FALL 2015 - Volume 62, Number 3
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FALL 2015 - Volume 62, Number 3 WWW.AFHISTORICALFOUNDATION.ORG Fall 2015 -Volume 62, Number 3 WWW.AFHISTORICALFOUNDATION.ORG Features A War Too Long: Part II John S. Schlight 6 New Sandys in Town: A–7s and Rescue Operations in Southeast Asia Darrel Whitcomb 34 Ivory and Ebony: Officer Foes and Friends of the Tuskegee Airmen Daniel L. Haulman 42 Dragons on Bird Wings: The Combat History of the 812th Fighter Air Regiment By Vlad Antipov & Igor Utkin Review by Golda Eldridge 50 Richthofen: The Red Baron in Old Photographs By Louis Archard Review by Daniel Simonsen 50 The Ardennes, 1944-1945: Hitler’s Winter Offensive Book Reviews By Christer Bergström Review by Al Mongeon 50 The Medal of Honor: A History of Service Above and Beyond By Boston Publishers, ed. Review by Steven D. Ellis 51 American Military Aircraft 1908-1919 By Robert B. Casari Review by Joseph Romito 51 Believers in the Battlespace: Religion, Ideology and War By Peter H. Denton, ed. Review by R. Ray Ortensie 52 British Airship Bases of the Twentieth Century By Malcolm Fife Review by Carl J. Bobrow 53 The Phantom in Focus: A Navigator’s Eye on Britain’s Cold War Warrior By David Gledhill Review by Mike R. Semrau 53 Lords of the Sky By Dan Hampton Review by Janet Tudal Baltas 54 An American Pilot with the Luftwaffe: A Novella and Stories of World War II By Robert Huddleston Review by Steve Agoratus 54 The Astronaut Wives Club By Lily Koppel Review by Janet Tudal Baltas 55 Malloch’s Spitfire: The Story and Restoration of PK 350 By Nick Meikle Review by Steve Agoratus 56 U.S. Marine Corps Aviation Since 1912: Fourth Edition By Peter B. Mersky Review by Joseph T. Anderson 56 Flight Badges of the Allied Nations, 1914-1918: Volume I—The French, Russian, and Romanian Air By Robert S. Pandis Review by Carl J. Bobrow 57 Pogie 105: Story of MIA Vietnam Jet Pilot Colonel Dean “Pogie” Pogreba By Maxine A. Pogreba Review by Scott A. Willey 57 The Curtis Papers: Canadian Aerospace and Joint Studies, Vol. 1, Books 1 & 2 By Canadian Forces Review by Richard P. Hallion 57 Shot Down: The True Story of Pilot Howard Snyder and the Crew of the B–17 Susan Ruth By Steve Snyder Review by Steve Agoratus 58 Hell in the Heavens: The Saga of a World War II Bomber Pilot By David E. & Morton E. Tavel Review by Daniel J. Simonsen 59 Army of the Sky: Russian Military Aviation Before the Great War; 1904-1914 By Gregory Vitarbo . Review by Carl J. Bobrow 59 The Dakota Hunter: In Search of the Legendary DC–3 on the Last Fron tiers By Hans Wiesman Review by Steve Agoratus 60 I Won’t be Home Next Summer: Flight Lieutenant R. N. Selley DFC (1917-1941) By Ron Selley & Kerrin Cocks Review by Paul Jacobs 58 Japanese Fighters in defense of the Homeland, 1941-1944, Vol. I By Leszek A. Wielicko . Review by Scott A. Willey 59 The Millionaire’s Squadron: The Remarkable Story of 601 Squadron and the Flying Sword By Tom Loulson Review by Joseph Romito 59 Guardian Angel: Life and Death Adventures with Pararescue, the World’s Most Powerful Commando Rescue Force By William F. Sine Review by John D. McElroy 60 Departments Books To Review 61 Upcoming Events, Letter, and Reunions 62 New History Mystery 64 COVER: F–105Ds of the 34th Tactical Fighter Squadron drop bombs on Vietnam. The Air Force Historical Foundation The Journal of the Air Force Historical Foundation Fall 2015 Volume 62 Number 3 Editor Richard I. Wolf Editor Emeritus Jacob Neufeld Air Force Historical Foundation Book Review Editor P.O. Box 790 Scott A. Willey Clinton, MD 20735-0790 (301) 736-1959 Advertising Jim Vertenten E-mail: [email protected] On the Web at http://www.afhistoricalfoundation.org Circulation Angela J. Bear Board of Directors Patron Members Maj Gen Dale W. Meyerrose, USAF (Ret.) Col Gerald F. Christeson, USAF (Ret.) Chairman Col Dennis M. Drew, USAF (Ret.) Lt Gen Charles L. Johnson II, USAF (Ret.) Maj Gen Charles J. Dunlap, Jr., USAF Air Power History (ISSN 1044-016X) is pro- First Vice Chairman Mr. Darrell Dvorak duced for Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter by Lt Gen Stephen G. Wood, USAF (Ret.) Capt Robert Maxson, NOAA the Air Force Historical Foun dation. Second Vice Chairman Gen James P. McCarthy, USAF (Ret.) Prospective contributors should consult the Lt Gen Christopher D. Miller, USAF (Ret.) Lt Gen George D. Miller, USAF (Ret.) Mrs. Marilyn Moll GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS at Secretary the back of this journal. Unsolicited manu- Col Bobby Moorhatch, USAF (Ret.) Col Thomas A. Owens, USAF (Ret.) scripts will be returned only on specific Treasurer Col J Calvin Shahbaz request. The Editor cannot accept responsibil- Col Scott C. Bishop, USAF (Ret.) Brig Gen William L. Shields ity for any damage to or loss of the manu- Col William J. Dalecky, USAF (Ret.) Lt Col Kenneth W. Sublett script. The Editor reserves the right to edit Lt Col (Dr.) Dik Daso, USAF (Ret.) Lt Col Raymond C. Tagge, USAF (Ret.) manuscripts and letters. Lt Col Steven Gress, Jr., USAF (Ret.) Ms. Jonna Doolittle Hoppes Address LETTERS TO THE EDITOR to: CMS John R. (Doc) McCauslin, USAF (Ret.) President’s Circle Mr. Daniel R. Sitterly, USAF SES Air Power History Col William J. Dalecky, USAF (Ret.) 6022 Cromwell PL Col Wray Johnson, USAF (Ret.) Alexandria, VA 22315 e-mail: [email protected] Correspondence regarding missed issues or Editor, Air Power History CORPORATE SPONSORS changes of address should be addressed to Richard I. Wolf the CIRCULATION OFFICE: Gold Level ($10,000 or more) Editor Emeritus, Air Power History Lockheed Martin Corporation Air Power History Jacob Neufeld P.O. Box 790 Wing Clinton, MD 20735-0790 Northrop Grumman (301) 736-1959 Staff Mr. Michael Clarke e-mail: [email protected] Lt Col James A. Vertenten, USAF (Ret.) ADVERTISING Secretary to the Board and Squadron Executive Director Maj Gen John S. Patton, USAF (Ret.) Jim Vertenten Mrs. Angela J. Bear, Office Manager ROKAF Historical Foundation P.O. Box 790 Clinton, MD 20735-0790 Flight (301) 736-1959 Dr. Richard P. Hallion e-mail: [email protected] Lt Gen Christopher Miller, USAF (Ret.) Lt Gen Michael A. Nelson, USAF (Ret.) Copyright © 2015 by the Air Force Historical Col Wayne C. Pittman, Jr., USAF (Ret.) Foundation. All rights reserved. Maj Willard Strandberg, Jr., USAF (Ret.) Periodicals postage paid at Clinton, MD Torchmark Corporation 20735 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send change of address to the Circulation Office. 2 AIR POWER History / FALL 2015 From the Editor In this issue, we are completing the story of the conflict in Southeast Asia, which we began in the last issue. It is designed to complement the sessions that will be underway in October with the “Violent Skies: Air War over Vietnam” symposium, jointly sponsored b all of the services. The National Defense University is hosting this symposium on October 15th and 16th. Complete registration details are located at www.violentskies.org. As a result of the impending event, our lead article is Part II of A War Too Long, by Col. John S. Schlight, USAF (Ret.), which carries the story from 1965 to the end of the conflict. We also have an article by Darrell Whitcomb about the introduction of the A–7 aircraft into the “Sandy” role in Vietnam. It is the result of extensive research undertaken by the author at the Air Force Historical Research Agency at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. The third article departs from the theme, and is contributed by Daniel Haulman, one of the eminent crew of archivists and historians at Maxwell, who has written extensively on the experience of the Tuskegee Airmen through the years. In this article, Dan has covered some new ground in greater detail as he discusses who helped, and who hindered, the Airmen during World War II. An interesting read. As usual, we have an extensive collection of book reviews, some twenty in all, beginning on page 50. Our Book Review Editor, Scott Willey has noted that it is becoming harder to get people to review items for this publication. If you are at all interested in air power readings, take a look at page 61 and see if you have something to add. Please take a minute to catch up with the state of the Foundation by turning to page 5 and our President’s Message. It has all the latest news and information on Foundation hap- penings. We conclude the issue with our normal lists of air power events and reunions, as well as a very nice, laudatory letter about our discontinued “History Mystery” and its author, Bob Dorr. But we also have a new version of the “Mystery” on the final page, page 64. Be sure to take a look. Please don’t forget to take a look at the details for the October 15-16 symposium. Air Power History and the Air Force Historical Foundation disclaim responsibility for statements, either of fact or of opinion, made by contributors. The submission of an article, book review, or other communication with the intention that it be published in this journal shall be construed as prima facie evidence that the contributor willingly transfers the copyright to Air Power History and the Air Force Historical Foundation, which will, however, freely grant authors the right to reprint their own works, if published in the authors’ own works. AIR POWER History / FALL 2015 3 4 AIR POWER History / FALL 2015 From the President Dear Foundation Members and Friends: As always, let me thank you for the part that each of you has played in the his- tory and legacy of air power, and for your generous support of our Foundation.