My best memory of it was standing on the flight line when a pair of them took off in formation. The ground shook and my ears rang for hours afterwards. It was one of the most incredible displays of raw power I have ever seen.
My third best Phantom memory was of 250lb & 500lb bombs they dropped and the expanding condensation domes caused by the shock waves.
My second best memory of the F-4 was one making a 20mm gun run using his Vulcan on an NVA position we were assaulting. The Phantom was dropping 20mm brass all over us. Made us thankful that we had helmets & flak vests... and really, really glad that something like that was not strafing us!
The wildest memory was the day an F-4 made a dry run over us, looking for an NVA mortar firing from a hidden pit. He came in from behind our lines and I remember thinking, “I hope he doesn’t make his LIVE run from that direction.”
Sure enough, a minute or two later we hear that special Phantom engine whine and looked behind us. There he was, about 75 feet off the deck and maybe 75 yards behind us, coming our way fast. He had just released 6 snake-eyes, probably 250 pounders. The fins had popped open, plus he’d released two canisters of napalm which were tumbling along.
We were in a little gully about 2 feet deep and immediately begin trying to burrow into the dirt (not that it really mattered!) All that ordnance sailed right over us and hit 40 or 50 yards or so in front, right on top of that NVA mortar.
Overkill, but it works for me...