we were supposed to ease down through
the cloud to where we could pick up
the C-130. All of a sudden, I saw ashing
lights. Easing down a little lower, I could
make out the outline of the C-130. I was
right on his wing. The pilot stated that the
B-57s had launched, so we waited a while
as they joined up about 5,000ft above
us. We then set up in the area we were
going to work.
‘When we got down to the level we
were going to orbit, the weather was
clear and it was no problem staying close
to our C-130. My eyes had adjusted to
the low light and my night vision was
good. Without warning, the C-130 started
dispensing ares and my night vision was
shot to hell! Then the transport went into
a hard right bank, so we slid down under
him and lost the light on the Hercules’
topside, forcing us to slide back to get a
visual on it and about that time the ares
burnt out. We were out there in total
blackness with only one little white light
to use as a reference.
‘The C-130 would be capable of picking
up any vehicles moving on the ground. We
would pick up re control radar coming
from enemy gun positions. The only
communication going on was between
the Hercules and B-57s.’
Going downtown
One of the most dangerous missions
the ‘Drut’ could participate in was
going up to the Hanoi/Haiphong
area — ‘a ectionately’ known as ‘going
downtown’. It was stocked with the latest
in SAM and triple-A emplacements. The
reason for this was that it was where the
Left: The
maintenance
record of the
EF-10B at Da Nang
was excellent
despite their age.
Marty Lachow via
author
This image:
Waiting for a
landing F-4B,
EF-10Bs sit on
the holding point
at Da Nang AB
sometime in 1965.
John Dodson via
author
Right top to
bottom: Capt Hoyt
Wayne Young fl ew
both the RF-4B
and the EF-10B,
and notched up
a lot of missions
over Haiphong
harbor. One sortie
earned him a
Distinguished
Flying Cross.
Hoyt Wayne Young
via author
VMCJ-2 assets,
all with CY codes
— RF-4B, EF-10B,
RF-8A and EA-6A.
Sam Gill via
author
Two EF-10Bs
return from a
mission in the
Haiphong harbor
area. They are
getting ready to
cross into the
DMZ and then on
to Da Nang.
Hoyt Wayne Young
via authorhttp://www.combataircraft.net // October 2018 67