Per dasc 603 request, I would like to start this thread of FAC’s that supported the ground units in the war. These individuals were God sent and many owe their lives for their brave actions.
My camera is not working at this time, but here are 5 patches that I found after my sojourn to SOS. Please add to this thread to honor those who flew for us.
As a grunt on the ground one of the greatest sights that the eye and ear could behold was that little birddog flying overhead which was directing air assets on the enemy below. Be it a helicopter gun ship, A-1’s, Canberra bombers, or AF jet fighters they were always an awesome sight to behold. We were able to control and direct the smaller aircraft, but the jet fighters were in control of the FAC’s.
I had the opportunity to fly back seat on an Army L-19 on many occasions and on one mission
got shot down because we thought that we were the attack aircraft, and not the FAC. After
getting patched up I immediately went up again with an Air Force FAC that understood his job better than us Army jocks. We located the area were we had attacked earlier and still saw the
sand pans hiding under the trees. The FAC then made a pass, fired his rocket above 2000 feet and within a minute the attack jets which were circling above made their passes and dropped their ordinance. A first hand experience that is more impressive and exciting than what you see in the movies.
Was this a lesson learned for us? Nope, for the next time we went up we repeated ourselves,…… we were just young, dumb and stupid.
My camera is not working at this time, but here are 5 patches that I found after my sojourn to SOS. Please add to this thread to honor those who flew for us.
As a grunt on the ground one of the greatest sights that the eye and ear could behold was that little birddog flying overhead which was directing air assets on the enemy below. Be it a helicopter gun ship, A-1’s, Canberra bombers, or AF jet fighters they were always an awesome sight to behold. We were able to control and direct the smaller aircraft, but the jet fighters were in control of the FAC’s.
I had the opportunity to fly back seat on an Army L-19 on many occasions and on one mission
got shot down because we thought that we were the attack aircraft, and not the FAC. After
getting patched up I immediately went up again with an Air Force FAC that understood his job better than us Army jocks. We located the area were we had attacked earlier and still saw the
sand pans hiding under the trees. The FAC then made a pass, fired his rocket above 2000 feet and within a minute the attack jets which were circling above made their passes and dropped their ordinance. A first hand experience that is more impressive and exciting than what you see in the movies.
Was this a lesson learned for us? Nope, for the next time we went up we repeated ourselves,…… we were just young, dumb and stupid.
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