With many thanks to Dick Schaffert, aka “Brown Bear”, Mighty Thunder is proud to present you with Peter Fey’s excellent write-up for 31 August 1966 loss: RF-8G (146874, AH 602) of VFP-63; LCDR Tucker, Recovered

The officer-in-charge of VFP-63’s detachment was shot down while attempting to photograph a foreign oil tanker and other ships in Haiphong harbor. As he approached Quang Yen, five miles northeast of Haiphong, his aircraft was hit by 37-millimeter ground fire. LCDR Tucker lost all his flight controls with the exception of his rudder and was forced to eject only 1,500 feet over Haiphong harbor. He landed in a shipping channel less than 150-yards from the shore and several junks began attempts to capture him. An SH-3 off the USS Kearsarge arrived within minutes to attempt a rescue. It was piloted by the commanding officer of HS-6, CDR Vermilya, and was escorted by LCDR Tucker’s wingman, LCDR Teague. While Teague strafed junks in the area, the helicopter flew at less than fifty feet and under constant fire from vessels and shore batteries. The rescue attempt was successful and LCDR Tucker was recovered in one of the most dangerous rescue missions of the war. 

My additional comments: (Note – Tooter kept Tom in sight in the harbor; the HS-6 helo came into that hell-on-earth scene unescorted and Tooter escorted them out after they picked up Tom). 

Foster “Tooter” Teague played Texas A&M football for Bear Bryant.  During Rolling Thunder, he flew Crusaders with the VF-111 Sundowners aboard USS Oriskany.  His roommate was the OinC of the VFP-63 Photo Det, Tom Tucker.  The two were close friends. 

The “Terrible T’s” recorded many unusual events, off and on the ship.   Tooter was escorting Tom on a “white-knuckle” mission to photograph Soviet and other freighters delivering war supplies to Haiphong Harbor when Tucker’s RF-8G was hit by heavy 37MM fire.   The USS Kearsarge, with HS-6 and its SH-3 helicopter aboard, was in position as the “Northern SAR” for just such an emergency, and the fight was on! 

The burning Crusader, and Tom’s blossoming parachute, were probably seen by several thousand inhabitants in and around the harbor.  Hundreds were eager to capture a “Yankee Air Pirate,” and proceeded towards the downed pilot in anything that would float.  It would take about 20 minutes for the SAR helo to arrive on the scene.  Even if the Commanding Officer of HS-6, CDR Vermilya, and his crew arrived in time, their odds of surviving the barrage of fire from thousands of guns in and near the harbor were not good. 

Tom was only 150 yards off shore, and Tooter had to keep the bad guys at bay until they arrived.  He ran out of ordnance after the first 15 minutes but continued to discourage them from approaching Tom by making wave-top passes and lighting his afterburner at the appropriate time. 

Back in Oriskany’s War Room, the Skipper was aware of the personal relationship between the “Terrible T’s” and was heard to say something to the effect: “We better get Tucker quick!  Tooter will never leave him!  We’ll have two guys in the water if he runs out of fuel.”  Tucker’s rescue was not only one of the most dangerous, but probably the most “Divine Assisted” rescue ever achieved by USS Oriskany, Air Wing Sixteen, and HS-6; and we had far too many of them!  By the summer of ’67, it was an all-too-normal routine:  The “first-light” launch in the morning was frequently an all-out attempt to rescue those shot-down the previous day.

During Rolling Thunder, 43 aircrewmen from Air Wing Sixteen successfully ejected from, or bailed out of, downed aircraft and were known to be alive on the ground in enemy territory; 24 were rescued, unfortunately 19 were not.  27 others safely ejected into friendly waters around Yankee Station and were recovered. 

The Biblical phrase: “Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for a friend,” seemed a motto for Oriskany’s Air Wing.  Impossible rescues were never-the-less attempted and, unfortunately, many indeed laid down their lives. 

Next July 18th will mark the 50^th anniversary of the glorious, but extremely costly, rescue of two downed pilots and the unfortunate loss of a third.  In addition to the 3 original downed A4 Skyhawks, 3 rescue helo’s and 4 A1-H escorts were lost or damaged beyond repair and 5 would-be rescue air crewmen were killed.  Their story of dedicated professionals exceeding all human expectations will make my point.

Courage was indeed a common virtue for American Aviators who let it all hang out over North Vietnam, day and night, for 9 years!  The unbreakable “Cord of Courage,” which bound Air Wing Sixteen combat aircrews during Rolling Thunder, was composed of thousands of threads of individual human virtue of the finest quality, which were woven with pure American patriotism.

CVW-16’s 70 assigned combat aircraft were hit by enemy fire 242 times during Rolling Thunder.  180 were damaged and 62 were knocked down.  With our assigned complement of 78 combat pilots, 56 were KIA, 12 POW, and 5 MIA.  Our statistical probability of surviving Rolling Thunder was 30 percent!

V/R  Dick Schaffert