[I was fortunate... was hit over Haiphong.... Made it to the gulf....punched out and spent about 4 hours in my little rubber duckie bleeding like a stuck pig..... Thank God for the USAF Golly Green crews ( I was USN BTW)]
You have Russia to thank for your close shave. It supplied its latest fighter jets and SAM systems to North Vietnam and crews to operate some of those systems. An official Russian government website gloats:
True...... We knew who was flying the fighters..... I personally locked on to a Mig-21 and as soon as I had a tone , he ejected..... The Russians would mix it up with us.... I flew F-4’s..... got 2 Mig-17’s and a 21.... most air to air took about 20- 30 sec.... I got my 21 after 12 mins,, he damn here got me twice but he made a fatal flaw