Another Real American Hero
Sat Sep 13, 2008 5:01 pm
Duke Cunningham
Duke Cunningham and his Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) "Irish" Driscoll became the only Navy aces in the Vietnam War, flying an F-4 Phantom from aboard aircraft carriers, and recording five confirmed kills. He was one of the early graduates of the Navy's TOPGUN school that taught dogfighting techniques to F-4 Phantom pilots and RIOs.
It has been alleged that Cunningham downed a MiG-17 piloted by North Vietnam Air Force fighter ace Col. Nguyen Toon, aka, "Colonel Tomb". Although "Col. Toon" was an American-manufactured myth, several Vietnamese pilots were superb dogfighters, and the North Vietnamese Air Force helped perpetuate the myth of "Colonel Toon", or "Tomb".[8] "Colonel Toon" (or whoever he really was) was not only skilled but unorthodox, as Cunningham found out, when the Navy pilot made an elementary tactical error engaging him. The resulting dogfight became extended. Cunningham climbed steeply, and the MiG pilot surprised Cunningham by climbing as well. Remembering his Top Gun training, Cunningham finally forced the MiG out ahead of him and destroyed it with an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile.
Cunningham was reportedly almost court-martialed while still in flight school for breaking into an office to compare his records with those of his colleagues — a charge denied by Cunningham, but supported by two of his superior officers at the time.[9] Regardless of the controversy, there was little doubt about Cunningham's piloting abilities. He was one of the most highly decorated United States Navy pilots in the Vietnam War, receiving the Navy Cross once, the Silver Star twice, the Air Medal 15 times, and the Purple Heart for wounds he received under enemy fire.
After returning from Vietnam in 1972, he became an instructor at the Navy's TOPGUN school for fighter pilots at Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego. Cunningham says many of his real-life experiences in combat and as an instructor were depicted in the popular 1986 movie Top Gun.[10] Though the movie's producer says the film was not based on any specific aviator,[11] one particularly memorable scene was indeed inspired by Cunningham's own combat experience. The technique Cunningham and Driscoll used to defeat "Colonel Tomb", deploying the aircraft's speed brakes and causing "Tomb" to overshoot, inspired the scenes in Top Gun, where Maverick defeats Jester, and later, an enemy MiG by deploying the brakes and forcing his opponent to overshoot his aircraft.
Duke Cunningham and his Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) "Irish" Driscoll became the only Navy aces in the Vietnam War, flying an F-4 Phantom from aboard aircraft carriers, and recording five confirmed kills. He was one of the early graduates of the Navy's TOPGUN school that taught dogfighting techniques to F-4 Phantom pilots and RIOs.
It has been alleged that Cunningham downed a MiG-17 piloted by North Vietnam Air Force fighter ace Col. Nguyen Toon, aka, "Colonel Tomb". Although "Col. Toon" was an American-manufactured myth, several Vietnamese pilots were superb dogfighters, and the North Vietnamese Air Force helped perpetuate the myth of "Colonel Toon", or "Tomb".[8] "Colonel Toon" (or whoever he really was) was not only skilled but unorthodox, as Cunningham found out, when the Navy pilot made an elementary tactical error engaging him. The resulting dogfight became extended. Cunningham climbed steeply, and the MiG pilot surprised Cunningham by climbing as well. Remembering his Top Gun training, Cunningham finally forced the MiG out ahead of him and destroyed it with an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile.
Cunningham was reportedly almost court-martialed while still in flight school for breaking into an office to compare his records with those of his colleagues — a charge denied by Cunningham, but supported by two of his superior officers at the time.[9] Regardless of the controversy, there was little doubt about Cunningham's piloting abilities. He was one of the most highly decorated United States Navy pilots in the Vietnam War, receiving the Navy Cross once, the Silver Star twice, the Air Medal 15 times, and the Purple Heart for wounds he received under enemy fire.
After returning from Vietnam in 1972, he became an instructor at the Navy's TOPGUN school for fighter pilots at Miramar Naval Air Station in San Diego. Cunningham says many of his real-life experiences in combat and as an instructor were depicted in the popular 1986 movie Top Gun.[10] Though the movie's producer says the film was not based on any specific aviator,[11] one particularly memorable scene was indeed inspired by Cunningham's own combat experience. The technique Cunningham and Driscoll used to defeat "Colonel Tomb", deploying the aircraft's speed brakes and causing "Tomb" to overshoot, inspired the scenes in Top Gun, where Maverick defeats Jester, and later, an enemy MiG by deploying the brakes and forcing his opponent to overshoot his aircraft.
Sat Sep 13, 2008 6:24 pm
Hasn't his Hero status become somewhat tarnished?
Cunningham resigned from the House on November 28, 2005 after pleading guilty to accepting at least $2.4 million in bribes and underreporting his income for 2004. He pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion. On March 3, 2006, he received a sentence of eight years and four months in prison and an order to pay $1.8 million in restitution.
Mike
Cunningham resigned from the House on November 28, 2005 after pleading guilty to accepting at least $2.4 million in bribes and underreporting his income for 2004. He pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion. On March 3, 2006, he received a sentence of eight years and four months in prison and an order to pay $1.8 million in restitution.
Mike
Last edited by mike furline on Sat Sep 13, 2008 6:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Sat Sep 13, 2008 6:37 pm
from "hero" to "zero"
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Sat Sep 13, 2008 7:27 pm
Sat Sep 13, 2008 7:55 pm
I tipped a few with Randy at a CAF convention once, and had a really good time listening to his flying experiences.
Sat Sep 13, 2008 8:30 pm
duke's military career is beyond reproach, & unquestionable.............. but his political career is a shambles, & speaks volumnes for government corruption. his greed & shameless opportuinism is a testimonial of of our government ethics.
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Sat Sep 13, 2008 8:36 pm
duke's military career is beyond reproach, & unquestionable
Actually Tom quite far the the truth. He came close a number of times to getting CM'ed!
Sat Sep 13, 2008 8:49 pm
And yet he was the only Navy Ace of the Vietnam war. I can name several men who are very similar to Cunningham. Heroic war record which has been disputed in some way or another. War record which was not necessarily the best image of a member of the military. Came home and didn't necessarily act as we think a hero shoudl act. Does any of this make his actions then any less laudible? Are some pigs more equal than others?
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Sat Sep 13, 2008 8:49 pm
http://www.amazon.com/Fall-Glory-Sank-U-S-Navy/dp/0684811502/ref=sr_11_1/103-8098841-3516654?ie=UTF8&qid=1221356531&sr=11-1
This book has some very eye opening tidbits on Cunnigham's tours with Top Gun and VF-126.
This book has some very eye opening tidbits on Cunnigham's tours with Top Gun and VF-126.
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Sat Sep 13, 2008 8:50 pm
Are some pigs more equal than others?
Yes
Re: ???
Sat Sep 13, 2008 9:04 pm
Jack Cook wrote:Are some pigs more equal than others?
Yes
How do you judge which pig smells more than another pig? Is it a matter of taste, or proximity, or maybe just personal connection? My uncle by any measure was a war hero. He fought for several years in Korea and came home with a number of awards. And yet his wife left him after several years of being beaten up and struggling with his alcoholism. Is he still a hero?
What about this guy? Were his heroic acts negated by his being a toad in manyways? The president and Congress didn't think so.
Last edited by muddyboots on Sat Sep 13, 2008 9:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Sat Sep 13, 2008 9:05 pm
The baits out but the fish aren't biting 