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Romani ite domum
Seaman Recruit
Joined: 15 May 2004
Posts: 17
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 Posted: Sat May 15, 2004 9:10 pm Post subject: |
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Didn't take a physical or refused to take a physical? Like I said before, the Vietnam War was all but over and the F-102 was on mothballs.
From the squadron history page for the 111th Fighter Group (1Lt George W. Bush's unit):
| Quote: | Between 1952 and 1959 the squadron flew many aircraft, to include the F-80, F-86D and F-86L. In August 1960 the unit became one of the first to transition to the F-102A all-weather fighter interceptor and began a 24-hour alert to guard the Texas Gulf coast. By January 1970 the wing was starting a new mission: training all F-102 pilots in the United States for the Air National Guard.
On 6 May 1971 the unit received F-101F fighter interceptors and became the training center for all Air Guard interceptors. In August 1974, after 14 years of service, the unit's F-102s were retired, but the unit maintained a full fleet of F-101s. |
Bolding added for emphasis
Let's be accurate here... |
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Greenhat
LCDR
Joined: 09 May 2004
Posts: 405
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2004 2:59 am Post subject: |
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| Romani ite domum wrote: | vatar
Didn't take a physical or refused to take a physical? Like I said before, the Vietnam War was all but over and the F-102 was on mothballs.
From the squadron history page for the 111th Fighter Group (1Lt George W. Bush's unit):
| Quote: | Between 1952 and 1959 the squadron flew many aircraft, to include the F-80, F-86D and F-86L. In August 1960 the unit became one of the first to transition to the F-102A all-weather fighter interceptor and began a 24-hour alert to guard the Texas Gulf coast. By January 1970 the wing was starting a new mission: training all F-102 pilots in the United States for the Air National Guard.
On 6 May 1971 the unit received F-101F fighter interceptors and became the training center for all Air Guard interceptors. In August 1974, after 14 years of service, the unit's F-102s were retired, but the unit maintained a full fleet of F-101s. |
Bolding added for emphasis
Let's be accurate here... |
Let's be entirely accurate. My understanding is that with the transition to a training function, the primary need for pilots was for full-time pilots to be instructors. When the unit transitioned completely to the new mission (training F102 pilots) is unstated.
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Romani ite domum
Seaman Recruit
Joined: 15 May 2004
Posts: 17
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2004 2:32 pm Post subject: |
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Greenhat | Quote: | | Let's be entirely accurate. |
I quote the relevant paragraphs verbatim from the unit's history page, and you imply I'm not being "entirely" accurate? | Quote: | | My understanding is that with the transition to a training function, the primary need for pilots was for full-time pilots to be instructors. When the unit transitioned completely to the new mission (training F102 pilots) is unstated.] |
If their sole function was to be a training squadron, then they would have been designated a training squadron, which they had (the 147th Combat Crew Training School), and all permanently assigned pilots would have been instructor pilots (which 1st Lt George W. Bush was not).
vatar
| Quote: | | Like I said before, the Vietnam War was all but over and the F-102 was on mothballs. No one cared if F-102 pilots were keeping up with their flight physicals because there was no longer a mission for F-102 pilots. |
Is a mischaracterization, when you are speaking of the time period prior to August of 1974, when the unit retired the last of its F-102A aircraft. Mothballing aircraft is done by flying them out to Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, AZ where they are prepared for long term outdoor storage in the desert there. Would you likewise characterize a ship as mothballed, when it was not decommissioned and sited at Bremerton(for example)?
One other point. the 111th Fighter Intercept Squadron belonged to the 147th Fighter Intercept Group. In my previous post, I thought they had been re-designated as the 147th on 1 April 1976. Further research has led me to believe this was an error, and that the unit had been desigated as the 147th FIG in May of 1959, with the 111th FIS as one of its squadrons. |
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DEL
Seaman Recruit
Joined: 08 May 2004
Posts: 49
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2004 7:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Vatar try looking here; http://www.mrfa.org/ if the info isn't on this page there is prob. a link to the info. I know there is a page with the disposition of the PBRs so somewhere there is info for swifts. |
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James Steffes
Swiftvet Author
Joined: 09 May 2004
Posts: 12
Location: Sun City, CA
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| Posted: Tue May 18, 2004 12:55 am Post subject: How many Swift Boats were sunk in Vietnam? |
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| vatar wrote: | | So far I have found 7 swiftboats that were sunk in Vietnam by enemy fire, 3 by weather with no loss of life, and 1 by friendly fire. |
My recollection is this. PCF-4, lost to an enemy mine 2/14/66, raised but never returned to service, it was transferred to Subic Bay, Phillipines and stripped for spare parts. PCF-41, ambushed and sunk by a 57MM Recoilless Rifle in the Rung Sat Special Zone on 5/22/66, boat not recovered. PCF-43, lost to hostile fire and completely destroyed on 4/12/69. PCF-76, capsized and sank and was lost while transiting the Cua Viet River in heavy surf conditions, 10/6/67, non hostile fire, PCF-77, lost and sank when hit by a 30 ft wave while trying to rescue a crewman from PCF-22 who fell overboard, the boat swamped when hit by the wave turning sidewise, non-hostile fire. PCF-8, sunk during training off the San Francisco coast, never recovered. PCF-19, hit by two rockets from a helo (believed NVA but blamed on friendly fire) sunk on 6/19/68 off DMZ. I was there that night aboard PCF-12. Boat was lost and not recovered.
The remaining PCF's in country were turned over to the South Vietnamese Navy near the end of the war. Nearly all of the boats were hit, heavily damaged, even sunk but recovered, repaired and lived to fight again. Tough little buggers, they were,
Hope this helps,
Semper Swift
James Steffes |
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