Good Morning...A new generation of "ace" [Archive]

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Okla-homey

8/28/2007, 05:55 AM

August 28, 1972: U.S. Air Force gets its first ace since Korean War

http://aycu28.webshots.com/image/26707/2000071807122754710_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2000071807122754710)
Ritchie and DeBellevue flying "Oyster 23" on this day in 1972 when they smoked their fifth Gook MiG-21.

35 years ago today, the U.S. Air Force gets its first ace (a designation traditionally awarded for five enemy aircraft confirmed shot down) since the Korean War.

http://aycu20.webshots.com/image/26659/2000093795676920211_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2000093795676920211)

Captain Richard S. (Steve) Ritchie, flying with his "backseater" (radar intercept officer), Captain Charles B. (Chuck) DeBellevue, in an F-4G out of Udorn Air Base in Thailand, shoots down his fifth MiG near Hanoi.

Two weeks later, Captain DeBellevue, flying with Captain John A. Madden, Jr., shot down his fifth and sixth MiGs. The U.S. Navy already had two aces, Lieutenants Randall "Duke" Cunningham* and Bill Driscoll.

http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/26126/2000058294450003599_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2000058294450003599)
Chuck DeBellevue

By this time in the war, there was only one U.S. fighter-bomber base left in South Vietnam at Bien Hoa. The rest of the air support was provided by aircraft flying from aircraft carriers or U.S. bases in Thailand.

http://aycu36.webshots.com/image/27355/2000060494648171081_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2000060494648171081)
McDonnell-Douglas F-4G Phantom II

Incidentally, if you dig air combat, you really should check out the "Dogfights" series on the History Channel. Cool interviews and narrations by surviving aces laid over outstanding CGI recreations of their fights.

http://www.history.com/minisites/dogfights/

*Randy "Duke" Cunningham is also a disgraced former Congressman from CA now doing time in federal prison for accepting bribes...proving the fact that naval aviators are not to be trusted.;)

http://aycu28.webshots.com/image/26707/2000078311972091488_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2000078311972091488)

Okieflyer

8/28/2007, 07:33 AM

Great story.

I actually used to work on this Phantom. That was when it was at Homestead AFB, Fl. It was simply refered to as the "Mig killer".

The 309th.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/usaf/images/309fs.gif

dolemitesooner

8/28/2007, 07:49 AM

iS THIS WHAT THE MOVIE TOP GUN IS ABOUT???

sooner_born_1960

8/28/2007, 07:53 AM

iS THIS WHAT THE MOVIE TOP GUN IS ABOUT???
Homey's lesson this morning is about F-4's. Top Gun was about F-14's.
Homey's lesson is about Air Force pilots. Top Gun was about Navy pilots.
Home's lesson is about the Vietnam era. Top gun was, well, later.
Other than that, it's exactly like Top Gun.

SoonerBorn68

8/28/2007, 08:01 AM

Great read Homey. And, I've got every episode of Dogfights on my TiVo. Greatest series evar!

SoonerStormchaser

8/28/2007, 08:29 AM

Homey...that's what I wanted to post that one time the wife called...except about Debellevue. AAARGH!

Edit:
Col. Debellevue is a close friend of the family...and lives in an undisclosed suburb of Oklahoma City. In fact, here's a pic of him at my and Carolyn's wedding in January (talking to some of my Lt. buddies).

SoonerStormchaser

8/28/2007, 08:34 AM

Homey's lesson this morning is about F-4's. Top Gun was about F-14's.
Homey's lesson is about Air Force pilots. Top Gun was about Navy pilots.
Home's lesson is about the Vietnam era. Top gun was, well, later.
Other than that, it's exactly like Top Gun.

No, although Tom Skerrit's character from that movie was loosely based on Duke Cunningham.

SoonerJack

8/28/2007, 10:19 AM

And I have it on good faith that naval aviators ARE to be trusted (my brother is retired naval air) AND he was on the USS Enterprise when the filmed Top Gun. You can see his profile of Wiley awesomeness in the opening deck scenes. He served as the launch officer during that tour.

stoopified

8/28/2007, 01:28 PM