The A-4 Skyhawk Was the Navy’s Best Little Bomber

On Aug. 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein’s army stormed into the tiny kingdom of Kuwait with 120,000 troops and 300 tanks. While the invasion certainly shocked the world, the Iraqis did not roll in completely unopposed. Among the first responders were Kuwaiti air force A-4KU Skyhawks, which took off under artillery bombardment and lashed out at the invaders.

By the time the little jets and their pilots evacuated Kuwait – some landed on highways after their bases were overrun – they had gunned down a third of the nine Iraqi helicopters reported destroyed, and wrecked an unknown number of Iraqi vehicles.

Small, nimble and simply built, the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk served the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps from 1956 onward for nearly 40 years. Built as a nuclear-attack capable light bomber, Skyhawks incurred the highest losses of any Navy aircraft during the Vietnam War.

My own experience went the other way: a bullet shattered my right leg, so when I finished my four years, the VA assigned me a 30% disability. After I had been out for over three years, the Corps sent me a form letter asking if I was interested in going to OCS.

After that 3 years in civilian life, I was hot to get back in - so I went to sign up fast. The only problem was that my leg hadn't really healed well and I had been turned down for the LAPD and other jobs because of it.

I passed all the written tests and the interviews and finally got to the physical. The OSO sent me downstairs to the medical folks which turned out to be the draft reception area in Los Angeles and the doctor was used to seeing draftees, not a volunteer. So he and I strike up a happy conversation and after talking for an hour or so it's getting close to closing time and he asked me what was wrong with me. I told him that I got shot in the leg. He asked "how is it now"? I said "fine" and I was back in for another 24 years! PFTs were interesting for a while but I always passed 'em First Class.

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