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VA-82 Marauders January 1972- December 1972 (Updated July 26th, 2020) |
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Heather
(8), Laura (6) |
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Four of the flights were instrument flights in the TA-4 flights with VA-45
(6.9 TA-4 hours) |
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Top Row (left to Right): WO1 John Young,
LT Phil Morris, Ltjg Tom Weiland, LTjg Steve
Musselman, LT Bob Corey, LT Craig "Crash" Landon, LT
Ray Thomas, LTjg Marv Baldwin, LTjg Jim Kuzmick, LT Ron Brooks, Ltjg Jim Brister, LT Dan Ryder (CAG 8 LSO), Ens Nick Nickens and CWO2 Hal Garrett Front Row: LT Jim "Rock" Yeager, LT Gary Tabbert, LCDR Bruce Page, , me, CDR Don Sumner (CO), CDR Tom Scott (XO), LCDR Leighton "Snuffy" Smith, LCDR Al Miller, and LT Charlie Sapp |
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We had some challenges ahead of
us to get ready for type training. Of course both the CO and XO were experienced carrier jet pilots. I don't know whether Don Sumner had any Vietnam combat experience but CDR Scott did flying A4 Skyhawks with VA-195 "Dambusters" on the "Bonnie Dick" AKA, the Bonne Home Richard CV-31 in 1965 and with the VA-113 "Stingers" on USS Kitty Hawk in 1966. Snuffy and I were the only qualified combat strike leaders in the second tour group. The other two LCDRs, Bruce Page and Al Miller were experienced pilots but without any combat experience. LT Charlie Sapp had just completed jet transition training but had a combat tour with Light Attack Squadron Four VAL-4 flying OV-10s in the Mekong Delta. Charlie had over 200 close air support missions in VAL-4. Three of our second tour JOs from the Med cruise; Ray Thomas, Rock Yeager and Gary Tabbert were strong. A new pilot, Crash Landon had flown F8 Crusaders in a VC squadron so was an relatively experienced pilot but without much carrier operational experience. |
![]() President
and Mrs. Nixon are met by Chinese Premier Zhou
Enlai upon their arrival in Beijing.
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From
the beginning of March through March 21st we continued
with flights around Cecil field; still no indications
in my log book of any weapons work. On March 23rd, we began night FCLPs at Whitehouse. I logged 35 night FCLPs on four flights at the end of March. |
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We
had very little time to FCLP in the A7C before flying
out to the America for type training. I had one FCLP
flight to check out the difference in the TF30-P-408
throttle response while making glide path adjustments
on the ball. I flew out to America and made two day traps and then turned around for my night quals and made 2 night traps. I ended up flying 18 type training flights from America in April. Two of these flight involved landings at Cecil. So, I logged 16 traps (10 day, 6 night) in April for a total of 134 America traps. We continued what would turn out to be one continuous two month type training period in May. My logbook doesn't indicate the types of flights. But, we certainly were very proficient in the CAG 8/America standard operating procedures day and night by the end of May. |
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Second, our biggest problem was that we didn't have nearly enough aviation ordnancemen assigned to the squadron. We had about 14. But, we would need almost twice that number for Linebacker One operations on Yankee Station. I decided to go talk to the Maintenance Officer at VA-174 to see if we could work something out. I knew that Navy ordnancemen would jump at the chance to join us if they had the opportunity. It wasn't so much for the combat pay. It was more about actually doing what they were trained to do. It turned out, I was right. We had ten more ordnancemen within the week. We deployed with about 24 ordnancemen. |
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America's transit route
would take us southeast toward Capetown, South
Africa via the Cape of Good Hope then
northeast through the southern Indian Ocean through the Maldives and the Straits of Malacca then north north east to Subic bay Philippines for a short stop then out to the South China Sea to Yankee Station. |
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Our transit route meant that we would cross the Equator twice during our transit; first in the Atlantic going southeast in the South Atlantic Ocean off the coat of North Africa and next in the Indian Ocean enroute to the Straits of Malacca. The Atlantic crossing provided the best opportunity to celebrate the crossing of the Equator as us Shellbacks would indoctrinate the lowly Pollywogs to the World of King Neptune. |
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I used some of the time to continue with my ship training with an eye to someday getting my own ship. The ship scheduled time for those of us so interested to observe along side replenishment events from the bridge wing. I also spent more time in the boiler and engine rooms refreshing my ship engineering knowledge. |
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Our A7C's had a weight restriction of 500 lbs (one MK 82 bomb) on weapons stations (3 and 6) due to center of gravity factors with the TF30-P-408 engine. I felt that we should remove stations 3 and 6 from our aircraft because the reduced drag would increase our top end airspeed which would be more important in Linebacker One Operations over North Vietnam than losing two MK 82s from our bomb load. |
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The purpose of Linebacker One was to slow the transportation of supplies and materials for the North Vietnamese Nguyen Hue Offensive that had been launched on March 30th. This offensive consisted of three North Vietnamese operations that were launched that spring. On March 30th , 300,000 North Vietnamese troops (NVN) supported by regiments of tanks and artillery rolled south across the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). On April 5th, a force of 20,000 NVN troops crossed the border from their sanctuaries in Cambodia in a combined arms force to attack Binh Long Province north of Saigon. The third attack came from Laos on April 12th, seizing a series of border outposts in the Central Highlands. |
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The North
Vietnamese
still had
small arms,
manual barrage
fire 37mm and
57 mm AAA,
radar
controlled
57/85/100mm
AAA (firecan,
flapwheel
etc), and the
SA-2
SAMs.
The SAMs were
no longer deployed
in established
sites
but were
better dispersed and
camouflaged. A big change was the deployment of many ZSU quad mounted, radar controlled, mobile 23mm Soviet systems pictured here. This weapon was a game changer! Iron Hand (anti SAM) aircraft could no longer orbit a SAM site at 12,000 feet waiting for the site to launch and then shoot a Shrike "down the throat". The ZSU 23 would pick you off at those altitudes. Its tracers were a rope of 23mm death. Iron Hand aircraft would have to launch their Shrikes into a "basket" from some distance from the target. Strike aircraft would avoid the ZSU 23 by keeping the ingress altitudes above the ZSU 23 effective range. Strike aircraft would only be vulnerable to MIGs, SAMs, and radar controlled 85/100mm at 18,000 or so. |
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Commander Carrier Division Seven Rear Admiral John S. Christiansen
Combat Pilot During WW2 and Korea Navy Cross Distinguished Flying Cross |
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Commanding Officer USS America CVA 66
Captain Burton H. Shepherd Fighter Pilot During Korea
CAG 16 USS Oriskany 1967 Vietnam Navy Cross Two Silver Stars Six Distinguished Flying Crosses Eight Air Medals CO VA-81 (A4 Skyhawks)
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The Admiral and the Captain
were experienced combat veterans who understood what we would be facing in executing Linebacker One |
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Carrier Air Wing Eight
VF 74 Be-Devilers (F4J Phantoms)
VFMA 333 Shamrocks (F4J Phantoms) VA-82 Marauders (A7C Corsairs) VA-86 Sidewinders (A7C Corsairs) VA-35 Black Panthers (A6A Intruders) RVAH 6 Fleurs (RA5C Vigilantes) VAQ 132 Scorpions (EA6B Prowlers) VAW 124 Bullseye Hummers (E2C Hawkeyes) HC 2 Det 66 (SH3G Rescue Helicopters) |
![]() VF 74 Be-Devilers
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![]() F4J Phantoms |
VF-74 was
primarily interested in only the air tt air mission.
But they did fly some Flak suppression missions. |
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![]() VFMA 333 Shamrocks
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![]() F4J Phantoms |
The Shamrocks
were trained for and were enthusiastic about
participating in ground attack missions such as flak
suppression and air to ground bombing especially Close
Air Support |
As a result,
the Shamrocks were more valuable to the air wing
because they were interested in and were capable of
being assigned bombing missions and strike support
flak suppression. |
![]() VA-82 Marauders
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![]() A7C Corsairs |
![]() VA-86 Sidewinders
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![]() A7C Corsairs |
![]() VA-35 Black Panthers
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![]() A6A Intruders |
![]() RVAH 6 Fleurs
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![]() RA5C Vigilantes |
![]() VAQ 132 Scorpions
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![]() EA6B Prowlers |
![]() VAW 124 Bullseye Hummers
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![]() E2C Hawkeyes |
![]() HC 2 Det 66
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![]() SH3G Rescue Helicopters |
COD- Miss America
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The BOQ and Officer's Club were on the
hill just above the left third of the runway. |