This page is dedicated to all the pilots and crews of the
United States Air Force
who were always there with high altitude and close
air support when the call was sounded
and to my adopted POW/MIA
Colonel Patrick Fallon - USAF
Missing in Action
4 July 1969
Honoring This Site
Awarded November 23, 1997
Thank You For The Honor
Honoring This Site
Awarded December 8, 1997
Thank You For The Honor
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctitiy of space
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God
"John Gillespie Magee"
U.S. Air Force Combat Casualties
1961 - 1973
Vietnam Conflict
1,741 Killed in Action
931 Wounded in Action
Killed in Action Breakdown:
1,445 were fixed-wing air pilots and crewmen
76 were helicopter pilots and crewmen
164 were ground personnel
56 were assorted support personnel
Medal of Honor Recipients - USAF
12
U.S. Air Force Aces
1
Chronological Happenings
United States Air Force
Vietnam Conflict
1954 thru 1973
FRENCH INDOCHINA WAR
13 March - 8 May 1954
In the Battle of Dien Bien Phu,
3 USAF mechanics are captured by the
Viet Minh, but released after the battle
5 October 1961
507th Tactical Control Group Detachment
becomes operational, signaling the first
U. S. Air Force involvement.
4400 CCTS/ 1st Air Commando Group
follows shortly thereafter
15 November 1961
USAF 2nd Advanced Echelon,
later designated Division, is activated
in Bien Hoa
24 December 1964
"Operation Barrel Roll" commences,
USAF begins strikes in Laos
8 February 1965
USAF performs it's first retaliatory air strike
on the North Vietnamese Army (NVA)
2 March 1965
"Operation Rolling Thunder" commences
Massive air strikes and raids on the NVA
take place
NOTE
By the end of 1965, 171 U.S. aircraft are lost,
and Captain Hayden J. Lockhart becomes
the first Air Force pilot to be taken prisoner
by the North Vietnamese
3-5 April 1965
United States planes are attacked by the
North Vietnamese Air Force for the first time
17 June 1965
"Operation Arc Light" commences
Under the aegis of SAC, B-52's fly from Guam
to begin bombing raids in South Vietnam, later
extended throughout Indochina
10 July 1965
Two F-4C crews down 2 MIG-17's in the first
U.S. Air Force air-to-air victories in Vietnam
2 December 1966
Single day record of 8 U.S. planes downed in
the Hanoi area, North Vietnam
2 January 1967
In the biggest aerial dual of the Vietnam war,
the U.S. Air Force downs 7 Communist MIG-21's
over the Red Delta River, North Vietnam
13 May 1967
The 8th TFW also downs 7 MIG-21's
11 March 1968
Lima Site 85 in Laos is overrun by the NVA.
12 USAF technicians are Killed in Action on
Phou Pha Thi Mountain
31 October 1968
"Operation Rolling Thunder" terminated
U.S. Losses:
922 aircraft
24 February 1969
Sgt. John Levitow becomes the first Air Force
enlisted man to win the Medal of Honor since
World War II
18 March 1969
"Operation Breakfast" commences
During a 14 month period ending in
April 1970, B-52 strikes called "Menu"
bombings were conducted inside Cambodia
4 July 1969
My adopted POW/MIA
is shot down as was his wing man
Coordinates
191700N - 1030600E
(UG004331)
On 4 July 1969, Col. Fallon and another A-1 pilot were ordered to
check out enemy activity near the town of Xiangkhoang at the edge
of the Plain of Jars in Northern Laos.
The flight was led by Col. Fallon, call sign "Firefly 26", and his
wingman, "Firefly 27".
Col. Fallon took his plane down low to observe the Pathet Lao
positions, circled and came back for another pass.
Col. Fallons plane was hit by enemy ground fire while flying
only about 100 feet above ground, but Fallon bailed out.
Col. Fallon reached the ground safely between two 4500 foot ridges.
Pathet Lao troops and machine gun emplacements were on both
ridges, making it difficult for Fallon to move.
Col. Fallon's wingman called for assistance and rescue teams, and
tried to give Col. Fallon some cover fire.
"Firefly 27" was also hit, but continued to lay protective fire until
he was forced to leave the immediate area.
"Fire fly 27" was in trouble, and subseqently made a crash
landing across the border in Thailand.
Col. Fallon maintained radio contact with the planes above,
but they were unable to rescue him because of intense ground
fire from large numbers of Pathet Lao troops.
The troops were converging on Col. Fallon, and his last transmission
received was .... "Put it all around me, I'm hit"
21 November 1970
A major raid takes place on the
Son Tay POW camp ....
39 airmen participate
10 December 1971
In the heaviest single-day loss since
December 1966, three US F- 4 Phantom
jets are shot down over Noethern Laos
and North Vietnam ..... One more F- 4 is
shot down on the 19th
17 February 1972
Three U.S. planes are shot down by enemy
surface-to-air missiles during the 29 hour
"limited duration" bombing of North Vietnam
6 - 9 April 1972
U.S. planes fly over 225 missions, pounding
NVA troops and missile emplacements above
and below the DMZ ....
2 U.S. planes are downed by SAM-2 missiles
7 May 1972
U.S. jets battle 5 Mig's and shoot down 1 just
North of the DMZ in the biggest battle in
Indochina in 3 years
10 May 1972
"Operation Linebacker 1" commences.
3 U.S. planes are lost as 150 - 175 U.S.
aircraft hit their targets over the Hanoi area and
Haiphong Harbor
2 September 1972
In air battles that took place during the
Spring Offensive, 47 Mig's are shot down and
18 U.S. planes are downed
18 - 29 December 1972
"Operation Linebacker 11" commences.
("Christmas Bombing")
This was the most concentrated air
offensive of the war.
U.S. aircraft drop more than 40,000 tons of
bombs over Hanoi and Haiphong.
15 B-52's, and 12 other U.S. aircraft are
lost, along with 43 fliers Killed in Action,
and 41 taken POW
9 February - 15 August 1973
Units of the 7th Air Force based in
Thailand, as well as the 43rd Strategic
Wing on Guam, fly missions over Cambodia,
concluding the following:
"Operation Arc Light"
and
"Operation Freedom Deal"
12 - 17 February 1973
"Operation Homecoming" commences.
The first of 325 airmen POW's are released
29 March 1973
The last known 67 POW's are released
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