The Great, Constantly Changing Picture Gallery

[Alpha_Echo_606]

01/03/2012
ROLL OUT
U.S. service members scramble for a personnel mission on Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, Dec. 29, 2011. The service members are assigned to the 26th and the 46th Expeditionary Rescue squadrons. From initial notification, the units have 15 minutes to be airborne and must have a patient to Camp Bastion within an hour. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. David Carbajal

 

[flaps]

VMFA-314 Hornet with two Japan Air Self-Defense Force Phantoms

and a black knight phantom

 

[Catmando]

A young acquaintance of mine from France publishes expensive hardbound 'comic' books about our air war over Vietnam. Go figure? Unfortunately for me they are all written in French, but the pictures are pretty awesome. This is the cover of his latest. Enjoy.
(Where's A4sForever when he's needed?)

 

[BusyBee604]

Unfortunately for me they are all written in French, but the pictures are pretty awesome.

View attachment 10444

AIR FORCES VIETNAM???

Can't decipher the French, but the A/C pictured are from my ol' CVW-14 (NK) on the '67 CONNIE Cruise. The cover depicts A-4C "Garfish 411" of the VA-55 "Warhorses" (CO, CDR Bob Kirksey). The Phantoms shown w/ callsign "Dakota", were from the VF-142 "Ghostriders (CO, CDR Robin McGlohn).

I recall that our Phantoms smoked 3 MIGs on that cruise.
BzB

 

[helolumpy]

BZB,
Do the names on the cover page (LTJG Wallace & ENS J L Cash) correspond to actual folks?

 

[BusyBee604]

BZB,
Do the names on the cover page (LTJG Wallace & ENS J L Cash) correspond to actual folks?

Do not recognize them...I knew all the VA-55/146 folks & many of - but not all VF-142/143 flight crews. Catmando might recognize them from NKX (Tho' it was about 4 years before his time)?
BzB

 

[Catmando]

BZB,
Do the names on the cover page (LTJG Wallace & ENS J L Cash) correspond to actual folks?

I don't believe so. I think those are fictional names for the story. Actually I think that they correspond to the writer's and the artist's two names. But the action was real: Operation Desoto, around 1967 and before my time.

While the first half of the book is comic-book style, with lots of action and good graphics, the 2nd half is really a treasure. It has many rare and historic photos of our guys in Vietnam, from ground pounders to flight crews, Navy and Marine aircraft, and ships involved, especially the Connie, and explanations of action.... in French. BZB might even be in one of the photos.... I will have to look.

ISBN 9782361180164
http://www.aerobuzz.fr/spip.php?article1803

 

[BusyBee604]

I don't believe so. I think those are fictional names for the story.

Agree, re: ENS J. L. Cash, one never found NA Ensigns in a fleet squadron back then (or now), as by the time they complete flight training, various schools & FRS...they are at or close to LT.

Back in the day I spent a year in my fleet squadron as one of six ENS NAs. That was just prior to FRS establishment in 1958.
BzB

 

[OUSOONER]

Maybe he's just a Frenchie who likes Johnny Cash?

 

[707guy]

Little background on these two shots. The T-Birds were getting firing up for a Saturday show. When #1's F-16 wouldn't start he walked over to the spare...and waited while they put his name and number on the aircraft before he manned the jet.

 

[Hozer]

Damn, even the ladder looks brand new.

 

[jmcquate]

Blue speed slacks........heh.

 

[zipmartin]

Agree, re: ENS J. L. Cash, one never found NA Ensigns in a fleet squadron back then (or now), as by the time they complete flight training, various schools & FRS...they are at or close to LT.

Back in the day I spent a year in my fleet squadron as one of six ENS NAs. That was just prior to FRS establishment in 1958.
BzB

My timing in the Training Command and the A-7 RAG was pretty good. Commissioned May '76, 5 weeks in the T-34B at Saufley, straight to T-2's in Kingsville in June '76, winged 7-22-77, finished the RAG at Cecil in March '78, must-pumped to the fleet a few days later to finish the last part of the cruise with VA-86 in June '78. Made LTJG while on cruise the first of June. About my only time off during that time was transient time during the moves.

 

[Wudgles]

Little background on these two shots. The T-Birds were getting firing up for a Saturday show. When #1's F-16 wouldn't start he walked over to the spare...and waited while they put his name and number on the aircraft before he manned the jet.

 

[scoolbubba]

Blue speed slacks........heh.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the blues still don't fly with g suits even after the beaufort crash, right?