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  • The Patch

    This widely-respected symbol began with F-105 aircrews. Capts. Bruce Holmes and Will Koenitzer, two pilots in the 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, designed the original 100-mission patch while on leave in Bangkok, Thailand, in 1965. Holmes completed his 100-mission tour

  • Lt Col Robert Krone: 1st Squadron Commander 100-Mission Tour

    Commander of the 469th TFS, 388th TFW, Lt. Col. Krone's first "counter" was on Nov. 15, 1965. On June 3, 1966, he became the first squadron commander to complete a 100-mission tour.Click here to return to Badge of Honor: 100 Missions Up North.  Find Out More

  • 100 Mission Celebrations

    The celebration that followed a 100-mission tour started with the F-105 crews at Korat in January 1966. This grew into an elaborate ritual which continued past the end of the 100-mission tour policy. The ceremonies varied between units and bases -- for most it involved a fly-by, a red carpet,

  • The First F-105 100-Mission Tours

    On Jan. 11, 1966, Capt. Donald Totten and Capt. Benjamin Bowthorpe, 334th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 355th TFW, became the first F-105 pilots to achieve 100 missions "out-country." The next day, Capt. Michael Cooper, 334th TFS, reached his 100. On Jan. 15, 1966, four F-105 pilots from the 388th TFW

  • 100 Missions North in the “Thud”

    Achieving 100 missions over North Vietnam in an F-105 "Thud" had particularly special meaning. During some periods, it was more likely than not that an F-105 Airman would be shot down at least once during his tour, and the odds of completing a 100-mission tour were not good. Though they were

  • First 100-Mission Tour

    The first pilot to reach 100 "counters" was Capt. Donald Beck, an RF-101C pilot in the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, who completed his 100th on Nov. 15, 1965. Beck's 100 included missions over both Laos and North Vietnam. RF-101C crews were some of the first to fly Air Force combat missions

  • First 100 Missions over North Vietnam

    Capt. Eldon "Joe" Canady was an EWO (electronic warfare officer) in the first group of RB-66Cs to deploy to Southeast Asia in April 1965. These aircraft jammed enemy radar that directed anti-aircraft fire. Canady flew on the first RB-66C combat mission in Southeast Asia on May 4, 1965, and rapidly

  • Badge of Honor: 100 Missions Up North

    The "100 Mission Patch" became a symbolic mark of courage during OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER. The achievement of 100 missions in the deadly skies over North Vietnam grew into a rich tradition with its own proud customs. "Instinctively, my eyes found the patch we coveted the most...the bold,  

  • Legacy of the Southeast Asia Wild Weasels

    The Wild Weasels in Southeast Asia created an essential and lasting capability for the U.S. Air Force. Though some believed that SAMs would be "the death of the flying Air Force," the Wild Weasels provided an effective counter, paving the way and protecting strike forces over North Vietnam. The Wild

  • Wild Weasels and Linebacker Operations: The War Ends

    Operations Linebacker and Linebacker II initiated the end of the Southeast Asia War. During those offensives, U.S. airpower stopped the North Vietnamese ground offensive and B-52s vigorously bombed previously untouched targets in North Vietnam. The Wild Weasels challenged North Vietnamese defenses