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Recent Posts
- May 1973 First F-4 Combat Mission over Cambodia May 17, 2023
- Jungle Survival – A Piece of Cake May 2, 2023
- Leaving Luke For Southeast Asia 1973 March 28, 2023
- The POWs come Home and we welcome one January 24, 2023
- Greeting the Future in Times Square December 29, 2022
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© John Norvell
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Category Archives: American History
May 1973 First F-4 Combat Mission over Cambodia
This year is a significant anniversary for me; it was 50 years ago that I flew my first combat mission. In May 1973, I flew across Thailand and entered Cambodian airspace. At the time, there was a lot of pressure … Continue reading
Jungle Survival – A Piece of Cake
Clark AB, Philippines—May 1973 Fifty years ago I was en route to combat over Cambodia, but first stop was at Travis AFB. From there, I caught one of the DOD cattle-car contract transport flights to get to SEA. I have … Continue reading
Posted in 13 TFS, Air Force, American History, F-4 Phantom II, F4 Phantom II, F4 PhantomII, Fighter Aircraft, Navigator, U Dorn RTAFB, Veterans, Vietnam War
Tagged Jungle Survival, SEA
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Leaving Luke For Southeast Asia 1973
An excerpt from my book Fighter ‘Gator Luke AFB Arizona In March 1973, my class completed its F-4 training at Luke. Our class photo taken outside the 310th TFTS showed a confident group. It had been a demanding eight months … Continue reading
Posted in Air Force, American History, Arizona, F-4 Phantom II, F4 Phantom II, F4 PhantomII, Luke AFB, Navigator, Veterans, Vietnam War
Tagged F-4 GIB, F-4 WSO, F4 RTU
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The POWs come Home and we welcome one
Fifty years ago, on January 27, 1973, the United States and North Vietnam agreed to a ceasefire to withdraw American military forces from South Vietnam. The agreement also released American prisoners of war (POWs) held by North Vietnam. Operation Homecoming … Continue reading
Posted in Air Force, American History, Arizona, F4 Phantom II, Luke AFB, POW training, Veterans, Vietnam War
Tagged 1973, POW Release
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Greeting the Future in Times Square
In 1969 two of my friends and I went to welcome in the future in Times Square. This is something that everybody has seen on TV year after year, but few have experienced. In those more innocent times there were … Continue reading
Posted in American History
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Up in the Air So Blue
14 October 1972 Luke AFB Arizona Our bird, F-4C 662, taxied out of its parking space and slowly moved into position. While Hollywood has accustomed Americans to think that there is considerable banter between aircrew members, there is usually strict … Continue reading
60th Reunion
Saturday, July 30, 2022 – I sit with a small group of aging friends at our 60th high school reunion. Let that sink in for a moment – I graduated from high school sixty years ago. On a nearby table … Continue reading
Posted in American History, New York, New York State History
Tagged 1962, 60th Reunion, Small Town Schools
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Silver Wings
Mather Air Force Base—UNT graduation 25 July 1972 It’s hard to believe that it has been 50– 50 years; I repeat this almost in unbelief. Why? Because I only became a navigator through an odd series of circumstances. I received … Continue reading
Checkride!
As flyers one thing we always had to deal with was a checkride. My first checks were in Nav School on the T-29. If all went well, it was straightforward. That was the operative phrase—all went well. Sadly, for me … Continue reading
On Being a Fighter Jock
In his excellent biography, Robin Olds ponders what it means to have the Right Stuff. He looks back at his time in World War II and the men he flew with. Olds understands that flying a fighter is more than … Continue reading
Posted in American History
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