VIETNAM WAR FIGHTER PILOT SONG LYRICS By Doug Perl

Lyrics courtesy of Doug Perl, F-105D Combat Pilot 

Formerly of the 354 th TFS, 355 th TFW, Takhli RTAFB, 1969-1970 

VIETNAM WAR 

FIGHTER PILOT SONG LYRICS 

By Doug Perl 

MEKONG MICE 

Takhli and my Thud in sixty nine 

Got to the war just a little behind 

they stopped going North in sixty eight 

now that's what really made me late 

River Rats we aspired to be 

Flying north of the Red is required you see 

but Lyndon put those targets to rest 

and now we have to settle for second best 

What's left of this war will have to suffice 

for we're not River Rats just Mekong Mice 

Barrel Roll was on this morning's frag 

looks like this mission's gonna be a drag 

a suspected truck park for us to blow 

makin' monkey meat and firewood for the gomers below 

The target was marked by Raven zero five 

a target unworthy of my 105 

but as I rolled in and let those babies go 

there wasn't much left of those Pathet Lao 

Oil tanks, iron bridges; targets no more 

Bamboo bridges, truck parks are what's left for my tour 

but the gunners on the ground don't seem to care 

they fill the sky with flak whenever we go up there 


for we're not River Rats just Mekong Mice 

A bunker in a bomb crater on Phou Nok Kok's height 

was the best they could do for this morning's flight



I put my bombs in that crater with the skill of a pro 

the FAC was ecstatic when those secondaries let go 

Got fragged for a village filled with bullets and gas 

I could hardly wait to make my strafing pass 

Got a hootch in my gunsight but I'll be damned 

squeezed the trigger, nothing happened, my gun was jammed! 

Finally logged a counter in route Pak One 

bombing Bat Lake was a lot of fun 

but my one hundred missions North is coming slow 

been here 12 months and have ninety-nine to go 


for we're just a bunch of Mekong Mice 

River Rats we never will be 

but its better than being stuck with stateside duty



FISHES MOUTH (BARTHEMELY PASS) 

Up in the Fishes Mouth trouble was brewing 

7th sent a Sixteen ship not knowing what they were doing 

the flak was heavy, there were SAMs in the fray 

but they didn’t frag a Weasel to help us that day 

First missile dodged; no more coming said Basket lead 

the second one coming he did not heed 

lucky for him that Sam didn't guide 

or it would have cost him a Thud and maybe his hide 

Basket was supposed to be the flak suppression flight 

but dodging that SAM threw them out of the fight 

The triple A in Laos is worse than you think 

they throw everything at you but the kitchen sink 

The guns are no sweat if you keep moving it around 

those gunners can't track you then down on the ground 

But coming down the chute you have to keep it straight 

until those bombs are gone you're just plain flak bait 

And that's why I get $100 a month in combat pay 

but hell its so exciting I'd give it all away 

just to be able to drive around the sky 

in my Thud, the Flak Magnet, Republic's F-105 

Back at Takhli my crewchief waits to see 

if I'll bring back my Thud with another "over G" 

for the extra work this causes he'll curse me I know 

but its better than parking that Thud in the jungle below



COFFIN CORNER 

Madman flight, four Thuds on the way to war 

stopped to hit the Tanker for some JP4 

We were inbound to a target in Barrel Roll 

in an attempt to interdict the war material flow 

We were fragged with Tiger zero two a fast moving FAC 

When you're working with Tiger you know you'll get flak 

We were trying to hit a truck in a garage near a large IDP 

10 million dollars worth of fighters doesn't seem worth it to me 

But I'm not complaining about this my friend 

for without any targets my combat tour would end 

This war may be shitty and not so hot 

but like it or not its all that we've got 

The weather was bad getting worse all the while 

lead and three dropped their bombs and missed by a mile 

because of the clouds the target was obscure 

I had to go through dry cause I couldn't see anything down there 

Tiger asked; "Madman lead, are you and two clean?" 

Lead answered no that's one and three with no bombs left between 

Tiger said let's go to where better weather may be 

Coffin Corner was what he had in mind for four and me 

Now Coffin Corner lives up to its name 

there are more guns down there than I care to explain 

It can make a person edgy and start you to sweat 

to think about diving down into that cauldron of shit 

After dropping my bombs I moved that Thud around 

I rolled hard to the right to see them hit the ground 

I heard the FAC exclaim "Right there you hit the spot. 

Your southern most bomb was good, shit hot"! 

Those gunners were really banging away 

Typical Coffin Corner on a typical day 

Thanks to the Thud we cheated death once more 

Will there ever be a stop to this interdiction war?



BAMBOO BRIDGES 

Bamboo bridges are the most difficult targets of all 

those narrow camouflaged spans just don't want to fall 

the wind keeps 'em moving and they're so hard to see 

you have to get real close if you want to succeed 

Cratering the approach is the method at hand 

but why make a crater when you can drop a span? 

Its not that easy I must admit 

I've tried many times and never got a hit 

I was leading a flight of four on a cloudy day 

To a bamboo bridge on the trail not too far away 

Pressing the target is not always a good idea with guns about 

But it was the only way to hit the target and still get out 

I got excited seeing that bridge used by the Viet Cong 

Pressed in too close and dropped 'em long 

I hit the other side and cratered the approach 

I got a DFC for making the broach 

Now what am I left to say 

dropping the span is still the only way 

I've tried many times and always missed 

It's one of those targets that leaves you pissed 

Bamboo bridges are the most difficult targets of all 

those narrow camouflaged spans just don't want to fall 

but I'll keep trying till I drop one with a bomb burst 

or until my combat tour is over whichever comes first



FIRST COMBAT MISSION 

A tribute to Lt/Col Billy Minter, Commander 354th Tactical 

Fighter Squadron 

My first combat mission was a real mess 

I was flying two on my CO's wing no less 

On that flight I made every mistake you could name 

learn quickly from your mistakes is the name of this game 

As I sat in the arming area waiting to takeoff for this flight 

the Catholic Chaplin came by and gave me last rights 

the fear of the unknown undue anxiety can bring 

for this was no training mission, it was the real thing 

As I hooked on to the boom to take my gas 

I got into a PIO that nearly had my ass 

I felt like such a hamfist, I wish I were dead 

"Hang in there two" was all Colonel Minter said 

In the target area of lead I lost sight 

he went off left and I went right 

It was like I was in a daze with all that flying around 

I was lucky my bombs came off let alone hit the ground 

I hadn't checked fuel or kept track of it 

and was alarmed to find I was in deep shit 

now in a fighter you have a limited amount of gas 

with the afterburner going you burn it up fast 

The Colonel left three and four in the fray 

and patiently took me to get some gas on a tanker not far away 

I cursed myself for breaking up the flight this way 

and flying like such a bonehead on my first mission this day 

After the debrief we went to the bar 

I was feeling down because of my performance so far 

but my CO yelled for all to hear 

"Bartender bring my wingman a beer"! 

That's all he said after that terrible flight 

No correction, no criticism, like I thought he might



A man who commands his men with such class 

I would follow to hell if ever he asked 

As more and more missions I continued to fly 

The mistakes became less and less by and by 

By the time I reached ten I was a real pro 

Ready to fly anywhere we were fragged to go 

Colonel Billy Minter was one of a kind 

he put his men first, nothing else on his mind 

A man who commands his men with such class 

I would follow to hell if ever he asked

VIETNAM WAR FIGHTER PILOT SONG LYRICS By Doug Perl

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