Category Archives: Combat

Little Orphan Annie and the end of the Air War in SEA August 1973

Posted on August 12, 2018 by

Lest we forget:  F-4 Phantom II—445 total lost in the SEA Air War,  382 in  combat more than any other fixed wing aircraft First combat loss F-4C 64-0685 (45th TFS, 15th TFW) shot down Ta Chan, NW NVN on 20 June 1965.  Final … Continue reading →

Posted in 13 TFS, Air Force, American History, Cambodia bombing 1973, Combat, F-4 Phantom II, F4 emergency, F4 Phantom II, F4 PhantomII, Family History, Fighter Aircraft, Military history, Norvell Family History, SEA, U Dorn RTAFB, Udorn RTAFB, Veterans, Vietnam War | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Day Time Stopped – We drop the Hook

Posted on July 9, 2018 by

During my years flying the F4 there was only one time, while flying combat, we had to use the tailhook to stop on the runway.   It happened while I was stationed in the 13 TFS at Udorn RTAFB,  Thailand.  We … Continue reading →

Posted in 13 TFS, American History, Combat, F-4 Phantom II, F4 emergency, F4 Phantom II, Fighter Aircraft, SEA, Tailhook, Thailand, U Dorn RTAFB, Udorn RTAFB | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Racing Back to Vietnam – A Good Read

Posted on June 1, 2018 by

There are few books that have really captured the world of the F4  backseater or GIB (Guy in Back)  in combat. For Dr. John Pendergrass flying in the F-4 Phantom II in combat during the Vietnam War changed his life … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Combat, F-4 Phantom II, F4 emergency, F4 Phantom II, Vietnam War | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

On to SEA in ’73

Posted on May 5, 2018 by

45 years ago this week,  a new phase of my life began. On May 15, 1973, I kissed my wife goodbye at the airport.   And set off on what was to be the great adventure of my life – flying … Continue reading →

Posted in 13 TFS, Air Force, American History, Combat, F-4 Phantom II, F4 emergency, F4 Phantom II, Luke AFB, Thailand, Vietnam War | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

How does it feel…?

Posted on June 7, 2015 by

So there I was flying combat missions daily in the F4 over Cambodia in 1973 and a letter comes from my late sister and she asked “How does it feel to kill someone?”  To say it pissed me off at the … Continue reading →

Posted in 13 TFS, Air Force, American History, Combat, Norvell Family History, NY, Thailand, Veterans, Vietnam War | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Lipscomb Norvell and the Seige of Charleston

Posted on April 22, 2015 by

The Siege of Charleston  in 1780, during the American Revolution,  marked a British shift of focus towards southern colonies. After failing to achieve any advantage in the north, in 1779 the British government sent a combined military and naval expedition … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Colonial History, Combat, Military history, Norvell Family History, Revolutionary War | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

John Mason Norvell’s Civil War Memoir 8

Posted on March 21, 2015 by

John Mason Norvell, the son of Michigan U.S. Senator John Norvell (1789-1850) and his third wife, Isabella H. Norvell (1804-1873), was a career soldier. He prepared this memoir in 1866 His story continues to the climax of the war at … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Battlefields, C.S.A., Civil War, Civil War Battles, Combat, Michigan History, Military history, Norvell Family History, Veterans | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment