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Fact Sheet Alphabetical List

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  • River Rats

    The Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association was formed in Thailand in 1967 to improve tactics and coordination among aircrews flying over North Vietnam. Rich in tradition, it grew into a fraternal organization which has lasted far beyond the Southeast Asia War.Early in 1967, Col. Robin Olds, 8th

  • Reconnaissance and Retaliatory Strikes

    President Johnson ended the bombing of North Vietnam in October 1968. believing that USAF unarmed reconnaissance aircraft would be permitted to fly over the country unopposed. When North Vietnam fired on some of these planes, newly elected President Richard Nixon ordered several retaliatory strikes

  • Ranch Hand Insignia and other items

    InsigniaThe Ranch Hand insignia was designed in 1962 by Capt. Alan Kidd and Lt. John Hodgin, and it contains several elements of the Ranch Hand tradition. The symbol in the middle is the Chinese character for purple. The brown stripe on a green field represents a defoliated strip of jungle. Yellow

  • Rockwell International GBU-8 Electro-Optical Guided Bomb

    The GBU-8 Electro-Optical Guided Bomb was one of the "smart bombs" that revolutionized aerial warfare. A standard bomb fitted with a Homing Bomb System (Hobos), the GBU-8 was first used during the Southeast Asia War.In 1967 the Department of Defense asked Rockwell International Corp. to develop the

  • Republic F-105G Thunderchief

    The F-105, nicknamed the "Thud," evolved from a 1951 project by to replace the F-84F fighter-bomber. The prototype first flew in October 1955, and Republic delivered the first production aircraft to the U.S. Air Force in 1958. Republic also developed a fully combat-capable two-seat trainer version,

  • Republic F-105D Thunderchief

    In 1951 Republic Aviation began a project to develop a supersonic tactical fighter-bomber to replace the F-84F. The result was the F-105 Thunderchief, later affectionately nicknamed the "Thud." The prototype YF-105A first flew in October 1955, but the first F-105D did not fly until June 1959. A

  • R&R: Rest and Relaxation

    The 5th Air Force carried military personnel from Korea to Japan (usually from Seoul to Tachikawa near Tokyo) for badly-needed, three to five day R&R (Rest and Relaxation) leave. Many took the train from Tachikawa to visit Tokyo while others visited the peaceful surroundings of Japanese national

  • Reconnaissance

    "Korea not only presented a different kind of war for military planners and politicians, it also presented a different kind of place for aerial reconnaissance to prove itself." - Brig. Gen. George W. Goddard, pioneer of modern air reconnaissance U.S. Air Force reconnaissance units in the Far East

  • Russian VK-1 Jet

    The VK-1 was used to power the MiG-15. It had a thrust of 6,000 pounds. Essentially, it was an improved version of the British-built Rolls-Royce "Nene" engine, incorporating enlarged combustion chambers, turbine blades and tailpipe for handling a greater flow of intake air.Click here to return to

  • Republic F-84E Thunderjet

    The rugged F-84 Thunderjet gained its greatest renown during the Korean War. Initially sent to escort B-29s on long-range missions over North Korea, the Thunderjet excelled as a close air support and daytime interdiction strike aircraft. In Korea, F-84 pilots attacked enemy railroads, dams, bridges,