Jets

[39mto39g]

We landed in an open area and made for a tree with an APC next to it. (Kontum) The APC had about 500 dings from small arms in it, I thought maybe this is not a good place, The whole area was being lite up with (there) mortars. This went on for what seemed to be an hour, Then small arms fire from a tree line about 2-300 meters away. My Lt called mortars and arty and the small arms fire just kept comming, Lt called BN for napalm, (jets) . About 20 min. I get a call Wiskey wiskey alpha leader 76 over. 76 was my Lt. I answer Roger wiskey leader go ahead over. Wisky wisky leader inbound your location heavy. Huh? I said roger and would you like smoke, he said yes and that they were 1 mike out from the north east. So we poped smoke and started to look for a jet. Wiskey leader 76 mike smoke poped over, Wiskey leader have smoke (yellow) over, conferm yellow smoke, drop in tree line to our south.
Now we are looking north east and nothing, all of a sudden this big black thing came over us about 75 feet off the ground at around 6-700 mph( behind us) Scarred the crapp out of us. (I thought it was a rocket) he turned left and went straight up. While this was happening and all eyes were on this jet going straight up another one came in at tree top and the tree line erupted in a huge ball of fire that you could feel 300 meters away.
Wiskey wiskey leader 76 over, Roger wisky leader on target.
Wiskey wiskey leader Roger, out.
Didn't know where he came from, or how many there were, or where they went after, Who ever Wiskey, Wiskey is, Thanks.
76 mike

Ron

[Bill Farnie]

Ron,

Jets GOOD
Napalm GOOD
Bombs GOOD
500 dings from small arms NO GOOD

When we called for an airstrike the FAC used to show up before the jets. He would determine the exact location of friendly units and the proximity of the enemy forces. When the jets showed up the FAC would brief them and fire a marking rocket where he wanted them to drop their load. I was always happy the see that little bird cause I knew the big boys weren't far behind.

[catman]

I think the most fear I ever faced was two days into the ground war (Desert Storm). We had been moving all day and stopped to fire. After rounds complete, we were just standing around awaiting further orders when a flight of 4 A-10's came roaring low over head (150 feet), dropped three or four flares each and banked around for a run on our position. To this day I do not know who or what called them off but I would love to buy that guy a beer!

Trav

[BLUEHAWK]

Yeah, jets... especially ours

[revwardoc]

My bro-in-law, a Marine VN combat vet, told me that he used to rag on the AF all the time when he was there, telling them not to worry about big, bad charlie 'cause the Marines would protect them. Until, that is, the day his patrol was pinned down by mortar and small arms fire and started taking casualties. They called in for air support and, a few minutes later, he looked over his shoulder at what appeared to be 2 little dots in the sky that quickly got bigger and bigger. Two F-4's roared over head and first dropped some napalm then returned with rocket fire and cleared the hill. It wasn't until they left that he saw the USAF logo on the fuselage and that's how he learned to stop worrying and love the AF. But he still calls me flyboy.

[39mto39g]

Sometimes, normal operations don't quite fit emergency operations. The jets didn't wait for the FAC, which by the way, I am thankful for. You are correct though, in normal operations a small plane or chopper would mark with smoke rocket. and comunicate with jets on nature and condition of what there was on the ground.
Sometimes ya just go around that stuff and put the metal on the flesh.

Ron

[Bill Farnie]

Ron,
Hear ya lima charlie. Ya need it when ya need it and ya need it NOW!!

Bill

[Seascamp]

Bar none, and all inclusive, my favorite Jet wasn?t even a Jet. It was the A1 Sky Raider. It was a virtual flying ordinance dump truck, very accurate and an excellent aircraft for combined forces operations. The Phantom/F-4 was loud and impressive as all hell and when on a run, right down on the deck at 250 knots, it was is enough to make anyone at ground level duck or pray or both. Bomb accuracy wasn?t so good so it was always prudent to have them set up their run parallel to your position, not perpendicular. And of course those Phantom Jet Jocks loved to screw around and ?boom? the Navy. They?d come right over us right down on the deck; light the wick, and ?booooooooom?. I?m still looking for an AF guy to get me some payback over all that booming going on. Hey Blue, didn?t you say something about being in the AF at the time? Did you work on Phantoms? Hmmm?

Scamp

[39mto39g]

F4 were proof that a rock will fly if you strap enough horse power on it. I liked the A-4 , You could make eye contact with the pilot.

Todays jets, I'll take a A-10.

Ron