Wild Blue Yonder

F-104C DaNang AB So Vietnam 1964

An F4U Corsair Mk.I fighter crash-landed on the deck of the British aircraft carrier HMS Victorious. September 18, 1944

While landing, the fighter, which was returning from a raid on a Japanese repair and maintenance center in the city of Sigli on the island of Sumatra, had its drop tank detached and caught fire, causing the landing gear to catch 🔥 fire

Good morning, everyone.

A colorized version of a photo from that time of the carrier-based attack aircraft "Ryusei" taken at the Kisarazu base at the end of the Greater East Asia War. I believe that very plane sortied on a special attack mission just one hour before the Jewel Voice Broadcast...

The Army also used O-1’s to spot artillery fire 🔥 and flush enemy positions

A pair of Italian Fiat G.50 Freccia fighters from the 352nd Squadriglia of the 20th Group of the Italian Air Force in flight near Martuba. July 1941.

On April 2, 1972, during the Easter Offensive in Vietnam, an EB-66C aircraft with the call sign Bat 21 was shot down by an SA-2 surface-to-air missile. Lt. Col. Iceal "Gene" Hambleton, the navigator, was the only survivor. He parachuted into a rice paddy directly in the path of more than 30,000 advancing North Vietnamese troops. Injured but determined, he began evading capture while enemy forces passed nearby. 1/3

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The rescue effort for Bat 21 Bravo became the largest, longest, and most complex in the entire Vietnam War. It involved hundreds of air strikes, up to 90 sorties per day, and diverted massive resources from other operations. Multiple aircraft were lost during the attempts, including helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Eleven airmen were killed, and others were captured or injured. Hambleton evaded for days in the jungle, using his radio to direct rescuers while staying ahead of enemy patrols and scavenging what little food he could find.

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After days of intense efforts and heavy losses, a bold covert operation succeeded. Navy SEAL Lt. Thomas R. Norris and Republic of Vietnam Navy Petty Officer Nguyễn Văn Kiệt, disguised as fishermen, paddled a sampan upriver under cover of darkness. They located the weakened Hambleton, hid him in the boat, and extracted him under fire with supporting air strikes. He was safely recovered after eight days on the ground. This operation shows the extraordinary lengths taken to bring an American home. Norris received the Medal of Honor for his actions. #VietnamWar #SAR #RescueMission #MilitaryHistory #NeverLeaveABrotherBehind