In 1970 I watched these F4 variants as they were officially termed there take off and land at Kadena AFB. They were so secret we were not allowed to mention them. Whenever one took off there were dozens of locals with cameras at the fence. Nothing is as impressive in takeoff or landing.
Yeah I remember things so secret that one could not mention them but the whole of it was public knowledge like your picture takers (not all of which may have been local) ...
Kadena vet, 84-88. Saw the habu many times. Incredible.
I remember when there were “NO B-52s at Kadena”. Yet, the same fence and road had lots of photographers snapping photos when those non-existant B-52s took off.
We also refuled the SR-71 quite often. Back in 1968 and ‘69.