Captain (USAF Ret.) Gary Barnhill's combat career began with F-105 missions in the hazardous and challenging skies over North Vietnam, the highest threat environment of the entire war. These missions required Thud pilots (defined as “men who flew the F-105 over deadly skies of North Vietnam) to face massive anti-aircraft artillery and Russian SAM missile defenses, as well as attacks by MiG jet fighters. Shot down Thud pilots had only a 50-50 chance of being rescued. With an average of being shot down three times during a tour, the expression, “There ain’t no way” (to get out alive) was prevalent. Captain Barnhill will share some of the most harrowing of these North Vietnam combat experiences, as well as flying high-accident-rate no-flap F-100C Super Sabre in Europe 1958-1962. His ordeals included a risky and near fatal refueling episode, and an experimental Hunter-Killer mission, to detect and destroy the first elusive SAM missile sites. At extreme risk to his own life, Captain Barnhill and a few colleagues succeeded in destroying SAM missile sites, before the Wild Weasel mission was invented. These are fascinating reminiscences, and you won’t want to miss them.
The US Navy attack aircraft of the Vietnam War, the A-4 Skyhawk, will be on display.
As always, WMoF members are free and the Lecture and Display are open to the public for $10 WMoF Celebrity Series including Museum tour.
