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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   Three enemy MiGs swooped low beneath               DPLVVLOHµ                                           VTXDGURQ IOHZ WKH 0D\   VRUWLH     EHWZHHQDQGIHHWDWRYHUPLOHV
him, screaming out to intercept the U.S.                                                                    DJDLQVW .HS $LU )LHOG WKDW SLWWHG KLP     SHUKRXU
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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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he was tasked to defend them at all cost. He          WKHGLVWDQFHZLWKWKH0L*DVKHVZLWFKHG             DFURVVWKHIURQWRIWKH0L*µ/RUGVDLG´7KH   KDUGZLWKKLPDQGOLQHGKLPXSDVORQJDV
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-
its cockpit tumbling forward, blown away              JUDPZKHUHKHVSHQWQLQHPRQWKVDERDUG
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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