Aces and Aerial Victories: The United States Air Force in Southeast Asia, 1965-1973

Detailed first-hand accounts by U.S. Air Force fighter pilots who flew combat missions over North Vietnam. This is a reprint of a 1976 work. During the war in Southeast Asia, U.S. Air Force fighter pilots and crewmen repeatedly were challenged by enemy MIG fighters in the skies over North Vietnam. The ensuing air battles were unique in American history because U.S. fighter and strike forces operated under stringent rules of engagement and faced extremely formidable antiaircraft defenses. Despite these constraints, American airmen managed to emerge from their aerial battles with both victories and honor. "Aces and Aerial Victories: The United States Air Force in Southeast Asia, 1965-1973" is a collection of firsthand accounts by Air Force fighter crews who flew combat missions over North Vietnam between 1965 and 1973. They recall their air battles with enemy MIGs, the difficult and dangerous tactical maneuvers they had to perform to survive, and their victories and defeats. The narratives are taken directly from aircrew after-action reports. The book points out that U.S. pilots did not amass the high victory scores common in World War II and Korea because of North Vietnamese efforts to conserve scarce aircraft, their reliance on Soviet-made surface-to-air missiles and antiaircraft artillery units, and the 3 1/2-year stand-down in American air operations over North Vietnam from December 1968 until spring 1972. Yet despite these constraints, three Air Force pilots were credited with five victories each, thus becoming aces. "Aces and Aerial Victories" also illuminates the role of Air Force airmen flying support missions such as aerial refueling, as well as the electronic warfare crews, SAM missile-hunting Wild Weasel aircraft, search and rescue units, reconnaissance aircraft, weather men, and the indispensable maintenance and supply units. Historians, aviation buffs, and anyone interested in the bold exploits of Air Force fighter pilots in combat will find much to learn and admire in this exciting book.