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  • Wild Weasel Flight Gear

    A Wild Weasel crewman wore a hard helmet and an oxygen mask with an integrated microphone. A survival vest held a first aid kit, escape map, survival kit and other items useful should he be shot down or forced to eject. Over the waist and legs is a g-suit, which fills with air during sharp turns to

  • "Something Better Than the Shrike": The First USAF AGM-78 Standard Mission

    After participating in the test program, Capts. George Acree and Frank O'Donnell flew on the first USAF AGM-78 missions over North Vietnam on March 10, 1968. Four Wild Weasel F-105s, each carrying two AGM-78s, covered a strike missions against a barracks near Hanoi. Acree and O'Donnell fired the

  • Trumping the SAMs: The F-105G and the Standard AGM-78 Missile

    In 1967 the USAF began developing the more capable F-105G with improved and standardized radar homing and warning equipment. Equally important was the introduction of the Standard AGM-78 anti-radar missile, which was a vast improvement over the Shrike missile. The AGM-78 was first employed by F-105

  • Spiritual Support: Chaplain Chris Martin

    Chaplains like Col. Chris Martin could regularly be seen on the flight line blessing the aircrews as they taxied out for takeoff. They also provided needed counseling between missions.Chaplain Martin originally served in the U.S. Air Force as a transport pilot in the 1950s. After attending divinity

  • Strike at the Doumer Bridge: Lt. Col. James McInerney and Capt. Fred Shannon

    On Aug. 11, 1967, Lt. Col. James McInerney (pilot) and Capt. Fred Shannon (EWO) led the Wild Weasel flight covering the first airstrike against the very heavily-defended Paul Doumer Bridge in Hanoi, North Vietnam. Hanoi was the central hub of North Vietnam's railway network, and the mile-long Paul

  • Nose Gunners and Bears

    To survive and complete their missions, pilots (nicknamed "nose gunners") and EWOs (nicknamed "bears") had to work together as one. So, a special relationship existed between individual Wild Weasel crews. Paired up early in their training, they usually deployed and flew combat tours together.The

  • "Take It Down": SAM Breaks

    1. When the SA-2 launch warning light and buzzer alerted, the flight commander called out "take it down." Both looked at the ground for the tell-tale smoke and dust from the SA-2 launch to see where the missile was coming from. At the same time, the pilot rolled the aircraft over, accelerated the

  • Wild Weasel Missions: Strike Support and Search and Destroy

    Strike Support: First In, Last OutOn strike support missions deep into North Vietnam, Wild Weasels ranged ahead of strike forces to suppress SAM sites and gun laying radars in the target area. Ideally, the Wild Weasels would destroy them, but intimidating the radars to shut down and keeping them