NEW VIDEOS

Ronald Russell

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A long range reconnaissance patrol had been compromised. They had been spotted and at least a company size force was pursuing them. They scrambled into a large bomb crater and it was there that Forward Air Controller Ron Russell directed the fight to save and extract the team. (6:48)

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Ron Russell was heading to Thailand. He had been recruited to help in the clandestine war in Laos which was aimed at interdicting the flow of men and arms on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. He had two duties, supporting Special Forces operations and flying forward air control missions over the Trail. (3:52)

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It was his last mission over Laos. As he was waiting for it to start, Ron Russell spotted another OV-10 flying below him. It was his roommate on another mission and he had spotted some trucks on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. While they were searching for the trucks, Ron found a gun emplacement and turned to mark it for an air strike when a shell struck an engine. He was on fire. Part 1 of 3. (7:16)

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After ejecting from his burning aircraft over Laos, Ron Russell found himself under a tall forest canopy with very little ground vegetation for cover. He hid under a fallen tree and began to radio for help. Then, he heard footsteps. Part 2 of 3. (7:10)

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The fear can be paralyzing. Ron Russell had ejected and parachuted down into a thick jungle in Laos. As he tried to keep calm he remembered the aspirin water he always had on missions and that made him feel a lot better. After his ordeal was over, he assumed his call sign would be retired but it was passed on twice. Isn't that bad luck? Part 3 of 3. (6:58)

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The forward air controller in Vietnam had a unique job. They ran the war in their little corner of it, controlling air strikes, artillery, Naval gunfire and ground movement. Ron Russell knew that he and his fellow FACs were fulfilling that role, though the Air Force never seemed to give them much credit for it. (4:19)

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Ultimately, the interdiction campaign on the Ho Chi Minh Trail was a failure. So says Ron Russell and he ought to know because he was a forward air controller directing strikes against targets on the trail. Near the end of his tour he began to have access to laser guided bombs. Enough of those would have meant a different outcome. (7:46)

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After the successful search and rescue of downed pilot Ron Russell, he met another pilot named Woodie Bergeron who had also just been rescued. He was an F-4 back seater and the pilot of his aircraft was not found and was feared dead. It was years later when there was some resolution to the matter. (7:48)

Joe Chan

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Joe Chan was already flying the big transports but he began training for an entirely different kind of flying. He was going to Vietnam as a Forward Air Controller, a job in which he flew a much smaller aircraft and directed the lethal force of fighters and bombers. (5:30)

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It was safe in Thailand. Forward Air Controller Joe Chan didn't have to worry about mortar or rocket attacks where he was based but there was a trade-off. His area of operations was over Laos and the Ho Chi Minh Trail which meant that he faced very intensive ground fire. (6:07)