NEW VIDEOS

Joe Chan

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There was an extensive program that was hush-hush at the time of placing sensors along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Some were acoustic and produced audio recordings that could be analyzed for intelligence. FAC pilot Joe Chan heard an amazing recording of a B-52 strike that was picked up by one of these. (3:23)

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Forward air controller Joe Chan would use white phosphorous rockets to mark his targets. He was limited to staying at least 5,000 feet up because of all the ground fire directed at him. He flew over the Ho Chi Minh Trail which was the the most hazardous area for a FAC. (6:13)

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The most challenging missions were search and rescue missions. Then, the forward air controller looked for a friend rather than the enemy on the ground. Joe Chan assisted in several of those which could involve night flying. He preferred flying during daylight once he got a look at the fireworks display at night from all the ant-aircraft guns. (5:43)

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For night operations, the OV-10 would have a navigator in the back seat using a Starlight Scope to search for enemy targets on the ground. FAC pilot Joe Chan describes the limitations of this tactic and the different flares they would use if they actually found something. (5:22)

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After he was retired, Joe Chan, by chance, ran into a buddy from his tour in Vietnam who had been with him on a very special mission. The two of them lucked into a very noisy incident involving a huge ammo dump on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. (5:53)

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Through careful management of his leave and R&R time, Joe Chan managed to bring his wife to Thailand, where he was based. They had a nice visit and when he got back to the States, he went back to flying the big transports, C-141s and C-5s. His last assignment was as an Air Attache in Hong Kong, where he traveled in China for four years looking for what an Air Attache looks for. (6:04)

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He was still at university when Joe Chan learned to fly through Air Force ROTC. After graduation and pilot training he flew C-141 transports for a year. He returned to it years later and, eventually, was commander of a C-141 squadron. (4:47)

Ronald Russell

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Ron Russell's tour in Vietnam began as a Forward Air Controller based at an old rubber plantation in South Vietnam. Halfway through the tour he was recruited to move to NKP air base in Thailand and serve as a pilot for Special Forces operations and as a FAC flying over the Ho Chi Minh Trail. (4:58)

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As an F-4 pilot, Ron Russell was a perfect candidate to fly the OV-10, a new aircraft designed specifically for counter-insurgency and forward air control. After an eventful tour in Southeast Asia, he went on to a long career in the Air Force and intelligence community. (5:23)

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There was a base camp under VC attack. It was a large force and Forward Air Controller Ron Russell had no air assets available for strikes. He fired his marking rockets, knowing that the enemy would hesitate, fearing an air strike. As that effect wore off, he reached out to the artillery for help. (5:08)