[SpeedyInTexas]

“The Forward Air Controllers “

I worked with a guy who was a FAC in Vietnam. It was some slow plane. He said Viets would target the FAC because if it was shot down, the air attack would end.

I always admired that guy.

[FtrPilot]

The Vietnam "Slow" FACs would have flown:

O-1 Bird Dog

O-2 Skymaster...Sometimes called Push Me Pull You or Suck & Blow:

Or, later in the war an OV-10 Bronco

I know quite a few pilots who flew these aircraft in Vietnam.

The FACs would search for ground activity and then vector the Fighters to drop bombs on the target. The FACs would mark the target with Willy Pete (white phosphorus) rockets.

In the Vietnam version of "Droned", FACs would often carry empty mayonnaise jars and hand grenades. They would pull the pin and carefully place the armed grenade into the mayonnaise jar. When dropped out the window, the mayonnaise jar would break when hitting the ground and the grenade would explode several seconds later.