I was a F105D pilot in 562nd. Arrived Aug 28, 1965 and departed Nov 28, 1965. We were the last TDY sqdn. replaced by PCS guys. The day I arrived, I was told to set my gear next to a tree outside the O'club and go on down to the flight line and check in. When I came back that afternoon, there was a new open bay hooch by my bag and that is where I lived for 4 months of glorious flying.

I tried to stay on with the PCS guys for a consecutive tour but couldn't organize it. Went back to McConnell and when my CIA gig got lost in the mail, I joined TWA along with 18 (I think it was 18) other pilots who left USAF to go to various airlines.

The incoming guys were aghast that we were not filing DD175 flight plans when we bombed Hanoi. We just took on off, flew on up there, and went ahead and dropped our bombs. Didn't occur to any of us dunderheads to file a flight plan.

I wrote a couple a articles a few years back that have been published in some magazines. One about bailing out just before the aircraft blew up during refueling and another about a SAM Hunter Killer mission before the Wild Weasels came into being. Eight F105 were led to a SAM sight by a Navy A4 with a magical black box. Unfortunately Navy Lt. Comd. Powers was shot down over the target after doing a fantastic job of getting us to the target under very difficult circumstances.

Send me an email if you would like to see the articles.

garybarnhill@sbcglobal.net