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Linebacker II 38-Year Anniversary Today

Catmando

Catmando

Keep your knots up.
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
On December 18, 1972 commenced the pivotal battle in the outcome of the Vietnam conflict. A date and a campaign unfortunately considered by many as a mere "footnote" to history. In fact, these 11 days brought about the end of America's involvement in Vietnam and the release of the Prisoners of War brutally held by the North Vietnamese.

Unfortunately it came at a cost. In little over a week, Air Force losses included fifteen B-52s, two F-4s, two F-111s, one EB-66 and one HH-53 search and rescue helicopter. Navy losses included two A-7s, two A-6s, one RA-5, and one F-4. A total of eight Migs were shot down during the operation, including two by B-52 tail gunners.

43 aviators were killed, 41 were captured by the NVA, and 37 were rescued.

Anyone who witnessed any of those nights will never forget them.

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Kaman

Kaman

Beech 1900 pilot's; "Fly it like you stole it"
God Bless those that made the ultimate sacrifice during that campaign. My brother-in-law was a B-52 AC TDY from Carswell AFB and flew some of those missions. He never has really spoken about it much, but I know that he lost some of his closest friends during that 2 weeks.
 
busdriver

busdriver

Well-Known Member
None
How awesome was it to actually be let loose though? I can only imagine what it must have been like to finally be allowed to bring the fight.
 
Catmando

Catmando

Keep your knots up.
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
busdriver said:
How awesome was it to actually be let loose though? I can only imagine what it must have been like to finally be allowed to bring the fight.
Click to expand...

Absolutely it was! But it was not without tension. Unless on a hot vector, F-4s rarely went feet dry at night over the "North", primarily because they had no inertial navigation like the A-6 did. (Plus, tracers are much more scarier at night) Of course the Gomers wouldn't turn on their TACANS for us either.

While the F-4s had gone "downtown" many times during the day, a major coordinated night-strike like this had never happened before. Then after significant and regrettable losses on the 1st night, there was no small bit of apprehension when word came out on the second night that CAG was now looking for F-4 crews to volunteer for the raids. Naturally some were more 'eager' than others. :( :D :p

Six years later I was a stateroom mate and good friends with a former POW for an 8-month cruise on Enterprise. He never really talked about his time in the Hanoi Hilton, and I never asked.

Then many more years later, over a beer at this year's Tailhook, he finally opened up. I was enthralled.

He told me in great detail about being a POW underneath the B-52 Christmas raids... how our POW guys were ecstatic and their guards were absolutely scared to death. The sound, the rumbling, the shaking, he loved it, descibing it in detail. He was amazed at their accuracy from 35,000 ft with dumb bombs... some hitting pretty close. He said he had a small window where he could watch the big fireworks show. And he said they immediately knew that those raids would finally get them home... some after many years of horrendous torture and captivity.

His was a great story, and one we all can be proud of.
 
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