50 years ago.

[T Bone]

I stumbled on this picture of my father from 50 years ago.

He was a USAF pilot in South East Asia.

3 months after this photo was taken, he was shot down and declared Missing In Action.

He was recovered safe and mostly sound.

I will go to my cushy job today and be happy, while being thankful for all I have.

 

[timberman56]

never got to meet my dad's brother, KIA WWll. thanks to all who have served and sacrificed

 

[noharleyyet]

Cool pic T.

 

[teej89]

Cool share man! Vietnam was as tough time, my dad still won't talk about it to this day.

 

[T Bone]

Cool share man! Vietnam was as tough time, my dad still won't talk about it to this day.

It was a mess of a war. The darkest part was the reception many received when returning home.

 

[hank4elk]

I was there a couple years later.

 

[elkduds]

Hats off to all who gave some, some who gave all during the VN era. Your reception @ home was atrocious, especially considering the injuries, internal and external, so many of you endured. I hope you have found healing and some peace w the passing decades, you all deserve that and much more.

 

[Straight Arrow]

There I was, wearing strac Army tan uniform, glistening aviator wings on my puffed up chest striding through SeaTac airport back stateside after my first tour ... when the derogatory accusations were spit my way almost as unpleasantly as the accompanying lougee. 'Could not reach a bathroom quickly enough to change into my Montana jeans and tee shirt.
But for you unaware, Vietnam south and north of the DMZ have embraced the political economic capitalistic philosophy tightly and the state of that nation is more closely aligned with western capitalism than communism. It was a few short years ago that South Vietnam had the most new golf course start-ups of any nation globally. News flash: We won that war!
That's all I have to say about that! Straight Arrow, AKA Big Kahuna 590 / Wicked Escort 540

Downtown Qui Nhon circa 1969


Downtown Qui Nhon 2019

 

[Straight Arrow]

I stumbled on this picture of my father from 50 years ago.

He was a USAF pilot in South East Asia.

3 months after this photo was taken, he was shot down and declared Missing In Action.

He was recovered safe and mostly sound.

I will go to my cushy job today and be happy, while being thankful for all I have.View attachment 127881

T Bone, give your dad a warm hug and grateful greetings to a winged warrior from a rotor-head grunt.

 

[pabearhunter]

I wonder what a shau valley looks like today.

 

[mdeerjunkie]

A big thanks your father and to all who put there life in danger every day so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have. Sadly, Many of them never receive the thanks they deserve.

 

[tarheel]

I stumbled on this picture of my father from 50 years ago.

He was a USAF pilot in South East Asia.

3 months after this photo was taken, he was shot down and declared Missing In Action.

He was recovered safe and mostly sound.

I will go to my cushy job today and be happy, while being thankful for all I have.View attachment 127881

Those guys who were up there loitering around in the Bronco's and OV-i's and also lightweights had a big set. One of my classmates was a Bronco driver also, and then migrated to the F-111. Welcome home flyboy!

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I wonder what a shau valley looks like today.

Probably could give it a look on google... I know there are a couple tributaries of the Mekong river ( I think in Laos) that are massive party rivers with hordes of people drinking and tubing, reminiscent of the Madison in Bozeman. My sister and all her friends did a Vietnam/Laos/Thailand trip after college.

So yeah it's now a cool college spring break scene.

---------------------------

Thank you to all that served.

 

[Big Fin]

How cool is that. Give your Dad my greatest Thanks.

 

[JohnCushman]

My dad is also a Viet Nam veteran. He doesn't talk much about it.

 

[cowboy]

My dad is also a Viet Nam veteran. He doesn't talk much about it.

Don't blame him. Sometimes it's best to try and not bring up those times.

 

[JohnCushman]

Don't blame him. Sometimes it's best to try and not bring up those times.

Since I did a couple of combat tours in my career I totally understand that.

 

[cowboy]

Since I did a couple of combat tours in my career I totally understand that.

Things were different then. We still had the draft that made men out of boys - you had no choice. I went to a small engineering college that it was mandatory ROTC (Army) back then for your first 2 years. You could then choose to get out and just be a student or "go advanced" for your last 2 years of school and then go active duty as a 2nd Lt.. You just never questioned what was right or wrong - you just followed orders and carried them out without ever questioning them - politics be damned. It never helped that those that were over there had to come home to the negative reception that was received - no thanks to the Hanoi Jane type Hollywood figures.
Your dad probably saw things that it was best to try not remember and all of us lost way too many buds that left this world way too early.

 

[sharpshooter97]

T bone please give your dad my sincerest thanks for his service and a warm welcome home. Straight Arrow, I'm sorry for what you had to go through coming home, adjusting back to life here after a deployment is hard, I can't imagine the struggle after putting up with that. So from a fellow rotor head grunt (CH-47 maintainer) welcome home and thanks for all you did.

 

[T Bone]

I'm amazed at how regular it was for FAC aircraft to get shredded. Very ordinary daily thing.

12.7 mm that burned his cheek and started a small fire in the cockpit.