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To: Unam Sanctam

Three months later, McCain was on his 23rd bombing mission over North Vietnam when a surface-to-air missile struck his A-4 attack jet. He was flying 3,000 feet above Hanoi.

A then-secret report issued in 1967 by McCain’s squadron said the aviators had learned to stay at an altitude of 4,000 to 10,000 feet in heavy surface-to-air missile environments and look for approaching missiles.

“Once the SAM was visually acquired, it was relatively easy to outmaneuver it by a diving maneuver followed by a high-G pull-up. The critical problem comes during multiple SA-II attacks (6-12 missiles), when it is not possible to see or maneuver with each missile.”

The American aircraft had instruments that warned pilots with a certain tone when North Vietnamese radar tracked them and another tone when a missile locked on them.

In his autobiography, McCain said 22 missiles were fired at his squadron that day. “I knew I should roll out and fly evasive maneuvers, ‘jinking,’ in fliers’ parlance, when I heard the tone,” he wrote. But, he said, he continued on and released his bombs. Then a missile blew off his right wing.

Vietnam veterans said McCain did exactly what they did on almost every mission.

Frank Tullo, an Air Force pilot who flew 100 missions over North Vietnam, said his missile warning receiverconstantly sounded in his cockpit.

“Nobody broke off on a bombing run,” said Tullo, later a commercial pilot and now an accident investigation instructor at USC. “It was a matter of manhood.”


15 posted on 10/06/2008 1:30:23 PM PDT by jessduntno (Good Grief.)
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To: jessduntno
“Nobody broke off on a bombing run,” said Tullo, later a commercial pilot and now an accident investigation instructor at USC. “It was a matter of manhood.”

It was IIRC the raid on Ploesti(sp?). A pilot describes the most harrowing AA and ground fire of his career and, possibly, of the entire war, as he runs low and slow to the primary target. I couldn't believe he made it any where NEAR his objective through such an unthinkable maelstrom. At the critical moment however smoke or cloud obscured the target. The pilot breaks off and heads for his secondary. As he does so he sees the cover drifting off of the primary target....AND HE TURNS AROUND AND DOES A SECOND RUN UP THE SAME HELLACIOUS CHANNEL.

I was reading it in the comfort of my home fifty years after the fact and it dried all the spit in my mouth and put the fear of God into me.

100 posted on 10/06/2008 2:43:09 PM PDT by TalBlack
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