Page 6 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt 11-6-15
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Nov. 6, 2015 Veteran Spotlight Thunderbolt
http://www.luke.af.mil
6 www.aerotechnews.com/lukeafb
‘Gunfighter’ vet shares AF past
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loading their payload of explosives on Kep DQG LQYRNH WKH ZHDSRQ IRU ZKLFK WKH ) ´2QHRIWKHWKLQJVZHZHUHEULHIHGRQZDV
Air Field in North Vietnam. Flying in F-8 ZDVQLFNQDPHG´7KH/DVWRIWKH*XQÀJKW- ´, ÀUHG P\ PLNHPLNHV P\ FDQQRQ WKDW WKH 0L* FRXOG WXUQ IDVWHU DW VORZHU
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quickly radioed his wingman, the leader of WRKLV&UXVDGHU·VPLOOLPHWHUFDQQRQ 0L*SLORWFOHDUO\VDZWKHWUDFHUVEHFDXVH , FRXOG DQG VWDUWHG VKRRWLQJ DW KLP , ZDV
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and swiftly maneuvered his F-8 to line up DQGEHFDPHDÀJKWHUSLORWWUDLQHGWR
a target. Moments later, an air-to-air mis- Á\)6XSHU6DEUHVVRPHWKLQJKHKDG 7KH 0L* GLYHG KDUG ´ULJKW GRZQ LQWR See GUNFIGHTER, Page 13
sile streaked out from beneath the aircraft, DOZD\V ZDQWHG WR GR HYHU VLQFH ZDWFKLQJ
and closed in on the targeted MiG until it 3 0XVWDQJV ODQG IURP KLV IURQW SRUFK
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MiG exploded, its wings falling away and LQWRWKH1DY\$LU)RUFHSLORWH[FKDQJHSUR-
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from the rest of the aircraft. Another MiG DQ DLUFUDIW FDUULHU %HIRUH WKLV KH ZDV LQ
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turned to escape the combat zone. ,QIDQWU\'LYLVLRQ
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