Wow, it's been 20 years!

[A4sForever]

Based on our past conversations ...

We 'THINK' -- not 'know' w/ 100% certainty -- that HeyJoe & I joined up over the Red Sea one morning @ sunrise while coasting into Saudi. A section of SARATOGA F-14s came up/in close to say 'hello, fatso' and escort us the rest of the way to Al Jubail ...

It happened to both of us ... the timing was 'right'.

Him in an F-14 ...

Me in a WHALE ...

Small world, or what ... ???

 

[OnTopTime]

Based on our past conversations ...

We 'THINK' -- not 'know' w/ 100% certainty -- that HeyJoe & I joined up over the Red Sea one morning @ sunrise while coasting into Saudi. A section of SARATOGA F-14s came up/in close to say 'hello, fatso' and escort us the rest of the way to Al Jubail ...

It happened to both of us ... the timing was 'right'.

Him in an F-14 ...

Me in a WHALE ...

Small world, or what ... ???

Hey A4s-
Did you guys have to check in with Red Crown on your way back and forth? When I was flying SSC over the Red Sea out of Jeddah, we usually had one UHF radio tuned up to Yankee Sierra for tasking and reporting, and the other tuned to either Red Crown or Strike to try to get a better overall picture of what was going on.

 

[A4sForever]

Hey A4s-
Did you guys have to check in with Red Crown on your way back and forth?

Yes ... and it was the first time I'd heard/talked to "Red Crown" in @ 20 years. I had to give some of my crew members a little history brief on the origin of the 'call sign' and concept/operation of USN PIRAZ.

I think we were talkin' to the USS BIDDLE ... not certain, however.

 

[Schnugg]

Working up for deployment at Fallon when it started. Deployed on the Lincoln into the Gulf as cease fire was called. Still a pretty hot zone.

Pretty sure i took the picture below.

 

[SynixMan]

^^ Stuff like the above is why I love this place.

 

[letoburito23]

^^ Stuff like the above is why I love this place.

Amen.

 

[Pugs]

Pic I took coming off the tanker during an ODS mission.

 

[jmcquate]

Pic I took coming off the tanker during an ODS mission.

Nice curl on the Iron Maiden. Is that an 84 bird?

 

[Pugs]

Nice curl on the Iron Maiden. Is that an 84 bird?

I believe it's one VF-41 and two VF-84 birds - that configuration makes me think that this was a TARPS escort early since two fighters, a Prowler and the camera bird was a common package for that. Later when there was no air threat, as opposed to little, it was a Prowler, a TARPS and one shooter escort.

 

[MasterBates]

I was driving down the Mass Pike with my father bringing a load of JP from the Mellville, RI fuel depot to Westover AFB. During the buildup we were running trucks day and night, just basically driving up to C-whatevers, and offloading 12,000 gallons directly from the road tankers through a pump/filter truck into the Starlifiters, Hercs, and Galaxies.

We were listening to WBCN back when it was still a rock station, and the overnight DJ interrupted Aerosmith "Lightning Strikes" to break the news.

 

[Boomhower]

Yes ... and it was the first time I'd heard/talked to "Red Crown" in @ 20 years. I had to give some of my crew members a little history brief on the origin of the 'call sign' and concept/operation of USN PIRAZ.

I think we were talkin' to the USS BIDDLE ... not certain, however.

Forgive my ignorance, but what is the history behind the Red Crown callsign. Something tells me that I knew this at one point but have forgotten it. It had something to do with you 'Nam guys wanting to stop get shot at by your own ship, didn't it? Which, by the way, I consider to be a reasonable request.

On a side note: A4's is close to having over 9,000 posts.

 

[SynixMan]

Good start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PIRAZ

 

[BusyBee604]

Red Crown

Good start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PIRAZ

Had a unique and unplanned visit to "Red Crown" on Yankee Station on 06/25/66. An A-6 crew and I were down in the vicinity of Vinh that morning. The RANGER Helo picked up the A-6 driver but could not find his B/N, so came and picked me up then continued the search until fuel became critical. "Grey Eagle" sent us to Red Crown to Hover Refuel so we could continue the search for the B/N.

In hover over the DDG (name unknown), they dropped LCDR Weber and myself onto the deck for a 30-minute visit with the Destroyer crew. It was great, the Captain greeted us with hot coffee in the wardroom, then took us out for a meet & greet with the crew. It was great as the Sailors were really excited to be even a small (but important) part of the rescue. Then we were called back on deck, hoisted into the helo (SH-3A) and up, up and away. Their refueling efforts gave us another 2 hours of search time before dark and return to our bird farm. Unfortunately, the B/N was never found and was later declared KIA.

Red Crown must have been a pretty boring mission for a fighting ship, patrolling in circles & racetracks for days on end; however, they rescued many Navy & Air Force pilots and crewmen over the course of the NVN air war. They were darn sure happy to see us in one piece! :icon_zbee
BzB

 

[Catmando]

Red Crown

My RIO and I spent 2 nights aboard the USS Truxton (CGN 35) while she was acting as PIRAZ/"Red Crown" not very far from Haiphong.

We were treated like kings! And it was a very "informative" trip, with new-to-us intel we could and did use later, effectively.

In the short time she was on station, the Truxton directed intercepts splashing 11 MiGs, and rescued three aircrew. And they were attacked at least once that I know of.
They all were pretty busy and excited, and they did a heck of a job!

 

[SynixMan]

So in my quick research about PIRAZ, the Destroyers/Cruisers seemed to be doing what a Hawkeye does now for the battle group. Why were these surface assets used as opposed to an E-1/E-2 on station? Did the early radar on the E-1/E-2 just not have the ability to track and coordinate at that level?