Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 45 years ago today, what began as standard operations for the day (or is there really such a thing in combat) escalated into the biggest aerial combat of the Vietnam War. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SonyKen Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 Yeah, I still consider the guy a real American hero despite all the corruption that went on in his later life. Best Regards, Ken Bailey (SonyKen) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted May 10, 2017 Author Share Posted May 10, 2017 Well, even beyond Cunningham and Driscoll, there were MANY American MiG-Victories that day, including a couple by soon-to-be-ace Steve Ritchie. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChesshireCat Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 4 hours ago, SonyKen said: Yeah, I still consider the guy a real American hero despite all the corruption that went on in his later life. Best Regards, Ken Bailey (SonyKen) more to it that his corruption scandal. Other pilots say he never shot down half the planes he claimed. Yet nobody spoke of Leo Thorosenous. A real hero gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 A couple of real heros that day were Major Robert Lodge and Capt Roger Locher. One of the AF's premier Phantom crews, they were on their way to becoming aces when they were shot down 40 miles from Hanoi. Locher ejected and spent 23 days in the jungle before finally being rescued (a record for escape and evasion during that war). By many accounts, Lodge elected not to eject and went down with his aircraft. He had told squadron mates many times that he wouldn't eject over enemy territory because he had been exposed to highly classified information and was concerned he might divulge it under torture. If anyone is interest in this particular date, check out: https://www.amazon.com/One-Day-Long-War-Vietnam/dp/0394576225 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dutch Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 Col Leo K. Thorsness died last week in Jacksonville, FL at age 88 from leukemia. NYT Obituary. Rest in peace, warrior! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChesshireCat Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 7 hours ago, Dutch said: Col Leo K. Thorsness died last week in Jacksonville, FL at age 88 from leukemia. NYT Obituary. Rest in peace, warrior! Awarded the CMH, and shot down eleven days later. Now there's a real hero in my book gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted May 12, 2017 Author Share Posted May 12, 2017 Wow, I missed that, too!! + Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChesshireCat Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 9 minutes ago, Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy said: Wow, I missed that, too!! + if memory is correct he either flew F105d's or F105g's Wild Weasel missions. Seems like he went down about 40 miles outside of Hanoi. Just to fly the F105 up there took a big set of gonads. Then there's the idea that he flew combat missions after receiving the CMH instead of resting on his laurels. Leo will always be a hero in my heart. gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted May 12, 2017 Author Share Posted May 12, 2017 Yep, they finally told part of his amazing story in the book "Hunter Killers" by Dan Hampton.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wxltcol Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 As an aside, my wife worked with a young man whose Dad was a WSO in Vietnam and he (Stephen Eaves) and his pilot (John Markle) shot down a Mig 10 May 1972. CeCe never made the connection until he brought home the book, One Day In A Long War: May 10 1972 as a teenager from the library and saw pictures of his Dad and his Dad's friends (his Dad didn't include Ritchie in that group) in the book. I think it was a cross between "Huh?" and "Lucy, you got some 'spalinin to do!". Apparently, Dad was pretty quiet about his Vietnam experiences and CeCe just grew up knowing the pilots and WSOs just as his Dad's friends. As another aside, CeCe's Dad passed away due to cancer in 2010 (he was a retired Lt Col and Ph D-his Mom is a retired BG) and is buried in Arlington. Tom Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dutch Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 Actually, At the time of his shoot down, Leo Thorsness was still a Major. I can't imagine that he would even have been officially nominated for the CMH so soon after the 29 April mission. However, the article mentions that when one of his squadron mates was shot down later, he brought the news that Thorsness had been nominated. He was promoted to Lt Col while a POW and then when he was repatriated, President Nixon awarded the CMH. He was medically retired very soon after returning and promoted to full Col upon retirement in 1973. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChesshireCat Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 11 hours ago, Dutch said: Actually, At the time of his shoot down, Leo Thorsness was still a Major. I can't imagine that he would even have been officially nominated for the CMH so soon after the 29 April mission. However, the article mentions that when one of his squadron mates was shot down later, he brought the news that Thorsness had been nominated. He was promoted to Lt Col while a POW and then when he was repatriated, President Nixon awarded the CMH. He was medically retired very soon after returning and promoted to full Col upon retirement in 1973. good post! gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChesshireCat Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 On 5/12/2017 at 5:42 AM, Dutch said: Actually, At the time of his shoot down, Leo Thorsness was still a Major. I can't imagine that he would even have been officially nominated for the CMH so soon after the 29 April mission. However, the article mentions that when one of his squadron mates was shot down later, he brought the news that Thorsness had been nominated. He was promoted to Lt Col while a POW and then when he was repatriated, President Nixon awarded the CMH. He was medically retired very soon after returning and promoted to full Col upon retirement in 1973. Dwight Birdwell out of the 3/4 CAV was nominated at least once (and maybe twice) for the CMH, and never left the field. His book Hundred Miles Of Bad Road will make you stay awake at night! Most guys don't get nominated to long after the fact. A point in fact is Bernie Adkins. It took almost fifty years for him to get the one he should have gotten in 68 or 69, while a guy in the Air Force who claimed to have landed a Sky Raider in the Ashau got his very quickly. I never knew Adkins, but knew who he was in 68. Some of the guys from the old A102 were posted at the new A102. How could it have taken 50 years???? Also knew who Birdwell was, as he was famous all over the country for his exploits. gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.