2014 Fall Friends Journal Sampler

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The Invincible Spirit of Man

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FOUNDATION, INC.

Fall 2014

Vol. 37 No.3

The Magazine of the Air Force Museum Foundation • www.airforcemuseum.com

Featured Articles Snake and Nape: A-37 Mission Over Cambodia 4 A-26 Counter Invader over Laos: The So-Called “Secret War” 7 A Night Flight with St. Elmo

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No Runway in Sight: Emergency Resupply at Dalat

We find it in the eyes and expressions of the children that walk through our galleries.

Help us continue to inspire.

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Your gift ensures that the stories, aircraft, artifacts, and exhibits will be here for future generations to witness the invincible spirit of man. Please donate today! www.afmuseum.com/donations

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THE AIR FORCE MUSEUM FOUNDATION, INC. BOARD OF MANAGERS

From the Executive Director

This summer I attended a ceremony for Col (Ret) Donald W. Hobart at the National Museum of the United States Air Force—where family, friends, and members of the 8th Tactical Fighter Squadron (The Black Sheep) had gathered to dedicate a bench in the colonel’s memory. After the ceremony one of the squadron member’s wives shared a story about Colonel Hobart that remains special to her many years later.

“We had been told that our husbands were being sent to Southeast Asia for assignment to a high threat area,” she recalled, “and we were scared.” So prior to the deployment, then-Lieutenant Colonel Hobart assembled the wives and made this vow: “Don’t worry, I promise to bring them all back safely to you.’” Six months later he fulfilled his promise by bringing all members of the squadron home alive . . . and safe.

Ms. Frances A. Duntz - Chairman Mr. Philip L. Soucy - President Col (Ret) James B. Schepley - Vice President Col (Ret) Susan E. Richardson - Secretary Mr. Robert J. Suttman II, CFA - Treasurer Dr. Deborah E. Barnhart, CAPT (Ret), USN Gen (Ret) William J. Begert The Hon. Claude M. Bolton Jr. Col (Ret) Mark N. Brown Dr. Thomas J. Burns, PhD Lt Gen (Ret) Charles H. Coolidge Jr. Brig Gen (Ret) Paul R. Cooper Dr. Pamela A. Drew Mr. David C. Evans Mr. Charles J. Faruki Col (Ret) Frederick D. Gregory Maj Gen (Ret) E. Ann Harrell Col (Ret) William S. Harrell CMSgt (Ret) Eric R. Jaren Mr. Gregory G. Lockhart Col (Ret) Pamela A. Melroy Lt Gen (Ret) Richard V. Reynolds Gen (Ret) Charles T. Robertson Jr. Mr. Scott J. Seymour Mr. Harry W. (Wes) Stowers Jr.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE Lt Gen (Ret) J. L. Hudson, Director

When she finished her story, I had tears in my eyes. The quietness of courage was deafening. The men and families of the 8th Tactical Fighter Squadron were committed to duty and to each other. They would quietly do the job they were sent to do . . . and then come home.

As I read the stories in this edition of the Friends Journal, I again felt the warmth of the sun on that summer day when we gathered to honor Colonel Hobart. I felt the sense of dedication, commitment, and honor of the men and their families, who ventured much for the liberties we now enjoy.

As we move forward then, what will the legacy of the next generation be?

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) will be their tools, and, I hope, with the lessons we teach them through stories like those in this Friends Journal, character and integrity will be their calling cards.

FOUNDATION

Executive Director - Michael Imhoff Chief Development Officer - Col (Ret) Mona Vollmer Development Coordinator - Elissé Rivet Membership Manager - Matt Lynch Membership Coordinator - Michele Giefer Membership Office: 1-877-258-3910 (toll free) or 937-656-9615

Jeff Duford Curator, NMUSAF

Close Call over An Loc Sergeant Kenneth Felty, an illuminator operator (or IO), wore this flight helmet while on his 70th AC-130 combat mission in Southeast Asia on May 12, 1972. He and the crew of AC-130E 69-6573 were providing vital support to friendly forces surrounded and besieged at An Loc, South Vietnam, during the communist Easter Offensive. Air Force close air support and tactical air resupply proved essential in preventing a total rout, while a new and deadly weapon, the shoulder-fired SA-7 surface-to-air missile, presented a serious threat.

As Felty was bent over the open rear ramp spotting for AAA fire, an SA-7 hit the aircraft a few feet away from him, spraying fragments through the back compartment.

Fortunately, his helmet took the brunt of the force.

The SA-7 caused serious damage to Felty’s AC-130.

The blast carried away part of the face mask, and peppered the helmet with about 40 fragments. Three of these penetrated and wounded Felty (thankfully he recovered from these and other fragment wounds). The helmet is a sober reminder of the danger our Air Force personnel face in the performance of their duties.

Friends Journal

Editor - Peggy Coale Art Director - Mark A. Riley Editorial Assistants - Michael Giefer, Joe King, Robert Pinizzotto, Art Powell Editorial Office: 937-656-9622 Cover art: Illustration by Mark Riley of St. Elmo’s Fire

phenomenon (see “A Night Flight with St. Elmo,” page 12).

It’s that time of year when we send out our annual appeal letter. This annual “ask” is critical to provide the funds required to enable Museum Director Lt Gen (Ret) John Hudson and the Museum team, through their programs, including STEM, to equip those who follow with the tools necessary to succeed on their own missions through life. Please join me in sending in your donation, as each dollar raised makes a difference. Thanks for your consideration.

With respect,

Mike Imhoff

The Friends Journal is published quarterly by the Air Force Museum Foundation, Inc., a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the expansion and improvement of the National Museum of the United States Air Force and to the preservation of the history of the United States Air Force. Authors retain all rights to further publication or use. Author’s views expressed in the Friends Journal do not necessarily represent those of the Air Force Museum Foundation, Inc. or those of the United States Air Force.

Printed in the USA. USPS Standard ”A” rate postage paid at Dayton, OH. Subscription to the Friends Journal is included in the annual membership of the Friends of the Air Force Museum. All materials are copyright 2014 and may not be reproduced without permission from the Air Force Museum Foundation, Inc. Submission of material for publication and correspondence concerning contents should be addressed to The Air Force Museum Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 1903, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-1903, and marked in the corner of the envelope “ATTN: Editor.”

North Vietnamese soldier preparing to fire an SA-7 surface-to-air missile.

The helmet took the brunt of the SA-7 blast, which carried away part of the face mask and peppered it with about 40 fragments. Three of the fragments penetrated the helmet and wounded Felty’s head.

Contents ARTICLES

DEPARTMENTS

4

Snake and Nape: A-37 Mission over Cambodia

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Editor’s Notes

Steve Brandt

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Friends Feedback

7

A-26 Counter Invader Over Laos: The So-Called “Secret War”

46 Activities & Events

Col (Ret) Nolan Schmidt

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Restoration Update

12 A Night Flight with St. Elmo

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New Exhibits

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Reunion Notices

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The Museum Store

Lt Col (Ret) Jack Krause

15 USAF Security Police at Binh Thuy Air Base

Steven Hall

20 Mission with a Chaplain on Board

Don Brooks 24 No Runway in Sight: Emergency Resupply at Dalat

Col (Ret) Lee E. Smith

27 A Bunny in Strange Places Maj (Ret) Bob Kasprzak

34 AC-130 Gunship Missions Over Vietnam Lt Col (Ret) Sostenes Suazo

39 Fear, But Not of the Enemy

Lt Col (Ret) Robert J. Connolly 42 For Lack of a Cotter Pin

Maj (Ret) Verlan Breuer 44

My First Experience with a Laser-Guided Bomb

Lt Col (Ret) Ray H. Janes Jr.

The Southeast Asia War Gallery at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

The Air Force Museum Foundation, Inc., is a Section 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Friends of the Air Force Museum Foundation membership dues and all donations to the Air Force Museum Foundation paid in 2014 are tax deductible within the limits prescribed by law.

Friends Journal • Fall 2014

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EDITOR’s

NOTES

“Vietnam is the war we want to forget.”

This sentiment was once shared with me by a Foundation volunteer as we discussed the theme for this Friends Journal. Speaking as a Vietnam-era veteran himself, he was both acknowledging a cultural fact and lamenting it: The American public has not always recognized the sacrifices of those who served in Vietnam.

I didn’t have to go far to find living examples of that sacrifice. In addition to the aforementioned Foundation volunteer, right outside my office are a number of Museum volunteers who are veterans of the war in Southeast Asia. We include three of their stories in this issue. Museum visitors might never guess that any of these gentleman kindly directing them through the galleries had once found himself flying dangerous, lowlevel missions over the jungle, or directing fire down the Ho Chi Minh trail, or landing emergency supplies to an outpost under attack. But these veterans answered the call to serve and did so with honor, courage, and sacrifice in the finest tradition of American military in every generation. All three, in fact, were recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross.

In this issue we pay homage to all Air Force veterans of Vietnam and invite you to pay a visit to the Museum and see the three new exhibits opening this fall in the Southeast Asia War Gallery. These exhibits tell the stories of close air support, gunships, and the Air Force Reserves and Air National Guard—and provide vivid examples of the bravery and sacrifices of our Airmen during that war.

We hope you’ll agree these are stories we should never forget.

Editor

Did you know?

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The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force is currently on a very large recruitment campaign to add 125 new volunteers to assist with a variety of tasks.

The Museum is seeking weekend gallery monitors who will be ready to staff our newly-constructed fourth building. Two four-hour shifts per month are required, and in turn, you will have the opportunity to watch the Museum grow.

The Education Program is looking for volunteers to assist the three aerospace educators with a variety of youth initiatives and a monthly Family Day program.

Volunteers are also needed to support the Registration Desk, Friends Desk, and Theatre operations seven days a week.

The Museum could not operate seven days a week as it does without the current 550 volunteer staff who travel great distances to volunteer—from Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and of course Ohio.

Last year they hosted one million visitors at the Museum and our website had four million online visitors.

Volunteers gave 90,000 hours of service during 2013, representing close to $2,000,000 and 43 person-years of productivity.

Do you know someone who could serve? You do not need a PhD in history—just the willingness to share USAF history with our visitors from around the world.

Visit our website at www.nationalmuseum.af.mil and click on the volunteer link at the top of the page for more information.

You can submit a request for more information. Volunteer packets that include the required paperwork will be sent to you.

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Friends Feedback

The Summer 2014 Friends Journal Kudos on the summer Friends Journal. Took me back to the 1930s, when I read everything I could find about the World War I pilots. Started my ambition to become an Air Corps flyer.

Jim McClain Waterloo, Iowa The article containing the story of Evart T. Buckley and his escape in WWI [“Cable from Paris” ] was fascinating.

However, I was left wondering what became of Sergeant Buckley. Did he survive the war? Continue to fly? I can find nothing on the internet.

I also love the story by the French school children. How good to know they’re learning of their nation’s debt to the allies who liberated their country 70 years ago.

William T. Brockman Atlanta, Georgia [From the editor: If anyone knows what became of WW I aviator Sergeant Buckley, send us a note.]

The cover of the current [summer] issue is magnificent. I especially enjoyed the article, “High Flight.” Whenever I would visit the Museum prior to becoming a volunteer, I would stop by and read the poem’s plaque.Your article offered information I did not know. For this, I thank you.

Elmer Harbron Hamilton, Ohio The Magee pages look fantastic! Hugh Magee [brother of John Gillespie Magee] will have his copy in hand in September when I see him. I think he will be delighted to see his brother John shared on such wonderfully designed pages. An interesting issue of the Friends Journal—“action packed” as they say. I hope one day I have the chance to give a Magee presentation with more of these ‘unknown’ images.

Linda Granfield Toronto, Canada On behalf of the American Military Museum in Charleston, South Carolina, I wish to congratulate you on another wonerful story in your publication, Friends Journal, which was passed on to me by my father, a 28year veteran of the USAF. As an avid amateur WW II historian, I read with great interet the story in the summer 2014 volume featuring the teacher in France who rallied his students and school in the moving commemoration of the B-17 aircrew who perished in the crash near their school. It was incredible the amount of work and dedication it took for him to arrange the

ceremony and the wonderful tribute of painting the outline of the plane on the school ground. I shared the story in the Journal with some friends in the UK who are going to try and visit the school as well—they were friends of Eighth Air Force crewmen during World War II. I’m always happy to see the amazing impact a simple act of kindness can inspire!

The American Military Museum houses an extensive collection of military uniforms, weapons and equipment which encompasses the whole history of the United States military’s five branches. Keep up the great work!

Jeff Uyak Acquisitions & IT, American Military Museum Charleston, South Carolina World War II Gliders I believe a recent issue of the Friends Journal included an article on Gliders in WWII [spring 2014]. I shared the magazine and the article with a 93-year-old friend, also a World War II glider pilot. My friend writes and speaks frequently on his experiences in gliders. He told me that this is far and away the best and most complete article on World War II gliders that he has read.

Lt Gen Gary H. Mears, USAF (Ret) Clearwater, Florida Flight-Testing the A-10 I have particularly enjoyed the articles written by Lt Gen (Ret) Jack Hudson on his experiences flying the A-10.

After the first one, where he made reference to the oneand-only two-seat A-10 (the night-adverse weather variant), I had planned to write and ask that he expand on the two-seater. Then, in the very next issue, he did just that! I have always held a great interest in the twoseat A-10; it’s a shame it was never mass produced.Thanks for such a quality publication—keep up the great work!

Raymond L. Robb Dayton, Ohio

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Snake and Nape:

A-37 Mission over Cambodia Steve Brandt

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n late April 1970, President Richard Nixon announced that U.S. forces would make an incursion into Cambodia for a 30-day period. At the time of the announcement, I had been “in country” for 157 days and had completed 110 sorties flying A-37s with the 604th Special Operations Squadron (SOS), nicknamed the “Raps.” We flew close air support for the 25th Infantry Division, the 11th Armored Calvary Division, and the 1st Calvary Division. The 604th SOS was part of the 3rd TAC Air Wing at Bien Hoa Air Base, Republic of Vietnam (RVN).

Our first inkling of the incursion was the arrival of a Jolly Green Giant gunship helicopter and A-1Es. In early May the incursion was underway. The mission load increased markedly. After the announced 30-day period, we slowed down for a few days.Then everything changed. We began to fly missions deep into Cambodia. We flew to Phnom Penh, Kompong Cham, Kompong Than, Kratie, and nearly everywhere in between.

The three squadrons of the 3rd were comprised of young officers. We had 1st lieutenants with a half year in country leading two-ship formations with slightly younger wingmen. Two-ship formations were the norm.

Brandt

The author with his A-37 at England AFB, Louisiana.

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A typical load of ordnance was “Snake and Nape,” four 500-pound Mark 82 bombs with “Snake Eye” fins on the lead aircraft and four 500-pound cans of napalm on the second (number 2) aircraft. The advantage of Snake Eyes over slick Mark 82s was that the deployment of the Snake Eye fins would retard the flight path of the bomb as it dropped. If done right, the bomb would be perpendicular to the ground when it hit, sending out a circular frag pattern. Consequently, we could deliver much closer to the ground, and at a nearly flat dive angle, without being fragged by our own shrapnel. When the forward air controller (FAC) cleared us “in hot,” the A-37 lead would deliver a single Mark 82 on the enemy to kill as many as possible just before the second aircraft came in with a single can of napalm to burn whomever was left. Typically, we delivered one weapon per pass to maximize coverage of the enemy.

There were a few pre-planned sorties every day. After approval of a pre-planned strike made its way up and down the chain of both the American and RVN chains of command, it seemed highly unlikely that any of the enemy was left within miles of the strike site.We generally had four, two-ship flights around the clock, positioned and ready on our alert pad: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m; 4 p.m. to 12 p.m; and 12 midnight to 8 a.m. Though the call sign of the 604th was “Raps,” off the alert pad, everybody was a “Hawk.” On a normal day, we had Hawks 1 through 8 on the alert pad.

The vast majority of our missions off the alert pad were “troops in contact” (TIC). The opportunity to help our Army counterparts was why we were there. Any day we could help our guys improve their chances of going home safe and sound made the rest of the days tolerable. I suspect every member of the squadron had the experience I had early in country, when we arrived at the site of an ambush and saw body bags laid out and occupied. Somewhere back in the U.S. was a mother, father, brother, sister, wife, daughter, or son who did not yet know that their life had been changed forever.

By mid June the growth in the sorties flown into Cambodia was reflected in the fact that it was not

Snake and Nape: A-37 Mission over Cambodia

25,000 feet, our maximum altitude since we were not pressurized, and started to fly over a hilly area covered by broken clouds.

As we approached the target area, we were to call the FAC—radio call sign Rash 17— who was flying an OV-10. We made radio contact and established visual contact. He was circling above the clouds near the intended target and gave us a briefing.

Our target was an enemy (NVA) position on high ground on a hill that constituted the dead end of a box canyon. They were shooting mortars and large and small arms down the hill at some of our Army troops.

I never learned exactly who the Army guys were. Rumor had it that there were USAF a number of “Black Ops” personnel that stayed in Cambodia after the end of the 30F-100 dropping a Mark 82 “Snakeye” bomb. Note how the deployed fins cause enough drag day incursion to harass the Ho Chi Minh to slow the bomb, thereby allowing the low-flying attacking aircraft to avoid damage from Trail. It didn’t matter who they were, they the resulting bomb blast. were our guys and they were under attack. uncommon to have additional aircraft on alert with the Hawks on the alert pad. Call signs often ran 1 through Rash 17 explained that while the business end of the 14. On Wednesday, June 14, 1970, I was sitting alert in canyon was under a solid cloud cover, there was an the 604th SOS Squadron building as Hawk 13 with my opening in the clouds approximately three kilometers wingman Hawk 14. We had loads of “Snake and Nape” to the north. We followed the FAC to the opening. on our assigned A-37 aircraft.

He dove down under the overcast. We followed. As he approached the target, he began firing his 7.62mm With us on alert that day were two other pilots. One machine guns. We followed suit in hopes of keeping the of them was Steve Mish (lead) and Russ Voris (his enemy’s heads down while we surveyed the target site. wingman). I had a project underway to take black and white pictures of every member of the squadron. I got After a brief look, we all pulled up through the clouds Mish’s picture, but then they were scrambled and I never to the sunshine. Rash 17 asked if we were prepared to got Voris’s picture. attack. I was confident that my wingman could drop his napalm without blowing himself out of the sky, as I might Shortly thereafter we were scrambled. We ran to with my bombs. I was less confident that the Snake Eyes the aircraft and started the engines as we put on our would work in this situation. We had to work under a parachute, shoulder harness, and seat belt. We called the 700- to 800-foot overcast, which was on the low side command post for instructions as to where we would for dropping my ordnance, as they needed time to arm. meet the FAC. We were headed north-northwest 80 I decided to make one pass. I cautioned my wingman nautical miles to a place called Snuol in the province about the problem presented by the terrain: often when of Kratie, Cambodia. As scrambling aircraft we had diving the aircraft, it is easy to get fixated on the target priority over all other aircraft and soon found ourselves only to find yourself below the tree tops when you drop on the runway, running up engines and checking gauges. your load. (I spoke from recent experience, having tried With our weapons and a full load of fuel, our little birds to throw napalm cans into a cave on the side of Nui Ba weighed approximately 12,000 pounds. With this heavy Dinh [Black Virgin] Mountain near Tay Ninh City.) load taking off on a hot humid day, we turned off the air conditioning to ensure we had every bit of thrust our We headed north to the entry point. The FAC went little bird could muster. in first and asked us to follow when he had reacquired the target and was ready to mark it with a “Willy Pete” We took off singly and headed north-northwest. My (white phosphorus) rocket.We rolled into the hole in the wingman joined on me quickly, and after a check of each clouds and headed south. We found Rash 17 in a tight other’s aircraft I fishtailed, the signal for him to drop back circle. He fired his rocket, and told us to hit it and cleared in trail formation. As we went through 10,000 feet, we us “in hot. ” I was first. I skirted the bottom of the clouds turned our air conditioning back on. We climbed up to Friends Journal • Fall 2014

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Snake and Nape: A-37 Mission over Cambodia

to get as high as possible so the fuse would have as much time as possible to arm. Ground fire started, light and inaccurate. I dropped one Mark 82 and pulled up hard looking for the protection of the clouds. As I cleared the clouds, my wingman reported he was coming up through the clouds. He found me quickly and pulled into trail formation. I reported to Rash 17 that we were headed back down through the opening.

Three more times we went into the hole and turned south. Each time Rash was there in a tight turn, hosing down the bad guys to protect us. We fired our 7.62 mm Gatling gun in hopes it would discourage the bad guys.

We were getting secondary explosions, indicating we had found some of the mortars and other explosives the bad guys had brought. On the last pass, we dropped the rest of our ordnance, and Rash 17 followed us back up through the clouds. He contacted the Army guys and reported that it appeared the attack had been broken.

Later on we learned the enemy had left and the Army guys were extracted.

Hoa. We climbed above 25,000 feet and shut down one engine to conserve fuel. We were authorized to take both steps if we were low on fuel but were not required to declare an emergency. The trip back to Bien Hoa was uneventful. We each had somewhere between 300-400 pounds of fuel when we landed.When the A-37 was that light, it did not want to land.

When we returned to the squadron building, we learned that Russ Voris had died—he was the Hawk that went down. He and Mish had been attacking a suspected antiaircraft gun site approximately 20 nautical miles from where we were operating. Russ was hit on his second pass. He ejected but his chute did not open. The A-37 retained T-37 ejection seats which required 100 feet of altitude and 100 knots of speed. Russ probably had the speed, but not the altitude. His body was recovered by an Army helicopter and flown to Tay Ninh City.

That night I had command post duty. During a break I walked down to the intelligence office.They had pictures of Russ’s airplane and him lying on a dusty road near Kratie, Cambodia. I went to my room in the 604th hooch when I got off duty. I made an entry in my diary, sent my love to my wife and daughter, and thanked God that it wasn’t my turn. It is a fool’s errand to try to fathom how war selects who to injure or kill. It just wasn’t my turn.

Stephen (“Steve”) Brandt was graduated from Bowling Green State University in June 1968 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the USAF. Brandt started pilot training at Laughlin AFB, TX shortly after July 4, 1968. He USAF graduated from pilot training a year later and was assigned to England AFB, LA for transition training in the A-37. After his return from Vietnam, he transitioned to KC135 tanker aircraft and finished his A-37 on a mission over Cambodia, hitting sanctuaries. active duty obligation at Westover AFB, MA. After leaving active duty, he joined an Air Reserve As we climbed out, we heard a broadcast over the Guard unit at Youngstown Municipal Airport, OH flying the A-37 channel about an aircraft down near Kratie. I heard again. In the fall of 1973 he began law school at The Ohio State enough of the conversation to know it was a Hawk in University. He graduated in December 1975 and passed the trouble, but I didn’t know who. I turned in that direction February 1976 Ohio Bar exam. He has practiced law in Ohio and inquired if we could be of assistance. But my since then. He and Jeanne have a daughter, Gretchen, and two wingman reported that he was near “bingo” fuel—the sons, Christian and Wilfred. Steve and Jeanne recently returned level at which we were required to return to base—and from a two-week excursion through Vietnam and Cambodia. we were told our help was not needed.

The Air Force awarded Brandt the Distinguished Flying Cross Finally we turned to the southeast to return to Bien for this mission.

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Friends Journal • Fall 2014