100 Missions Surviving Vietnam

[Simpo Two]

Smithsonian Channel (Freeview 56) on now. Everybody knows about WW2, not so Vietnam, the forgotten war.

If you completed 100 missions you could go home.

[Riley Blue]

The Korean War was the 'forgotten war' wasn't it?

[IforB]

With the number of films and TV series made about Vietnam, I wouldn't call it forgotten.

Korea would definitely come under that banner for me (though technically it wasn't a war.)

[Eric Mc]

Riley Blue said:

The Korean War was the 'forgotten war' wasn't it?

I've forgotten.

[Eric Mc]

IforB said:

With the number of films and TV series made about Vietnam, I wouldn't call it forgotten.

Korea would definitely come under that banner for me (though technically it wasn't a war.)

I agree. Vietnam is the war the US would LIKE to forget - but can't.

[Ayahuasca]

Friend of mine is a Vietnam veteran, he was a Green Beret Lieutenant Colonel, spent time in Laos with SOG and then commanded the river boat section for a while. I asked him about it, expecting the standard ‘it was hell’ cliché but on the contrary, it said he had a great time !

In his 80s now, but must have been a scary dude in his youth.

[Yertis]

I thought the Burma campaign was ‘The Forgotten War’.

[Eric Mc]

Nobody can remember which war is "The Forgotten War"

In fact, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of wars and conflicts which are not well known about. I wouldn't really put the Vietnam War into that category.

[john2443]

Simpo Two said:

If you completed 100 missions you could go home.

Did anyone achieve 100 though!

[Eric Mc]

john2443 said:

Did anyone achieve 100 though!

Plenty.

The environment in Vietnam was not as dangerous as over Germany in 1942/43.

Initially, the US had pretty much a free run on air operations - the main danger being low level; small arms fire. As the war progressed, North Vietnamese air defences improved - especially with radar laying of anti-aircraft guns and SAM 2 ground to air missiles. The US countered with "Wild Weasel" radar suppression missions.

Also, the air war in Vietnam went through a number of different phases, with the bombing of North Vietnam itself being an on-again/off-again series of operations.

Most air sorties were actually against Viet Cong positions "up country" in South Vietnam and the bombing of the Ho Chi Minh trail (which included the illegal bombing of Cambodia - which had no air defences of note).

[frodo_monkey]

I can recommend very highly “When Thunder Rolled” by Ed Rasimus. If there’s a better account of going downtown in Route Pack VI in a Thud, I’d like to read it...

[RicksAlfas]

frodo_monkey said:

I can recommend very highly “When Thunder Rolled” by Ed Rasimus. If there’s a better account of going downtown in Route Pack VI in a Thud, I’d like to read it...

Agreed. A very good book. He's featured in the programme quite a bit, along with Colonel Robin Olds who had quite a career:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Olds

[Eric Mc]

RicksAlfas said:

Agreed. A very good book. He's featured in the programme quite a bit, along with Colonel Robin Olds who had quite a career:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Olds

I watched this talk by Robin Olds' daughter a while ago. It was very good -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwBK0a3n658

[RicksAlfas]

Thanks Eric. Started watching that this lunchtime. Very interesting.
Have you read the book?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fighter-Pilot-Robin-Olds-...

[Eric Mc]

I think I did, many years ago.

[Elroy Blue]

100 missions North and Thud ridge are excellent.

Thud Ridge was written by Jack Broughton whose illustrious career was ended when they hid gun camera film of a shoot up of a Russian freighter in Haiphong harbour.

[Eric Mc]

Read that book - very good too.

[frodo_monkey]

Seconded on the Robin Olds bio. If you’re interested in that sort of thing, but not necessarily Vietnam-based, I would also thoroughly commend John Boyd’s biography. Essential reading if you have a passing interest in aviation or, like me, a professional interest in putting warheads on foreheads.

[Countdown]

Simpo Two said:

Smithsonian Channel (Freeview 56) on now. Everybody knows about WW2, not so Vietnam, the forgotten war.

If you completed 100 missions you could go home.

Slightly O/T but wasn't it only 30 missions in WW2 for USAF crews? Pretty sure that was the goal in Memphis Belle

[Simpo Two]

Countdown said:

Simpo Two said:

Smithsonian Channel (Freeview 56) on now. Everybody knows about WW2, not so Vietnam, the forgotten war.

If you completed 100 missions you could go home.

Slightly O/T but wasn't it only 30 missions in WW2 for USAF crews? Pretty sure that was the goal in Memphis Belle

Sounds familiar, but the war over Germany was more hazardous. IIRC the RAF also had 'tours' of 30 sorties but you could do more than one tour.