", for a FAC Reunion
a few years ago. This mission inspired John L. Plaster, the Special Forces writer,
to write his autobiography Secret Commandoes.
Click
here to read the story.
To download a MS Word copy,
click here. |
| Capt
Doug "Buz" Broussard, 1971-72
DaNang  Doug
dosen't have a picture of his aircraft where he flew it, but he has this one of
F4E 66-320001sitting on the ramp at Nellis AFB during a Red Flag exercise. Doug
not only flew this F4 at DaNang, but also at Seymour-Johnson AFB where both he
and it ended up. Doug still misses flying - but Cajun food and beer help.
|
Dan
Eikleberry on 'his' RF-4C, number
'604' at Udorn Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand, summer of 1972  Each
pilot in the squadron was given an airplane after he'd been there a few months,
and someone painted your name on the canopy. They spelled my name wrong, but what
the heck, I was glad to have a Phantom of my own! In reality, we flew every plane
in the squadron, it was just coincidence if you flew your own.
One day,
in August or September 1972, our classmate, Bill Gauntt (back seater, Fran Townsend,
USAFA class of 1970) was flying RF-4C 604 over North Viet Nam, and Bill got shot
down. At capture, Bill's WSO, Fran Townsend, was shot and killed by the NVA. Bill
was captured, marched up the railroad tracks to Hanoi and became prisoner until
the POWs returned in March 1973. Bill and I had both been in 26th Squadron at
the zoo, and later, in 1969-1970 the 4756th Flying Training Squadron in Air Defense
Command at Tyndall AFB. In 1971 we both were sent to Shaw AFB for RF-4C school
and then assigned to the 14th TRS at Udorn, Thailand, 1971-1972. What a coincidence
that after all those years, we would be separated by Bill becoming a POW after
being shot down flying MY airplane!
Bill, and all who were shot down and
endured the misery of becoming a POW, are my heroes forever.
Dan
|
 Rayford
Brown on 'his' F-4, number '342' in
the Fall of 1970 at Korat RTAFB, Thailand
388th TFW - 39th TFS
The
aircraft, "EASY ROCKIN MAMA II" , was named after the pilot's
(George Koch), father's P-51 in WW II.
Click here
to read about Rayford's rescue.
|
 Here's
Greg Shuey at with the A-10 he flew
at Myrtle Beach AFB. Greg was the Wing Scheduler and Wing Plans Officer there.
Picture Below is the remains of a F-5E that Greg ejected from just three seconds
before impact.
Click on thumbnails for larger images. |
Bill
Bazar flew the F-104 at Luke AFB from
1978 to 1981, and the Italian and Turkish F-104s in Europe from 1982 to 1985. |
 Here
is Bob Durham with the AC-130H he
flew in '72-73, at Ubon, Thailand with the 16th Special Operations Squadron, 8th
Tac Fighter Wing. With the TDY squadrons, there were 7- F4 squadrons at the time
and one AC-130 squadron at Ubon. There were both the "A" models, which
had 2/20mm guns and 2/40mm guns. The "H" had 2/20mm guns, 1/40mm and
1/105mm. A couple of the F4 squadrons were night fliers and roamed the trails
in Laos with us. As you can see on the website, we had several classmates that
flew fast machines. We also had a few who flew the AC-130. During this time, Buz
Sawyer, Charlie Holland, Stu Thomson, Tim Davidson and Bob were there. Charlie
Siefert left as we were arriving in 1972. There may have been others before or
after? |
| Who will
submit the next picture & story? |
Click on thumbnails for larger images.
Here
is Bob Durham with the AC-130H he
flew in '72-73, at Ubon, Thailand with the 16th Special Operations Squadron, 8th
Tac Fighter Wing. With the TDY squadrons, there were 7- F4 squadrons at the time
and one AC-130 squadron at Ubon. There were both the "A" models, which
had 2/20mm guns and 2/40mm guns. The "H" had 2/20mm guns, 1/40mm and
1/105mm. A couple of the F4 squadrons were night fliers and roamed the trails
in Laos with us. As you can see on the website, we had several classmates that
flew fast machines. We also had a few who flew the AC-130. During this time, Buz
Sawyer, Charlie Holland, Stu Thomson, Tim Davidson and Bob were there. Charlie
Siefert left as we were arriving in 1972. There may have been others before or
after?
