A Night to Remember

On November 18th, 1969 at 0200 hours we were on a Combat Air Patrol Barrier mission 30 miles east of Hanoi North Vietnam. A flight of two (2) F4Bs from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron -542. Call signs were Pest Killer 1 and 2 .The Commanding Officer LtCol Keith Smith and his radar intercept officer IstLt Blakely were in the lead aircraft Pest Killer 1 and I was in the 2nd aircraft Pest Killer 2, the pilot was IstLt Vadyak. We were on station approximately 20 minutes when I requested from lead to detach for inflight refueling. We rendevoued with a Marine GV tanker 50 miles southeast of the barrier. Upon arrival we requested the port drogue. The GV responded that the port drogue was down, so we had to go to the fun side.the starboard drogue. It was an extremly dark night and the refueling drogue had a very dim light for illumination. We made several brave attempts and finally refueled. Upon our arrival back on the barrier, the skipper detached to refuel. We were under Navy control and reported all radar contacts to Red Crown, the ship board controller. Several minutes after after Pest Killer 1 departed, I reported a radar contact at 30 left 25 miles angels 20. The controller acknowledged the contact and I continued to search. The controller came back in "a slightly higher voice" do you still have that contact, I replied roger, bogie is now at 10 right at 12 angels 20. He requested that we make an identification (ID) pass. I locked onto the target and went into the intercept. We were at 30,000 feet and in a very short period of time we were in 1/2 mile radar trail at mach .94 in the soup angels 20. In the transition we brought the sparrow missles on line and closed to 1/4 mile. The bogie started to manuver and increased speed to mach 1.2. We maintained speed and distance.. The bogie then made a 180 degree reversal and commenced what I would say was violent manuvering. We managed to hang in there as his altitude varied between 12 and 20,000 feet It appeared that the bogie was recieving some direction from somewhere and his 180 degree reversal plus his increase to supersonic speed indicated to us that he was a hostile aircraft. I passed this on to the Navy controller and requested a clearance to FIRE. His reply was negative...request ID. I said that we were in the soup and had no visual. At this time Pest Killer 1 said that he was enroute. As we approached the North Vietnam coast, we picked up a Fansong Missle Radar on out APR-25. It immediately locked onto our aircraft, indicating we were within his firing range. I initiated Electronic Counter measures by activating the onboard jammer, and dispensing Chaff, we were unable to disloge the lockon. I estimated we were well inside the Surface to Air Missle (SAM) range, and asked again for a clearance to FIRE. Same answer get an ID. I told Lt Vadyak, we had it,break hard starboard. I transmitted breaking off. We climbed back to altitude, joined Pest Killer 1 and resumed the Barrier Patrol.I remember that night well, that we almost got a MIG-21. I must say that 1stLt Vadyak did an outstanding job that night. He was on top of it thruout the intercept. I recall how impressed I was at his reactions thruout the entire intercept. We indeed were a team that nite so long ago.

DUKE STEINKEN

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