Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association Aircrews from all services of the United States military flying over the Red River Valley in North Vietnam encountered the most heavily defended airspace in the history of aerial combat. The Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association (or River Rats as the members call themselves) was born in 1967 when aircrews of different organizations gathered to devise better tactics for use during airstrikes over North Vietnam. The organization was formally incorporated in 1969 to promote and preserve the unique bond of friendship between combat airmen from different organizations and services fostered in the air war over North Vietnam. After the Vietnamese War the efforts of the organization were directed toward generating awareness of the prisoner-of-war, missing-in-action, and killed in action (POW, MIA, and KIA) airmen and their families, providing scholarship support for the children of the men who failed to return and promoting the importance of American airpower. The Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association has awarded numerous scholarships to the children of airmen who did not return from Vietnam. The River Rats have become surrogate fathers to these children helping with educational expenses when a missing father could not. U.S. Air Force Squadrons Tactical Fighter 4, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 25, 34, 36, 43, 44, 45, 47, 58, 67, 68, 80, 307, 308, 333, 334, 335, 336, 353, 354, 355, 356, 357, 358, 389, 390, 391, 416, 417, 421, 429, 430, 431, 433, 434, 435, 436, 469, 476, 480, 497, 523, 555, 557, 558, 559, 561, 562, 563 Tactical Reconnaissance 11, 14, 15, 20, 41, 45, 60, 6460, 6461 Bombardment 60, 63 (Prov.), 64 (Prov.), 65 (Prov.), 329 (Prov.), 364 (Prov.), 365 (Prov.), 486 (Prov.) Tactical Electronics 41, 42, 63 (Prov.) Strategic Reconnaissance 1, 99, 349 Fighter Interceptor 64, 509 Wild Weasel 17, 6010 Special Operations 1, 15, 602 Strategic Reconnaissance Weather 4028 Rescue and Recovery 37, 40 U.S. Army On November 23, 1970 a composite force of U.S. Army Special Forces units made a daring raid on North Vietnam. Their goal was to rescue U.S. airmen being held as prisoners of war in Son Tay, North Vietnam. The raid was a brilliant military success transporting, landing and recovering an assault force of 56 men deep inside heavily defended enemy territory without the loss oa single man. Unfortunately, the prisoners had been moved to another location before this mission, and no POW’s were rescued. Men of the following units risked their lives in an attempt to bring freedom to others. XVIII Airborne Corps U.S. Army Institute for Military Assistance U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Center for Military Assistance U.S. Army Infantry School Office of Surgeon General, Dept. of the Army 82nd Airborne Division 6th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces 7th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces They were supported on this mission by members of the following U.S. Air Force Units. Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Training Center 1st Special Operations Wing 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron 40th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron 1st Special Operations Squadron 7th Special Operations Squadron 602nd Special Operations Squadron 4407th Combat Crew Training Squadron 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron 6010 Wild Weasel Squadron U.S. Marine Corps Squadrons All Weather Attack VMA(AW) - 224, 242, 533 Fighter and Attack VMFA - 115, 122, 212, 232, 333, 542 Photo Reconnaissance VMCJ - 1, 2 U.S Navy Squadrons Attack VA - 12, 15, 22, 23, 25, 27, 34, 35, 36, 37, 46, 52, 55, 56, 65, 72, 75, 76, 82, 85, 86, 93, 94, 95, 97, 105, 106, 112, 113, 115, 144, 145, 146, 147, 152, 153, 155, 163, 164, 165, 172, 176, 192, 195, 196, 212, 215, 216 VAH - 2, 4, 8, 10 VAW - 11, 12, 13, 33, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 121, 123, 124 Fighter VF - 11, 14, 21, 24, 31, 32, 41, 51, 53, 74, 84, 92, 96, 103, 111, 114, 142, 143, 151, 154, 161, 162, 191, 194, 211, 213 VSF - 3 Reconnaissance RVAH - 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13 VAP - 61 VFP - 62, 63 Helicopter HC - 1, 2, 7 HS - 2, 4, 6, 7, 8 HU - 1, 2 Electronic Reconnaissance VQ -1 Electronic Warfare VAQ - 33, 130, 131, 132, 134, 135