Skyraiders ...

[Ken]

The last photo of the previous series shows a VNAF A-1H at Bien Hoa with bent prop from a belly landing. Any chance this negative is reversed?

[Noha307]

I found this photo today on Wikipedia, I found it because someone posted a web address to it in a comments section for a blog on Syria.

English: The U.S. Navy Douglas A-1H Skyraider (NE-572, BuNo 135297) "Paper Tiger II" (which was a temporary name used for just this one flight) of Attack Squadron VA-25 Fist of the Fleet being readied for a mission over the Mekong Delta in October 1965. VA-25 was assigned to Attack Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Midway (CVA-41). To commemorate the mark of having delivered 6,000,000 lb. (2721.56 to) of ordnance NE-572 was equipped with a special "bomb", a toilet! The toilet was a damaged toilet, which was going to be thrown overboard. One of the plane captains of VA-25 saved it and the ordnance crew made a rack, tailfins and nose fuse for it. VA-25 personnell maintained a position to block the view of the Air Boss and the ship's Captain while the aircraft was taxiing forward to the catapult. The plane was piloted by X/O Cdr. Clarence W. Stoddard, wingman was LCdr. Robin Bacon (in NE-577, BuNo 139768, with Lt. Clint Johnson shot down a MiG-17 on 20 June 1965). When the "sani-flush-bomb" was dropped, it almost hit LCdr. Beacon's plane due to its light weight.
Cdr. Bill Stoddard (now C/O) was shot down and killed by SAMs over North Vietnam on 14 September 1966, flying with VA-25 from the USS Coral Sea (CVA-43).

[Thunderbolt 251]

Hi all,

I was very interested to see such wonderful topic coverage of the venerable AD.

My Father, Col. Guy R. Campo USMC (Ret.) and now deceased, was a 2Lt. and flew with VMA-121 out of K-6 at Pyongtaek during the Korean War. I have attached some photo's of him and his aircraft during that time, including the AD-2 that he was shot down and crash landed just behind our lines on Oct. 27, 1952 after being hammered by 37mm AAA at the double bend of the Injen River during a CAS mission in support of Commonwealth troops.

It should be said that VMA-121 lost 16 pilots KIA and 39 AD-2-3-4 aircraft in a little over a years worth of combat deployment. Ahhh. . .that's a lot of pilots and aircraft. If that happened today, at the very least there would have been a Congressional Inquiry.

On another note, I am inquiring for a friend whose Father was a flight mechanic and named two AD-4's one "Helen" and another named "Baby Sharon" with VMA-121 during this time. Does anyone have any photo's of these two aircraft so that I might pass them along to his kin?

Please advise soonest.

Thanks!

August 12, 1952 prior to a CAS mission in support of the 1st Marine Div. AD-2 AK-5 BuNo 122318- Standard loadout was 12x250lb and 3x1000lb bombs.


Preflight walkaround






Note the battle damaged engine cowl.


His downed AD-2. He dead sticked his AD-2 (AK-14 BuNo 122280) to this dirt road just a mile behind the lines. When I asked my Dad why he didn't bail he said "Son. . .the last place you want to bail out is over the same guys you just bombed" Sage advice. . . They posted a guard to prevent souvenir hunters from stripping the aircraft. The Marines later jacked up the Skyraider, dropped the gear, replaced the engine and then. . . .flew the darn thing out of there. Practically every pilot in VMA-121 lost an aircraft during that tour.




2Lt. Guy R. Campo


Col. Guy R. Campo Combat Marine Aviator WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

Last edited by Thunderbolt 251 on Tue Feb 25, 2014 10:39 pm, edited 3 times in total.

[Adam Kline]

Great photos. Thanks for posting. Huge fan of all who flew and took care of the Spads.

[Mark Allen M]

Outstanding photos and welcome. I'll take at look for 'Helen' and 'Baby' as well. See what we can find.

[2DAWGS]

I posted these on another thread a while back. Shot these in 2011 Shawnee, OK
I think it belongs to The Collings Foundation now.

[Thunderbolt 251]

Thanks all. If there is any way you can track down those aircraft named Helen and Baby Sharon that would be truly awesome.
Here is a 8mm video of my Dad in his Skyraider. I put to it to music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCGwy_rW ... e=youtu.be

Last edited by Thunderbolt 251 on Tue Feb 25, 2014 10:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[AG pilot]

Thunderbolt 251, that was a great video. Thanks for sharing the link.

[Thunderbolt 251]

*BUMP*

Last edited by Thunderbolt 251 on Mon Feb 24, 2014 10:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Thunderbolt 251]

Outstanding photos and welcome. I'll take at look for 'Helen' and 'Baby' as well. See what we can find.

Thunderbolt 251, that was a great video. Thanks for sharing the link.

Thank you Mark and AG!!

[Mark Allen M]

Absolutely! Actually I have a big file load of Skyraider photos with several from VMA-121, but Many are from angles that do not show where nose art would usually be. Any BuNo's or ship numbers or other info you happen to know?

[tom d. friedman]

the spad is bad...... bad assed!! how all the branches of the military multi morphed that sh1t kicker is amazing.

[Thunderbolt 251]

Absolutely! Actually I have a big file load of Skyraider photos with several from VMA-121, but Many are from angles that do not show where nose art would usually be. Any BuNo's or ship numbers or other info you happen to know?

No Mark I have nothing to help us. I just know the dates range from May 1952- November 1952 or thereabouts but it is definitely a VMA-121 AD-4(?).

[Mark Allen M]

Absolutely! Actually I have a big file load of Skyraider photos with several from VMA-121, but Many are from angles that do not show where nose art would usually be. Any BuNo's or ship numbers or other info you happen to know?

No Mark I have nothing to help us. I just know the dates range from May 1952- November 1952 or thereabouts but it is definitely a VMA-121 AD-4(?).

Roger That!!! I'll see what I can find

[Ken]

Here are a few A-1E, A-1G, or A-1E-5 ... hard to tell without looking up the serials. Credits unknown unless noted.

Airplane assigned to the 4407 CTTS, Hurlburt Field, FL; appears to be at an airshow. Interesting that a USAF machine is still using the carrier-style solid tailwheel.


Airplane from the 1st SOS, NKP Thailand


The end is here, 4407th machine in the boneyard. Note the rarely seen camo on the external fuel tank


"Sweet Marlene" of the 602nd SOS, NKP, Thailand. Looks like all ordnance was expended, save the remaining rockets in the LAU-3 pod on Station 6. The basic LAU-3 had innards of wood and cardboard and was considered disposable and will likely be dropped when/if the remaining rockets are fired. Also interesting that no tailhook is visible. These were frequently not included when airplanes went to the VNAF and many aircraft were traded back and forth over the course of the war. Learn more about this airplane and one of her pilots in this video:
http://vimeo.com/66038238

Last edited by Ken on Fri Mar 07, 2014 12:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.