82 What were the toughest missions for you? (United States Air Force Gunships in the Vietnam)
Description
This article is from the Vietnam FAQ, by Brian Ross, John R. Tegtmeier, Edwin E. Moise, Frank Vaughan, John Tegtmeier with numerous contributions by others.
82 What were the toughest missions for you? (United States Air Force Gunships in the Vietnam)
The tough missions for us were way up in Northern Laos in an area
known as the "barrel roll". A one-hour commute each way, then dodging
karst and mountain tops, mostly on oxygen 'cause we were way above 10K
altitude. During the rainy season, when the clouds hugged the
mountains, we still had to go on station, and we'd put one engine out
of synch then rattle around for 5 hours over known trails because the
intel weenies said it "slowed down the traffic."
We used to tear down the flack curtains from around the 20MMs and
build a little shelter in the middle of the main deck just forward of
the 105MM, bring our red Sony rechargeable flashlights, and play
cards, trying to keep warm and listening to the intercoms. More than
once we prayed for a fire mission on those nights.
Continue to:
My Books
