The Strength of Bud Day Photo Courtesy of Bud and Doris Day

The Strength of Bud Day Photo courtesy of Bud and Doris Day Col. Bud Day, the most highly-decorated officer in USAF history, stands before an F-4 at Eglin AFB, Fla. in 1974. Day endured five years of sustained physical and psy- chological torture at the hands the North Day in 1974 at Eglin AFB, Fla. Vietnamese. 50 AIR FORCE Magazine / December 2005 50 AIR FORCE Magazine / December 2005 Despite his injuries, he escaped from North Vietnam, evaded capture for 12 days, and almost made it back to a US base. The Strength of Bud Day By John T. Correll arly afternoon, Aug. 26, 26, he would be gone for more than aircraft in the area just north of the 1967, Phu Cat AB, South five years. DMZ, but surface-to-air missiles were Vietnam. The two pilots making it too hazardous for them to whoE would be flying that day as Misty Third War continue. The Air Force decided to try 31 were already buckling into their Vietnam was the third war for Bud jet aircraft as “Fast FACs.” F-100F when the courier airplane Day. In 1942, he dropped out of high The F-4 Phantom was considered landed. school in Sioux City, Iowa, joined the for the job, but the F-100F was chosen A flight-line vehicle met the cou- Marine Corps, and served in the Pacific instead. This two-seat version of the rier, then drove straight to Misty until the end of World War II. He came F-100 fighter was picked, Day said, 31. An airman got out and handed a back, finished high school, graduated “mainly because it was cheaper, had recently developed reconnaissance from college, attended the University longer legs, and a better view of the photo to the senior pilot, Maj. George of South Dakota Law School, and ground.” E. “Bud” Day. was admitted to the South Dakota bar The Fast FACs were organized as Bud Day was commander of the in 1949. He married his childhood Det. 1 of the 416th Tactical Fighter Misty FACs, who flew forward air sweetheart, Doris Sorensen, who he Squadron at Phu Cat. On June 25, 1967, control missions in risky parts of North called the “Viking” because of her Bud Day, with his long experience in Vietnam. Their job was to find and Norwegian looks. F-100s, was sent to command the new mark the targets for strike aircraft. The Then, as always, the military had unit, which started with 16 pilots and Mistys had been in existence for less a strong appeal for him. He was in four airplanes. Day loved the call sign than three months. Day was the first the Army Reserve after the war, then Misty because that was the name of commander. transferred to the Air National Guard his favorite song. The Fast FACs soon The photo showed an SA-2 mis- and received a direct appointment as became known as Mistys as well. sile site with a radar van and three a second lieutenant. He was called to The mission was described as “diffi- surface-to-air missiles. It was in a active duty with the Air Force in 1951 cult and dangerous,” which naturally at- fruit orchard west of Fingers Lake, a and went to pilot training. During the tracted a host of fighter pilot volunteers. familiar landmark near the Demilita- Korean War, he served two tours in the Typically, the Mistys flew “three-cycle” rized Zone. Far East as an F-84 pilot. missions over North Vietnam, refueling Seventh Air Force wanted Misty to Day remained in the Air Force, and, in the air twice, which allowed them to take a close look at the site and direct in the years that followed, he spent lots go into the battle area three times. an air strike against it as soon as pos- of time in the cockpit. He logged more sible. The SAMs were a serious threat than 5,000 flying hours, 4,500 of them Misty Down not only to fighters operating in that in fighters. That included two tours in From Phu Cat, it took Bud Day and area but also to B-52s, which were the supersonic F-100. “Kip” Kippenham about 30 minutes to bombing along the DMZ. A photo Counting his time as a marine in reach North Vietnam. The SAM site interpreter gave Day all of the details World War II, Day would have had 20 was easier to see in a reconnaissance intelligence had. years of service in 1968 and planned to photo than it would be from a moving Day was the backseat pilot for Misty retire then. First, though, he volunteered airplane. 31. The frontseater was Capt. Corwin for a year in Vietnam. They knew approximately where it Kippenham, a former O-1 FAC on his In April 1967, Day was assigned to was, though, and came in from the east checkout mission as a Misty. It was Tuy Hoa Air Base in South Vietnam, on a high-speed, low-level pass. They Day’s 65th sortie into North Vietnam. flying F-100s, but he didn’t stay there drew small-arms fire, but they did not see It was also going to be his last. When long. Small, propeller-driven O-1s the target. With the North Vietnamese Day took off from Phu Cat on Aug. had been flying as forward air control gunners alerted and primed, Misty 31 AIR FORCE Magazine / December 2005 51 AIR FORCE Magazine / December 2005 51 did not make another pass immediately. Instead, Day and Kippenham worked a strike west of Dong Hoi, refueled from a tanker over Thailand, and then returned to Fingers Lake, approaching from the south. This time, Kippenham saw the SAM site, but it saw them, too. As they were rolling out, the aft section of the aircraft was hit hard by a round from a 37 mm gun. Misty 31 lost hydraulics, and the stick locked. Day took control of the aircraft, but he was unable to get the nose up. Both Kippenham and Day punched out. Day landed in some trees. His right arm was broken in three places, and he had injuries to his knee and to one of his eyes. He tried to report his situation on his survival radio, but was unable to get through. Other aircraft had seen his parachute, though, and a Jolly Green Giant rescue Day was a veteran of World War II (as a marine) and Korea, where he flew F-84s. helicopter had picked up a signal from When he took command of the Misty unit, he had nearly 20 years of service and his chute beeper. was about ready to retire. Here, Day poses beside a T-33 jet trainer. Before it got there, a boy stepped out of the trees. He had an old rifle, which he pointed at Day. He snatched Day’s almost certainly, the boys would have On Aug. 30, he was tortured for the watch off his wrist and yelled for his run. However, it turned left, and Day first time, hung upside down by his feet friends, who came running and took was a prisoner. for most of a day. As he swung there, Day’s boots and knife. He was in the hands of the local mi- the broken bones in his arm ground The Jolly Green pulled close enough litia, not the North Vietnamese Army. against each other. Eventually, the for Day to see a man standing in the He was beaten and kicked by villag- rope stretched enough for his head, open door, holding a rifle. He did not ers, and his guards beat him with rifle and then his shoulders, to touch the know that it was Kippenham, who had butts as they marched him from town ground. been picked up. Had the helicopter to town for several days. At one camp, turned right, the crew would have a “medic” misset his broken arm and Escape seen Day and his young captors, and, put a cast on it. On Sept. 2, Day was being held in a village about 18 miles above the DMZ and he was thinking about escape. He figured that if he could get away, he could ford the Ben Hai River, which runs between North and South Vietnam, and make it back to friendly territory. The guards were inattentive. They did not believe Day could get very far Photos courtesy of Bud and Doris Day in his condition, especially without his boots. To further lull them, he pretended his injuries were worse than they actu- ally were. He untied himself, stole a canteen full of water, and headed south. His bare feet were soon shredded by rocks and undergrowth, and he fell several times, aggravating his broken arm. On the third day, he was sleeping when a bomb exploded nearby, rupturing his eardrum and driving shrapnel into his leg. He had almost nothing to eat except for some purplish berries and unfamiliar citrus-type fruit. On two occasions, he Day had a law degree and more than 5,000 hours of flying time; some 4,500 of them in fighters. His time with the Misty FACs was his second tour in F-100s. Above, Day caught frogs, which he ate raw. “The and an F-104 Starfighter, one of many types he flew. palm trees were full of rain water that 52 AIR FORCE Magazine / December 2005 The Misty FACs to allow villagers to see him and beat him. The Misty FACs were one of the legendary units of the Vietnam War.

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