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Editorial [email protected] Editor Suzann Chapman Executive Editor John A. Tirpak Senior Editor Adam J. Hebert About the 40,000 Drawdown vice, some in the aviation and submarine Having been a member of the Air Force communities act and talk as if theirs is Associate Editors Association soon after I enlisted in 1993, I the only specialty that matters. Tamar A. Mehuron can’t tell you how many times I have read Pride in one’s specialty and good Marc V. Schanz your defense of almost every single Air natured ribbing between communities is Breanne Wagner Force weapon system while simultane- natural and harmless. When it evolves Lauren Bigge ously complaining about a lack of budget into arrogance, it is dangerous, de- for our nation’s Air Force (almost always structive, and harmful to the nation’s Contributors described as a narrowing “percentage security. John T. Correll of GDP”—as if this percentage alone Go, team, go. Walter J. Boyne should dictate how much money Uncle Cmdr. Walter Dunn Tucker, Bruce D. Callander Sam should spend on defense). [See USNR (Ret.) Rebecca Grant “Editorial: A Force for the Long Run,” Richmond, Va. Peter Grier December 2006, p. 2.] Tom Philpott It is therefore astonishing to me how Flying Tigers little time you have spent discussing the I’d like to commend Mr. John T. Cor- Production [email protected] fact that our Air Force is cutting 40,000 rell for his outstanding article about the Managing Editor positions from our rolls—all while fight- Flying Tigers in the December 2006 Juliette Kelsey Chagnon ing two wars and (additionally) using issue of Air Force Magazine [p. 36]. 20 percent of our airmen to fill Army As you know I was a member of both Assistant Managing Editor taskings. the original American Volunteer Group Frances McKenney Please consider giving our active (AVG) Flying Tigers and its successor Editorial Associate duty airman just a small percentage combat unit, the 23rd Fighter Group. Dina Elshinnawi of the attention you give the F-22 In fact, I activated the 75th Fighter when describing reductions due to Squadron on July 4, 1942 when the Senior Designer demanding GWOT priorities. No, we AVG was officially disbanded, and I Heather Lewis can’t afford the full-page ads that so served as its very first commander. The Designer beautifully decorate the pages of Air 23rd Fighter Group was activated the Darcy N. Harris Force Magazine, but then I would hope same day the AVG was disbanded. The we wouldn’t have to. group continued to call themselves “The Photo Editor Capt. Kenneth P. Main Flying Tigers.” It consisted of the 74th, Zaur Eylanbekov Scott AFB, Ill. 75th, and 76th Fighter Squadrons, and the 74th and 75th Fighter Squadrons Production Manager The Billy Mitchell Syndrome are still in existence to this day, flying Butch Ramsey One condescending phrase in an A-10s. The photograph shown on pp. otherwise interesting article may explain 36 and 37 of John Correll’s article is a Media Research Editor some of the flak directed toward Air 75th Fighter Squadron P-40E Warhawk. Chequita Wood Force officers [December, “The Billy When this photograph was taken, my Mitchell Syndrome,” p. 52]. good friend, Johnny Alison, had just Advertising [email protected] “Ground-pounders” is a phrase that Advertising Director I heard more than 50 years ago when Patricia Teevan an Air Force veteran was insulting an 1501 Lee Highway Army veteran. Its use in an article in your Do you have a comment about a cur- Arlington, Va. 22209-1198 magazine is unworthy. How does this rent article in the magazine? Write Tel: 703/247-5800 term sound to the families of deceased to “Letters,” Air Force Magazine, Telefax: 703/247-5855 and wounded military personnel who 1501 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA Industry Relations Manager served in ground forces in Afghanistan 22209-1198. (E-mail: letters@afa. Patricia Teevan • 703/247-5800 and Iraq? org.) Letters should be concise and timely. We cannot acknowledge re- US and European Sales Manager Perhaps one day more Air Force ceipt of letters. We reserve the right William Farrell • 847/295-2305 people will acknowledge that airpower is to condense letters. Letters without Lake Forest, Ill. only one of three essential elements in name and city/base and state are not e-mail: [email protected] military success—air, sea, and land. acceptable. Photographs cannot be The Air Force has no monopoly in this used or returned.—THE EDITORS Circulation audited by superiority complex. Within my own ser- Business Publication Audit

4 AIR FORCE Magazine / February 2007 Letters

succeeded me as commander of the to accept, it’s clear the original Flying 75th FS. Tigers were skilled, courageous air- While the article is a well-written piece, men. I’d like to add an addendum to Air Force Association the one thing that troubled me was Mr. Mr. Correll’s article by noting that the 1501 Lee Highway • Arlington, VA 22209-1198 Correll’s reference to Mr. Daniel Ford’s heraldry of the Flying Tigers lives on in book, Flying Tigers, which is much dis- the current-day 14th Air Force. As the Telephone: (703) 247-5800 puted by those of us who are surviving AF’s space operations numbered Air Toll-free: (800) 727-3337 members of the AVG Flying Tigers. In Force, we like to think we embody the Press 1 if you know your party’s extension. his book, he admits that the Japanese spirit and innovation that characterized Press 3 for Member Services. did not have any records, and we simply those original Flying Tigers. We’re proud (For questions about membership, in- do not accept his reliance on interviews to inherit their heritage, and that we’ve surance, change of address or other data with surviving pilots concerning the moved from P-40s to a different kind changes, magazine delivery problems, number of kills by AVG pilots. With the of flying machine more appropriate to or member benefit programs, select the Japanese propensity for saving face, it’s our mission. I believe Gen. Chennault “Member Services” option.) hard to imagine that these pilots were would embrace the modern-day Flying Or stay on the line for an operator to direct going to admit to losing larger numbers Tigers—and maybe even smile. your call. of aircraft downed by the AVG or any Maj. Gen. William L. Shelton, other combatant. Mr. Ford seems bent Commander, 14th Air Force Fax: (703) 247-5853 on discrediting the AVG, in my opinion, Vandenberg AFB, Calif. and especially maligning Claire Chen- Internet: http://www.afa.org/ nault in the process. There are certainly The picture of the P-40 with seven other more creditable sources that should pilots was not the AVG. This was the be used when writing about the AVG. 75th Fighter Squadron, 23rd Group, E-Mail Addresses The one that is endorsed by the Flying and sometime after the AVG disbanded Tigers Association is Claire Chennault’s on 4 July 1942. All pilots shown were Field Services ...... fl[email protected] autobiography, Way of a Fighter. 75th, as was also the ’40 itself (a later Government Relations ...... [email protected] David Lee “Tex” Hill model than the AVG flew). In another San Antonio picture (p. 41), showing Robert Scott Industry Relations ...... [email protected] with Chennault, please note he was Information ...... [email protected] Thanks to John Correll for his excellent not in the AVG either, although he flew article on the Flying Tigers. Regardless some missions as an observer with Member Services ...... [email protected] of the version of history one chooses its pilots. Policy & Communications (news media) ...... [email protected]

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AIR FORCE Magazine / February 2007 5 While units sequent to the AVG’s dis- only about three-to-one. Some have more personal knowledge of the AVG banding, those in the CATF and following also claimed the Israel Air Force did than I have. that, the 14th AF, sometimes proclaimed better than the AVG in its brief war Lt. Col. Wallace H. Little, themselves as “Flying Tigers,” they with Syria. Again, that is a poor com- USAF (Ret.) were not in the AVG. I write as a pilot parison. The Syrian Air Force was a Marshall, Tex. of the 75th in a period some time after farce, untrained, undisciplined, and the picture was taken. While the 75th flying planes inferior to the Israelis’. This is in regard to the article in the established its own outstanding record, The situation with the AVG was exactly December 2006 issue of your maga- it did not compare with the AVG. opposite. The ancient P-40s were zine titled “The Flying Tigers,” by John You cited a kill ratio of “at least 10 inferior to the Japanese planes, flown T. Correll. I have nothing but praise for Japanese airplanes shot down for every by pilots who had been trained to near the article itself except for the labeling one they lost.” That is an inaccurate pic- perfection, while the AVG pilots had of the P-40 as “obsolete” when first pur- ture. The AVG lost 12 pilots, but only four not much more than an “introductory chased for the AVG. How a 300+ mph in air-to-air, which is the real measure course” in their P-40 training in the few fighter plane with a 1,000+ hp engine, of the kill ratio. Considering that the months before the war. six guns, armor plate, self-sealing fuel AVG had 297 confirmed kills, the ratio The AVG produced a record in air tanks, and a good rate-of-roll could be should have been cited as 74-to-one. combat that exceeded anything already called obsolete in 1941 is beyond my Couple this to the fact that some of the on the books, one not equaled during comprehension. fighting took place over open water or World War II, and one that will stand However, the sidebar on p. 42 does jungle, where a downed plane quickly without serious challenge. need some clarification, if I may be disappeared without anyone being able One last comment: It was not until 2001 so bold. to get a confirmation, the actual figure when the United States government, to First, the statement that “more than of downed planes undoubtedly exceeds its everlasting shame, finally granted 14,000 were produced” is in error. the recorded number. AVG members veteran status—after Actual production of the P-40 series I am aware some historians offer dif- most were already dead. Whether this totaled 13,738. ferent figures, particularly one who said is the result of chagrin at being shown Second, the P-40 was used by 13 he verified his figures by checking with up by those not considered “military,” nations, not 28. These were: the USA, Japanese sources. However, I question institutional inertia, or simply grudge, I Great Britain, France, Canada, Australia, the reliability of one who defends his don’t know. I’m willing to let historians New Zealand, South Africa, the USSR, loss by claiming it did not happen. settle that. However, it was grossly unfair Brazil, Turkey, China, the Netherlands Churchill compared the AVG with to wait until that year to do it. East Indies, and Egypt. An RAF Belgian the record of the RAF in the Battle of I suspect you may receive other squadron used some in West Africa so Britain—a poor comparison as it was letters on this article, from those with that could be one more. In addition, several were captured and used by the Japanese and one, captured from the Russians, was used by Finland. As to the identity of the AVG P-40s: Those 100 Tomahawks released to China by the RAF all bore serial numbers of Tomahawk IIBs. The H-81A-3 designa- tion has only appeared once officially, to my knowledge, in a reference titled the “C-W Designation Book” in the hands of Mr. Joe Christy during the early 1970s. My own research has, so far, given all the Tomahawk IIBs the Curtiss designation of H-81A-2. The H-81A-3s were listed as 100 aircraft diverted from a British order. The assumption has been made AD SPACE that this designation was a special one just for the Chinese/AVG aircraft. As China purchased only the airframes from Curtiss, all the equipment such as engines, guns, radios, etc., had to be bought separately. The engines themselves were put together from spare parts by Allison. So it is possible that those AVG P-40s could have had P-40B-style fuel tanks. My thanks for your time and I hope this clears up some points for the author. Eric H. Hart Milwaukee

The Gunship’s Creator The article in your December issue, like many others about AC-130s, fails to give credit to the individual who fathered this “hare-brained idea” [De- cember, “The Night Shift,” p. 44]. I was

6 AIR FORCE Magazine / February 2007 Letters a test engineer at Eglin in the mid-60s An Accident-Free Force? were sent to FACs to direct immediate when my boss called me in and told In Otto Kreisher’s article “Toward Zero strikes and to 7th AF for subsequent me that some strange captain named Mishaps” [December, p. 58], he uses a Arc Light bomber targeting. Ron Terry had flown in from Wright-Pat Hill AFB F-16 pilot as an example of how This idea was the brainchild of the with a C-131 and was trying to find a “failure to follow the right procedures Scientific Advisory Board and embraced gun he could mount sideways and fire can leadAT to mishaps.” AAI, TRAININGby McNamara AND who made it a priority out the bailout door. My project at the The author gives the following report development under the direct control time was the SUU-11A gun pod which of the March 2006 crash: “The pilot of SECAF Harold Brown and using pri- mounted the first minigun installation, apparentlySIMULATION was so preoccupied with SOLUTIONSmarily Air Force funds to budget it. Gen. so it seemed like that might work. To the engine emergency that he forgot Ryan thought it a flawed concept and a make a long story short, we managed the cardinal rule: Fly the airplane first. waste of time and Air Force money. to work our way through an aircraft mod The AREFalcon slowed REALITY. down and stalled, Harold Brown, on one of his visits to package and a range safety review in forcing the pilot to eject.” 16th AF at Ramstein, had several brief- about two weeks. Since I was flying with Immediately following the accident, ings by then-Maj. Gen. Lavelle and was Test Ops at the time and was familiar Air Combat Command dispatched a astounded by his detailed knowledge of with the range control and safety pro- Safety and Accident Investigation Board specifications and functioning of every cedures, and also with the gun system, to the scene to determine the cause element of weapons systems and op- I was nominated to go along as the and prevent future accidents of a simi- erations in 16th AF in response to his, first lateral firing gun mechanic. We lar nature. After several months, ACC even trivial, questions. Not once did he used up about 1,500 rounds of 7.62 released the conclusive AIB report and need the support of any of his staff. He mm ammunition shooting up a barge corresponding news release. was the consummate micromanager (as in the Gulf using various tactics like The AIB determined that the engine’s was Brown). Therefore, when the posi- low-level flybys and pylon turns. Ron No. 4 bearing assembly failure reduced tion of director of DCPG came open, he captured pictures of this with a modi- engine thrust to a point where the aircraft personally appointed Lavelle to the job fied gun camera looking through the would not maintain level flight. Because and promoted him to lieutenant general gunsight and used them as part of his distance to the nearest recovery field outside of the AF system. This did not report back at Wright-Pat. was beyond the aircraft’s glide capabili- sit well with Gen. Ryan, who did not These convinced the powers that be ties, it was determined that the aircraft have the same appreciation of Lavelle’s that this weird idea might work, and was unrecoverable. qualifications as the SECAF. maybe six months later he showed Because Mr. Kreisher’s article implies With his close relationship with Brown up at Eglin again with a C-47 modified the accident was due to pilot error, I and knowing that McNamara wanted to to mount multiple M-60 machine guns ask your publication to run a correction accelerate the Igloo White operational firing out through the windows. They as soon as possible. The failure of the date, Lavelle pushed hard and was turned out to not work too well, so he No. 4 bearing was undetectable, and able to divert valuable AF assets to stole my preproduction test articles the pilot followed proper procedures his program. This also did not please and the lieutenant who worked for me, before determining the aircraft to be Gen. Ryan. I attended several meet- Ralph Kimberlin, and took everything unrecoverable and ejecting. ings between the two, and there was to Vietnam. That was where a new I appreciate your help in ensuring no love lost.AAI’s Ittraining was quiteand simulation apparent to legend of “Puff the Magic Dragon” was correct information about the accident Gen. capabilities Ryan that are he the had real littledeal. control born. Of course bigger is better, and is passed on to the public. We appreci- over LavelleWe designwith his and direct develop access to longer range is safer, so the lateral ate your support. DOD andtotal Brown, training evensolutions, to his selection firing standard changed from AC-47 2nd Lt. Beth Woodward, and assignmentfeaturing computer-based, of AF personnel. Also, to AC-119 to AC 130 over the years, Chief of Public Affairs Lavelleinteractive was able multimedia to bypass 7th AF/13th with larger weapons and newer equip- 388th Fighter Wing AFinstruction at Clark (IMI) AFB and and high-fidelity, 7th AF in Saigon ment, but the fact remains that without Hill AFB, full-scaleUtah hardwareand personally devices effectively direct many delivering operations at TFA in Thailand. “that crazy captain from Wright-Pat” practical and knowledge-based training. In 1971, when the job of commander the gunships would probably never More on Lavelle Learn more by contacting 7th AF came open, Brown, over Ryan’s have come to be. Ron Terry deserves I read with interest the articleus byat John410-667-7170 or objections, appointed Lavelle (who the credit for having had a vision and Correll on the ouster of [email protected]. John D. seeing it through. Lavelle (November, p. 58). As a briga- had no operational experience) and Lt. Col. John F. Harvell, dier general in 1968, I was elected by promoted him to four stars. So, the USAF (Ret.) Lavelle as his deputy for operations in battle lines were drawn. All that was Merrimack, N.H. the Defense Communications Planning left was for Lavelleaaicorp.com to “screw up” and Group (DCPG), which was a cover for Ryan would crucify him. And it hap- “The Night Shift” story in the Decem- the development of seismic and acoustic pened—there could have been other ber issue of Air Force Magazine contains sensors to detect primarily truck traffic outcomes less injurious to the Air Force a misleading statement. on the roads that made up the Ho Chi had Ryan not been focused on extract- The caption on the bottom of p. 46 Minh Trail in Laos. It was also known as ing his pound of flesh. He had every states that the C-131 was one of the the Igloo White Project. In 1969-70, he right to be upset by Brown usurping his “successful gunships” of the past. In sent me to command Task Force Alpha prerogatives and Lavelle’s freewheeling fact, the C-131 “gunship” was not a located at Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. antics and promotion to full general. success, it did not go beyond initial TFA was the infiltration-surveillance cen- But the effective disciplining of the man testing at Eglin AFB, and it was never ter where sensor data relayed through could have been achieved without all used in combat. EC-121 aircraft was processed by large the ruckus, had Ryan used the more MSgt. Jim Walker, computers—the speed, direction, num- subtle pressures at this disposal and USAF (Ret.) ber, and location of the truck traffic, as a little more political astuteness. In Dayton, Ohio well as transshipment and storage areas the final analysis, the stalemate was

AIR FORCE Magazine / February 2007 7 broken when Lavelle, not wanting to fight any longer, compromised—and this is important—he would accept his demotion to major general and retirement if he would get 100 percent military disability (not VA disability), which meant a substantial increase in his total retirement compensation. In my three years of a very close re- lationship with Gen. Lavelle, while frus- trated by his micromanagement style, I admired his devotion to his job—his job was his life. Seven-day work weeks were the norm, and his workaholic civil- ian bosses rewarded him accordingly. Supremely confident, he did not fear “stove piping” Gen. Ryan. After all, he got his third and fourth stars!!! On a personal note, being Lavelle’s prime military deputy for those years did not especially ingratiate me with Gen. Ryan or enhance my prospects for further advancement—but it was an intriguing AD SPACE “wild ride” while it lasted. Brig. Gen. Chet Butcher, USAF (Ret.) Fort Myers, Fla.

Regarding the John Correll piece on Gen. John Lavelle and resultant letters, I’m reminded of my first day as AC-47 combat tactics officer at HQ 7th Air Force in late 1968. The directorate’s office was empty save for a clerk and an officer who was composing a trip report that would go directly to the director of operations. In response to my question of “What’s my job?” Major Jerry Watson replied, “Anything you’re man enough to do.” Anyone having experienced Vietnam (or having read its extensive literature) should realize that Gen. Lavelle and many others were thrust into circum- stances that tested their manhood. Gen. Lavelle’s misfortune was that he was not serving under Napoleon, who on Nov. 2, 1809 wrote to Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bessieres: “Be of firm character and will. ... Overcome all obstacles. I will disapprove your actions only if they are fainthearted and irresolute. Everything that is vigorous, firm, and discreet will meet with my approval.” I suppose the general wasn’t “discreet” enough and therefore had to take the fall. Col. Kenneth L. Weber, USAF (Ret.) Borden, Ind. signed to the 352nd FG as a proud and the necessary recapitalization “blue-noser.” Our heritage is a critical effort. In every timeframe of our Air Airpower Classics piece of our present and future Air Force history tough calls have been Thank you for the “Airpower Clas- Force and displaying it with technical made, sacrifices have occurred, and sics,” p. 88, December 2006. Aircraft details and personal facts allows us to excellent results have been attained. capsules like this bring our heritage fondly recall the quality P-51B aircraft, Keep the “Airpower Classics” coming to mind and inspire us to “dig a little the proud airmen who flew her, and as they help us use our proud heritage deeper” into our aviation knowledge the outstanding Air Force we have to bolster and understand the need for memory bank. My deceased father, become, in no small part from their our present decisions and actions. Lt. Col. John F. Thornell Jr., USAF service. It is also an excellent diversion CMSgt. Joseph E. Thornell Sr., (Ret.), achieved 13 aerial victories in from the painful realities of the budget Superintendent, CCAF the P-51B Patty Ann II and was as- tightness, the drawdown of our force, Maxwell AFB, Ala.

8 AIR FORCE Magazine / February 2007