More than a generation after it ended, Americans are still looking for ways to comprehend what was, at the time it ended, the country's longest war.
Here we offer a series of articles reporting the experiences of aircrews who fought in Vietnam and analyzing U.S. air combat strategies and culture of the time. From the emergence of the helicopter to B-52 bombing campaigns to postwar meetings between U.S. and North Vietnamese airmen, our "Vietnam Memoir" series examines the airplanes and missions that figured prominently in the lives of a generation of veterans.
Escape to U Taphao
In the final days of the Vietnam war, chaos and heroism converged in the effort to evacuate U.S.-supplied aircraft.
The Last of the Mohawks
Grumman's triple-tail, bug-eyed, heat-seeking camera platform.
Plausible Denial
A daring mission to fly combat in Vietnam came with a catch—no one else could know.
Tullo and the Giant
For pilots shot down over North Vietnam, the way home was jolly and green.
Change of Command
When Robin Olds arrived in Vietnam, morale soared.
Counterpunch
Flying Wild Weasel missions involved a variety of airframes but just one philosophy: Do unto SAMS before they do unto you.
Ravens of Long Tieng
In the remote highlands of Laos, U.S. Air Force pilots fought a secret war.
Huey
If you remember Vietnam, you remember the Bell UH-1.
Nguyen Van Bay and the Aces From the North
As an F-4 Phantom pilot, I had tried to kill these men. And they had tried to kill me. I thought it was time we had a talk.
The Christmas Bombing
In December 1972, the B-52 bombers that North Vietnamese missile crews had been waiting for came to Hanoi. Night after night. Over virtually the same track.
