Air Commando!: 1950-1975 - Twenty-five years at the Tip ... - AFSOC

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2 airstrikes as a tactic to mask U.S. involvement; to make the airstrikes "look Cuban." 54 A subsequent decision by the same political advisors using the same rationale cancelled a second airstrike intended to finish off the Cuban fighters not eliminated by the first, curtailed strike. Castro's remaining T-33 jet and propeller-driven Sea Fury fighters were waiting overhead for the Alabama Guardsmen on D+2 as the B-26s attempted to drive home attacks against the advancing Cuban ground forces. In the day-long combat that ensued, four Alabama Air Guard aircrew 14 in two B-26s were shot down by Cuban fighters. 55 Agonized U.S. Navy fighter pilots flying over the beachhead from the aircraft carrier Essex watched the fighters attacking the B-26s below, but were prohibited from defending the Guardsmen. The invasion collapsed the following day. After the collapse of the exile landing force, Fidel Castro views wreckage of a B-26 downed by Cuban fighters during the invasion. AFTERMATH Immediately following the collapse of the invasion, the Captain of the Essex was ordered to personally burn all orders and ship's logs covering the period of the invasion. 5 6'fhe remaining Guardsmen returned from Central America to Alabama with strict orders not to divulge their involvement in Operation Pluto. The probable response of the Cuban public to a successful invasion in 1961 is still a matter of debate. Lost in the political finger-pointing that swept through Washington and other world capitols was just how close to success Operation Pluto actually came. And President Somoza's prophetic warning was to haunt successive U.S. administrations to this day. 13 At the Puerto Cabezas airfield, Lt Col ·shannon was told the reduced sorties would keep the air attack "from looking too spectacular ... too much like a U.S. operation." 14 Shot down by Cuban T-33 fighters on April 19th, the second day of the invasion: Riley Shamburger, Wade C. Gray, Willard Ray, and Leo F. Baker. 37
Page 1: AIR COMMANDO! 1950-1975: Twenty-fiv
Page 5 and 6: CONTENTS Acknowledgements •••
Page 7 and 8: In special tribute to Brigadier Gen
Page 9: FOREWORD From their inception as "A
Page 12 and 13: American Air Force and Army officer
Page 14 and 15: By attacking at extremely low altit
Page 16 and 17: THE PENTAGON's "Air Resupply & Comm
Page 18 and 19: Tough and fiercely anti-communist S
Page 20 and 21: Manchuria Sea of Japan ChoDo-~, Isl
Page 22 and 23: Painting "Air Resupply" on the side
Page 24 and 25: As dangerous as the night missions
Page 26 and 27: Taking off from Cho-do in the early
Page 28 and 29: ON THE RooF oF THE WoRLD With the "
Page 30 and 31: With all USAF markings removed, Civ
Page 32 and 33: BAHIA DE CocHINos With the Alabama
Page 35: The next day Somoza's son flew with
Page 39 and 40: And finally, where the American Gre
Page 41 and 42: _ -THE INDOCIITNA WAR 41
Page 43 and 44: The commandos' mission is to provid
Page 46 and 47: The early days in South Vietnam. A
Page 48 and 49: CHAOPHAKAOW! A Bhuddist monk blesse
Page 50 and 51: Det 6's (Water Pump) crudely-made s
Page 52: THE STINGING BUTTERFLY Combat Contr
Page 55 and 56: fighters and their targets, someone
Page 57 and 58: The phase-out of the Butterfly FACs
Page 59 and 60: Thailand's northeastern border with
Page 61 and 62: The Air Commando base at Nakhon Pha
Page 64 and 65: FIGHTING WITH THE HEART Apparently
Page 66 and 67: differences, profiteering, local po
Page 68: RANCH HAND I nearly November, 1961,
Page 71: target area, one of the twin-engine
Page 74 and 75: The smoking ruins of a government f
Page 76: From inside "Puff the Magic Dragon"
Page 81 and 82: lit up the drop zone like a night S
Page 83 and 84: PREDATOR AC-130s Prowl the Ho Chi M
Page 85 and 86: sampans sighted, nine were destroye
Page 87 and 88:
that would destroy anything on the
Page 89 and 90:
equest for 25 twin-engine, single-r
Page 91 and 92:
were transferred to the 21st Specia
Page 93 and 94:
May Day! Moments before, this singl
Page 95 and 96:
With the arrival of the initial Far
Page 97:
The Air Commandos also took PSYWAR
Page 100 and 101:
AIR CoMMANDos ABovE AND BEYOND THE
Page 102 and 103:
een twenty days. Fisher made the sn
Page 104 and 105:
exact posttton. Then he spotted som
Page 106 and 107:
ENDNOTES "Rabbits" and Napalm: Agen
Page 108 and 109:
114. Ibid., p. 37 115. Ibid. 116. I
Page 110 and 111:
BIOGRAPHICAL NoTE CoLONEL MICHAEL E
Page 112:
• ··,··. 911 • . ,• • H
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Air Commando!: 1950-1975 - Twenty-five years at the Tip ... - AFSOC

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