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Rick Bates

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Rick Bates remembers one of his most memorable missions over North Vietnam. Taking enemy fire that took off the right wing of his airplane, he and his flying partner had to eject to save their lives. Getting captured upon landing would set into motion their time as prisoners-of-war. (7:45)

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Keeping a positive attitude and a sharp mind while captured was essential to staying alive as a prisoner of war. Spending time in the Hanoi Hilton, Heartbreak Hotel and Little Vegas was difficult but they found ways to work through the hard times. (6:58)

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After several months as a POW, Rick Bates remembers being released and feeling relieved after they flew to a base in the Philippines. Returning home and getting some leave, he decided to stay in the Air Force and finished out his career flying the F-4. (6:51)

Rick Goddard

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Rick Goddard graduated from the University of Utah as the Vietnam War came into full swing. He’d always had an interest in aviation and the Air Force gave him the opportunity to start flying fighters, more specifically the F-100. (2:49)

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The Vietnam War had claimed a large number of casualties by 1968, and Rick Goddard knew that was where he needed to be instead of an assignment to Germany. He recalls the Escape and Evasion training he had to do before even reaching Vietnam. (3:17)

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Rick Goddard describes his arrival to Vietnam and the men in his squadron. Flying the F-100 allowed him to traverse wide swaths of the country in order to bring support to troops on the ground with the help of the Forward Air Controllers. (8:27)

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Flying over the Ho Chi Minh Trail was a very dangerous. There was a large number of heavy guns on the ground that could fill the sky with tracers and could bring down jets going over 400 knots. Rick tells the stories of some of the men that were lost bombing the Trail, and those lost to accidents. (5:59)

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Rick Goddard describes an event where at Forward Air Controller suffered a midair collision with a Fighter Pilot. The airspace over Vietnam was hectic and very dangerous. (1:47)

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The protocol for getting awards was based on having your actions corroborated by officers, and Rick Goddard recalls some men not getting their full recognition for what they did in Vietnam. (1:41)

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Coming home is a memorable moment for all veterans, especially those coming back from Vietnam. Rick Goddard chose to make a career out of the Air Force when he returned and trained new pilots who were on their way to Vietnam. (5:07)