First time combat checkout ride full loaded 10,000lbs of munitions and engine quits at 200ft!

  

 

Skyraiders were angels of mercy in the Vietnam War.  The flew rescap (rescue) missions escorting the Jolly Greens to downed airmen in the jungle in enemy territory.  They went in and used their guns to kill any VC trying to get at the downed airman.  They continued harassing the VC until the Jolly Green lowered the rescue man with the jungle penetrator and lifted him out.

I was in base ops getting the next day's frag one day when a Jollly Green landed and one of our Thud pilots hopped out and came in.  He was grinning ear-to-ear and pulled out his 'go-tohell' hat (the jungle hat we all wore over there).  The Thud pilots would use a marker and put hash mark above the brim for each mission he had flown.  This pilot put his first hash mark on the hat and said, "Than God, I've only got 99 more to go."  Fighter pilots flew 100 mission and then went home.

I saw many heros over there.  One I had been introduced to.  Karl Richter.  He was a classmate of our OIC (Officer in charge) of the loading operations.  And one day Richter flew to Takhli for a visit and our OIC introduced him to our crew.

From Wiki...

Richter quickly became an exceptional fighter pilot, and took on every opportunity to fly. With only two years' Air Force experience and even less in combat, became an element leader. Once, while on leave, he turned down the possibility of a trip to Bangkok or Hong Kong and went instead to Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base where he flew combat missions in an O-1E Bird Dog.

On September 21, 1966, Richter was flying as Ford 03, an element leader, north of Haiphong on a mission to seek out SAM sites. Preparing to strike a site, he saw two MiG-17s making a pass. After assessing the situation, he began closing in on the enemy aircraft. He engaged a MiG with his 20mm cannon and impacted the enemy aircraft. Just as Richter's gun went empty, the MiG's wing broke off and he saw the MiG pilot eject.^[3]: 41 In a later comment, Richter noted "...It's strange, but, in a way, I was happy he got a good chute. I guess that's the thought that runs through all our minds. He's a jock like I am, flying for the enemy of course, but he's flying a plane, doing a job he has to do."^[2]: 158

At the age of 23, Karl Richter had become the youngest American pilot to shoot down a MiG over Vietnam. Richter went to Saigon to receive the personal congratulations of Lt. Gen. William W. Momyer, Seventh Air Force commander, and again at the personal invitation of Premier Nguyễn Cao Kỳ when he was awarded the Vietnamese Distinguished Service Medal.^[2]: 158

As he approached the 100-mission mark, Richter asked permission to fly a second 100 missions, believing his combat experience should be used to advance the war effort. On April 20, 1967, while leading a defense-suppression flight of F-105s, his flight destroyed or pinned down a number of enemy AAA and SAM crews, enabling the strike force to eliminate an important railroad target, in spite of intense enemy fire and weather that hindered navigation. Having already received the Silver Star, was awarded the Air Force Cross for his skill and heroism that day.^{[3]: 43 [1]}

Last mission

On July 28, 1967, flying with a new pilot, Richter spotted a bridge and instructed the trainee to stay above and watch as he rolled his F-105 toward the target. Suddenly, enemy anti-aircraft artillery opened up hitting the plane and forcing him to eject. His parachute disappeared into the fog bank and cloud cover. An F-100F Misty Forward Air Controller (FAC) was on scene, having listened as Richter ejected. Locating the approximate position of his landing, the Misty used RDF triangulation on Richter's emergency beeper to locate his exact position. The Misty FAC called for rescue forces and fighters for ground fire suppression. The Misty FAC remained on scene directing air strikes until A-1E Sandys and HH-3E Jolly Green Giants arrived. The Misty FAC turned over command to the Sandys and waited until the Jolly Greens effected a successful pick up. Richter's parachute had been blown onto a Karst outcrop, he was severely injured and succumbed to his injuries while being transported to the hospital.^{[2]: 156–7 [1]}

At the time of his death, Richter had flown more missions over North Vietnam than any other airman—198 in all officially credited.^[4]

Richter is buried at United States Air Force Academy Cemetery in Colorado Springs, Colorado. 

***

I found his name on The Wall on a trip to Washington some years ago.

So many brave men.  So many heroes.  It was a privilege to serve with them.

Noel