LTC Ron Green
Lieutenant Colonel Ron Green was born in Aberdeen, SD, then had short moves to Wyoming and Nebraska. While in Nebraska he lived under a final approach to the runway there. This was a ‘top-off’ base that had bombers and fighters that flew each day. Ron looked up at the airplanes in the sky in ‘42 and set a goal of becoming a fighter pilot. This goal was realized in ‘60 when he earned his wings and became a fighter pilot in the F-100.
I got to know Ron thru PIREP a group started by Maj. Gen. Carl Schneider, USAF, Ret. PIREP was a group of aviation enthusiasts who would meet and tell stories from their sordid past. The only requirement was that, at least part of the story had to be true!
Arv Schultz would record the stories where, eventually, they would result in a book of stories somewhere between fact and fiction!
At the end of this introduction, I will share several of Ron’s stories all worth your time.
Although Col Green took time off from the cockpit to obtain a Masters Degree from ASU in 1973 and served in the Pentagon from ‘74-‘78, he stayed a fighter pilot until retiring in 1980. During this time, he flew 3150 hours in the F-100 and 900 hours in the F-4. He flew out of or over most countries of the world. This included 3 tours in Vietnam and totaled 292 Combat Missions (232 in the F-100 and 60 in the F-4) without sustaining a single hit. Although one day he can remember a missile going by the canopy so close that he could see the access panels needed a blade screw driver. On his 4th mission he also winchestered (depleted the gun ammo) engaging a Mig-17. The 37mm guns blink while 23mm guns put out a steady stream of fire. Yes, you can see the bullets go by!
Distinguished Flying Cross
Colonel Green was later awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for Heroism during aerial flight. To read more of his service in Vietnam, please click on Green At War.
Colonel Green had many ocean deployments that used the KB-50s and KC-135s. He remembers these as hours of boredom interspersed with short periods of extreme fright refueling. Refuelings most memorable involved chasing a KB-50 down by following the exhaust in the clouds and using the F-4s radar for join up in the clouds behind a KC-135 over Thailand. In both cases, there was no abort base available. The longest deployment lasted for 10 and 1/2 hours and required 5 aerial refuelings.
LtCol Ron Green, USAF official photo
Colonel Green was awarded the following medals and decorations during his military career:
- Distinguished Flying cross with V device for valor in combat (Heroic Action)
- Defense Meritorious Service Medal
- Meritorious Service Medal
- Air Medal with 15 Oak leaf Clusters (OLC) (Total 16 Air Medals)
- Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with 1 OLC and 1 V device (Total 2, 1 in combat),
- Presidential Unit Citation
- Combat Readiness Medal
- National Defense Service Medal
- Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with 1 OLC
- Vietnam Service Medal with 3 stars
- Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon with 3 OLCs (over 20 years)
- Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
- RVN Gallantry Cross with Palm
- Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.
Colonel Green retired from the Air Force in 1980 and went to work at McDonnell Aircraft in St. Louis, MO. While there he flew thousands of hours in the domed simulators and became the chief Threat Pilot in current and hypothesized future Mig Aircraft. His involvement in two projects there resulted in his being awarded the President’s Award twice. As he said, “Too bad the awards were not money instead of certificates and plaques.” Health problems finally resulted in forcing him to retire/retire in 1994.
Ron was inducted into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame, Class of 2013.
FIRST COMBAT MISSION & DFC
I joined the 416th TFS on Easter Sunday, 1963, at Misawa AB, Japan. Although this was to be a 3yr tour, in June 1964 I found myself in the last flight of F-100’s leaving Misawa as we were being transferred to EAFB as a part of Project Clear Water (Muddy Water as we affectionately called it).
I was named the Sqd. Mobility Officer, but was told not to worry about it as it would be at least six months before we could be sent anywhere. True to form, in two months we were given two weeks to be on the way to Vietnam (VTM).
In exactly two weeks, after painting many of the boxes myself, we marshaled the last box for the deployment. At this moment we received a call that said we weren’t going after all.
Although we were disappointed, (especially me) all our work was not for naught as we found ourselves in Clark AB the next March. We were TDY to Clark but were on call for deployments to Da Nang AB, SVN, as a Response Force when we were called upon.
We didn’t have long to wait as the first afternoon we were told to deploy 10 aircraft to SVN for missions North. I begged the Ops Officer to let me go and was told that as soon as I unloaded the last C-130 the next morning, and loaded it with equipment required for TDY support, I could get onboard and accompany it.
We met the C-130 the next morning and by one of the pilots driving the forklift, I was soon on the way to Da Nang. I quickly did my mobility duties that were necessary and then accomplished my in-theater briefing so that I was ready to fly except for picking up my local survival vest, gun and combat radio to be carried. I was even able to sweet talk my way on to a mission the next morning.
After my briefing, I decided it was time to take my one B-3 bag and check into Billeting for my tent bed. I figured that I would unpack my clothes and then bring my flying gear back.
I was standing in front of the Quonset (our Ops) waiting for a ride when three pilots ran out, of which one was from the 416th. He hollered at me that I was #4 of a RESCAP for a 105 pilot that had just been shot down (this turned out to be Robby Risner). We were to provide support for his pickup. (It turned out that all the other pilots had already flown and were at the Club eating lunch). The information was hollered to me as the pilots ran past me.
I tore my flying gear from my B-3, threw the bag back inside the Quonset, and started to follow in the direction that the pilots had disappeared in. I was putting my flying gear on as I ran and saw several Crew Chiefs standing in front of an airplane in a revetment waving me on, so I went there. Ever put a G-suit on while running!
The other three airplanes were just starting to taxi so I told the Crew Chiefs to pull whatever pins they could and button me up for taxi. No preflight was made in this case as I didn’t have time.
The radio came on line, and I heard the flight going to tower – this verified the flight call sign as I hadn’t gotten this. I taxied on the Chief’s signal and strapped in as I taxied.
As I pulled into the arming area, #3 (my Element lead and the pilot from my Sqd.) was just lighting his burner. I quickly armed, got clearance for T/O, and saw the flight already into their turn out of traffic. I plugged in the burner when about 30 degrees from R/W alignment. When airborne, I pulled up the gear handle and started my turn. When reaching the proper speed, I pulled up the flaps and aimed at the flight for join-up (I was in trail, of course) and continued to accelerate. I then checked my airspeed and to my surprise saw I was going through 500kts. As we had a 395kt speed limit with 335s and fuel, I brought it out of burner and called the flight. They immediately came out of burner and I was able to join up when we were about 40 miles north of Da Nang. We continued up the coast and leveled at around 20,000ft.
This gave me ample time to think about things and assess that I had a parachute, water wings, G-suit and the survival kit in the airplane; but no combat survival radio, survival map or gun. This caused me to ask myself several times about what I was doing there and to question the smartness about my being along on the flight. The fact that I definitely knew they were shooting in this area made me question the sanity of my decision to be part of this flight.
We sighted the SA-16 in an orbit just to the east of the downed pilot (in the water) and set up in an orbit around the SA-16 and pilot in the water. The coordination was made and the SA-16 set up for landing. During this time, we saw occasional plumes in the water showing that the NVN were shooting mortars, but the pilot was slightly out of their range.
As the SA-16 touched down there was a big spray of water and the SA-16 completely disappeared under water. The spray was even settling when the SA-16 bobbed up again. We asked if he was OK and were told: “Yes, but I have one engine missing very badly”. He said that it was good enough for him to taxi in and pick up the pilot.
He then taxied farther out before turning south for takeoff. He applied power and as I remember we had time for three complete turns around him before the wake of the SA-16 stopped, indicating he was airborne. He then climbed to 4,500ft and continued on to Da Nang.
We jettisoned our bombs at sea, as we were prohibited from landing with them, and made an uneventful landing. As we pulled into the de-arming area I breathed a sigh of relief and said to myself: “All’s well that ends well!”
For this mission I was credited with 1/25th of an Air Medal and taken off the next day’s schedule as I had already gotten my first combat mission and the others were to get their second before I flew again. I was to earn the DFC about 6 weeks later as the NVN tried to cut the northern area of SVN off just below Da Nang. As we attempted to get the maximum number of missions off and fly necessary night missions, I, as one of the few qualified for night missions volunteered and flew day and night for 4 days and the 3 encompassed nights.
On one of the day missions our ground troops were defending Da Nang from several platoons of the enemy. This had developed into where the enemy was organized into a hard line just a few miles from Da Nang and were arranged into an attack from a tree line with a trench dug in behind it for their mortars and heavy machine guns. I was leading a 4 ship flight and it was so close that we could easily see the airfield of Da Nang from our base leg on our weapons deliveries.
We dropped ordinance from our wing stations and then rolled in to strafe down the trench for maximum effectiveness. On the first strafe pass #4 called off with a hit and returning to base. I said roger that and we’ll keep you in sight till on final and if you bail out we’ll come and cap you. He rogered and went to channel 2 for landing.
We continued our mission and on the next pass #2 called off with a hit and returning to land. Again I told him roger the hit and same instructions as for four. He rogered this and we continued on
.
On the next pass #3 called off with a hit and returning to base. I rogered this and said I’d stay high and dry till he was on final. After he was on final I continued to strafe for 2 more passes and in this case it was till my 20 MM was expended. I never took a hit and when the ground troops took that area they said they didn’t encounter any significant opposition.
I did get the third afternoon off, but as I was going to bed I decided to go out and tan by our bunker as my tan was suffering. While sitting there reading a snipers bullet whizzed by my ear. At this point I was done trying to sleep. Adrenaline replaces the need for sleep for many days!
I went on to complete 231 (official + 5 not logged) missions in the F-100 over NVN, SVN and Laos. I then later flew 61 more missions over Cambodia in the F-4. This gave me a total of 292 (official) combat missions without taking a hit. I attribute this not taking a hit to flying different patterns than what everybody else flew day after day. Therefore, as they flew as fast as possible, I backed off and flew as slow as the delivery and aircraft would allow. Normally 250kts when I was at low altitude.
My wife, Bette, recommended I put this onto the SYC (Stake Your Claim), of the SSS (Super Sabre Society). However, we found too many firsts. I’ll list them below.
!) Flew the First Combat Mission with less than 2 hours in country.
2) While on the ramp waiting for a ride to the housing office, 3 pilots ran by and said I was #4 on a RESCAP.
3) I didn’t know lead or #2.
4) They didn’t tell me my A/C #. or Call Sign
5) I put on my G suit, Water Wings and Parachute while running out in the direction thy had gone.
6) I didn’t know the A/C # so I went to where a Crew Chief was waving me to (so no preflight)
7) I had no gun
8) I had no Survival Radio
9) Was only sitting on a civilian survival pack
KITE KILLER
I was first sent TDY to Da Nang AFB, South Vietnam in March, 1965. After 4 months I was transferred to Bien Hoa, then sent home after a month. Shortly after, I was told I was going back on a Permanent Change of Station (1 year – PCS).I always had a special interest in those Pilots that shot down enemy aircraft and the symbols painted on the side of the aircraft and wanted one or more. However, I almost became a symbol on the side of a North Vietnamese Mig-17 on April 4th, 1965.
I was scheduled as #3 on a RESCAP that day. As we did Air-to-Air refueling on the way up, we entered orbit with 1000 pounds of fuel in each wing tank. On the first leg a MiG popped out of the Clouds at our 12. The fangs came out immediately and I lowered the nose, hit the emergency jettison button and panicked as nothing came off the airplane.
Within seconds the MiG went from 12 to 9 and then to my 6 pointing at me. At this point, I could see the Wing Fences on his wings saying it was a Mig-17. I had my Afterburner (AB) plugged in and was turning left as hard as I could (ever turn an F-100 with that much fuel – it doesn’t turn good). I never should have turned, but just ran away in AB!
I would estimate he started firing at 3000 feet and at this point I saw 2 steady streams of fire coming out of his 2×23 Millimeters and his 37 was blinking. I could see his bullets going by just under my wing, so I called Lead and said to get this MiG off my – you know what. However, Lead said he had a MiG on his ___, so I was on my own.
I kept feeding in right rudder to stay above the bullets, but knowing that would soon not work I slammed in full left Aileron to put the F-100 in a right spin. Worked as the MiG then left my 6. I only recovered at under 50 feet, but the Spin was worth it, as I lived to fly another day and not become a POW.
Then, in 1973, after Graduate School, I was able to use many Green Stamps to get an assignment to Thailand in the F-4 to fly North against the gun sites. This ended up being the 433TFS (Satan’s Angels) at Ubon AFB, Thailand. After I entered training the Paris Peace Accords were signed, but they said I would still go to Thailand and fly missions over Cambodia.
At Ubon, the runways were oriented basically north and south. I think about 030 and 210. On the north end the area beyond the overrun was open fields but on the south was the town and small houses were very close to the overrun. So, we used the south alignment for landing whenever possible, but at times the wind got strong enough to where we had to land to the north.
This happened for several days straight and I guess the people got tired of our noise, as they started flying a kite directly at our altitude on our final approach for landing. In fact, by avoiding it, several F-4s got too far off to the side and had to go around and make a second approach to avoid the kite.
Well, this was fine, but on the 3rd afternoon after the first Kite, I was leading a 3 ship. As we came back to pitch out for landing, the tower advised me on downwind that the kite was up and to plan my landing around it. I could have, but I decided it was time to take action, as the Wing could have sent somebody out to get rid of the kite by giving them some Baht or something as a compensation payment.
Anyway, I decided it was time to take the kite out. As the kite was normally about 10-25 feet above the altitude we’d be at that point. So, I knew I couldn’t take the kite down the intake as that might ruin the engine, but I figured if I hit the string with my wing, I’d cut the sting or something and get rid of the kite.
So, as I rolled out on my final approach I aimed for about 5ft below the kite and put it offset to where I figured I’d hit the string about halfway out on my left wing. This I did. I never thought about what it might do to the hand holding the string – hope I didn’t hurt him.
After I hit the kite the tower said: “Lead, you hit the kite and it’s down.” I replied: “Yes I know and it was planned and I only hit the string with my wing”. And, as I stopped the airplane in front of the revetment the ground crew were all smiles and shouting that I’d gotten rid of the kite. Well, this was big news and the next day at 0815 I got invited to come out and see the airplane.
I have to admit that I went out to the ramp with a lump in my throat thinking I’d maybe done some damage to the airplane that I‘d missed on my post flight. And, I suspected that if there was any damage, the Wing Commander would ground me and give me several weeks of Supervisor Of Flying (SOF) duty again {this had happened once before {for punishment for violating a Wing Regulation of landing with a minimum of 5000 pounds of fuel)}. Well, I got out to the airplane and there must have been 50 of the ground crews gathered around. The Crew Chief grabbed my arm and escorted me up to the nose of the aircraft and there painted on the side of the Intake was a kite like the one I had taken down. And as part of the ceremony (celebration) they presented me with a kite just like it. In fact, as I left they formed a corridor and everybody came to Attention and Saluted.
I kept that kite until we moved 3 times and it finally fell apart as I was taking it down off the wall. Also, from that point on, at Ubon, I was known as the “Kite Killer” to all the ground troops. Never got a MiG, but I got something anyway! By the way, a kite never was flown again. The ground troops kept track of the airplane I was flying in and would salute me as I taxied by, “AN HONOR!” Wish I had a picture of the intake with the Flag on it!
The following Story was printed in The Airforce Magazine…
| My Missions in the F-100 Super Sabre in SEA Lt. Col. Ron Green USAF (Ret.)Ijoined the 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS) on Easter Sunday, 1963, at Misawa AB, Japan. Although this was to be a three year tour, in June 1964, I found myself in the last flight of F-100s leaving Misawa transferring to England AFB as a part of Project Clear Water (Muddy Water as we affectionately called it).I was named the Squadron Mobility Officer, but was told not to worry about it as it would be at least six months before we could be sent anywhere else. True to form, in two months we were given two weeks to be on the way to Vietnam.In exactly two weeks, after painting many of the boxes myself, we marshaled the last box for the deployment. At this moment we received a call that said we weren’t going after all.Although we were disappointed (especially me), all our work was not for naught as we found ourselves in Clark AB the next March. We were TDY (temporary duty) to Clark, but were on call for deployments to Danang AB, Vietnam, as a Response Force when we were called upon.We didn’t have long to wait as the first afternoon we were told to deploy a flight to Vietnam for missions North. I begged the Ops Officer to let me go and was told that as soon as I unloaded the last C-130 the next morning, and loaded it with equipment required for TDY support, I could get on board and accompany it.We met the C-130 the next morning and by one of the pilots driving the fork lift, I was soon on the way to Danang. I quickly did my mobility duties that were necessary and then accomplished my in-theater briefing so that I was ready to fly. I was even able to sweet talk my way on to a mission the next morning.After my briefing, I decided it was time to take my one B-3 bag and check into billeting for my tent bed. I figured that I would unpack my clothes and then bring my flying gear back.I was standing in front of the Quonset waiting for a ride when three pilots ran out, of which one was from the 416th. He hollered at me that I was #4 of a RESCAP (Rescue Cap) mission for an F-105 pilot that had just been shot down (this turned out to be Robby Risner). We were to provide support for an HU-16 Albatross that was on the way to pick him up. The information was hollered to me as the pilots ran past me.I tore my flying gear from my B-3, threw the bag back inside the Quonset and started to follow in the direction where I thought the pilots were going. I was putting my flying gear on as I ran and saw several crew chiefs standing in front of an airplane in a revetment waving me on so I went there. Ever try to put a G-suit on while running?The other three airplanes were just starting to taxi so I told the crew chiefs to pull whatever pins they could and button me up for taxi. No preflight was made in this case as I didn’t have time.The radio came on-line and I heard the flight calling to the control tower – this verified the flight call sign which I hadn’t gotten yet. I taxied on the chief’s signal and strapped in as I taxied.As I pulled into the arming area, #3 (myGreenCapt. Ron Green at Danang ready to step into his F-100 Super Sabre. |
| element lead and the pilot from my squadron) was just lighting his afterburner. I quickly armed, got clearance for take-off, and saw the flight already into their turn out of traffic. When airborne, I pulled up the gear handle and started my turn. When reaching the proper speed I pulled up the flaps and aimed at the flight for join-up. I was in trail, of course) and continued to accelerate.Green The author’s F-100 after a crash landing at Danang AB in December of 1965. |
| Vietnam off just below Danang. As we attempted to get the maximum number of missions off and fly necessary night missions, I, as one of the few qualified for night missions volunteered and flew day and night for four days and the three nights.On one of the day missions our ground troops were defending Danang from several platoons of the enemy. This had developed into where the enemy was organized into a hard line just a few miles from Danang and were arranged into an attack from a tree line with a trench dug in behind it for their mortars and heavy machine guns. I was leading a four ship flight and it was so close that we could easily see the airfield from our base leg on our weapons deliveries.We dropped ordnance from our wing stations and then rolled in to strafe down the trench for maximum effectiveness. On the first strafe pass #4 called and said he was hit and was returning to base. I said, “Roger that and we’ll keep you in sight ’til on final and if you bail out we’ll come and cap you.”We continued our mission and on the next pass #2 called and said he was hit and was returning to land. Again I gave him the same instructions I’d given to #4. He acknowledged this and we continued on.On the next pass #3 called he was hit and was returning to base. I rogered this and said I’d stay high and dry until he was on final. After he was on final, I continued to strafe for two more passes and in this case it was until my 20mm ammunition was expended. I never took a hit and when the ground troops took that area, they said they didn’t encounter any significant opposition.I did get the third afternoon off, but as I was going to bed I decided to go out and tan by our bunker as my tan was suffering. While sitting there reading a snipers bullet whizzed by my ear. At this point I was done trying to sleep. Adrenaline replaces the need for sleep for many days!I was stationed with the 416 TFS at Tan Son Nhut in 1965. This happened during the time that we were not short of ordnance, but were only flying with two wing stations loaded and 50 rounds of 20mm rounds loaded per gun. We were also restricted to only expending 20mm when we were shot at.It was hard to get shot at when delivering bombs so after dropping them I’d have the rest of the flight stay high while I went down and did a slow roll over the target at 250 knots. This was normally more than the Viet Cong could resist so they would shoot. The only thing was that at 250 knots they always shot ahead of me as their sights were set for speeds of over 400 knots and they couldn’t adjust. It so happened that as flight lead, I had the distinction of always getting to expend my flights 20mm ammunition.This story relates to a time I was leading a three ship formation of us captains (all flight leads with about 1,200 hours in the airplane) on a target in III Corps. As I remember we dropped our bombs singly (this was before the instructions of not turning one outboard station select to empty so that we could deliver our outboard bombs one at a time when selecting bomb pairs).We had delivered our bombs when the FAC (forward air controller) said he really needed us to expend our 20mm against a shade roof and platform about one mile away. I informed him of our rule, but if he really needed our 20mm, we would do it (50 rounds of ammo per gun).I instructed the flight to pick out one vertical support beam right at the floor level and to strafe it each time. I chose the beam closest to our run in heading and made three short burst passes. This left me with a few rounds left after the third pass where #2 and #3 fired out. I couldn’t believe it but after three passes the shelter was still standing.This got to my fighter pilot ego and I informed the FAC that I had a few rounds left for a fourth pass and that the roof would not be standing after this pass. To make sure of this I decided that I would make a slow pass and then pull up to a sharp angle of attack, light the burner and blow it down if it was still standing. The shelter was on the side of a slight hill and was used by the harvesters for shade when tending the crop. I did not think of what would happen if the burner didn’t light or the engine compressor stalled.I slowed to 250 knots as I turned final and reduced my altitude to where I was level with the target. I put the pipper on the target and opened fire at about 800 feet. When I ran out of bullets, which was very quickly, I raised the nose and lit the afterburner. As I thought the shade roof was still standing but |
| when I flew over the roof, I blew it down. For a few minutes I thought the FAC was going to jump out of his O-1 for joy. However, on the way home I realized what could have happened and said to myself that the shade roof was not worth an airplane and fighter pilot’s life. I resolvedright then and there never to do that again! This was one of those cases where ego overruled judgment. I’m sure we all had those moments. I had to think: “There, but for theGrace of God, go I!”The so called shortage of ordnance during the Vietnam conflict in 1966 must have affected my judgment as I did some crazy things during that time. And I never did anything resembling these stunts after we started flying with full loads again.One afternoon I was scheduled to lead a three ship formation from Tan Son Nhut in IV Corps in an F-100F (two-seater) aircraft. I really hated to fly with an empty back-seat, but by the time we were ready, nobody had been assigned to the back-seat. As we left the squadron building I ran across one of my contemporary captains and I asked him if he’d like to fly with me in the back-seat. He said: “Yeah, I’ll get my gear and meet you at the airplane.”We flew to the target area and dropped our two bombs each on some trees. As we pulled off the FAC said he badly needed to destroy a long boat sunk in about three feet of water about a mile south of the target and needed us to strafe. It wasbetween two trees in a line along the bank and pretty well centered between two trees that were about 40 feet apart. We pin-pointed the two trees and started an orbit. I reminded him that we only had 50 rounds of 20mm ammunition in each gun and we weren’t supposed to strafe unless we were being shot at. He said he’d file a report that this was really needed and authorized by him. I replied that we’d give it a go, but 20mm ammunition might not do the trick.Since we had the two trees, he saw no need to mark the target and I told him we’d make passes east to west as the canal ran north and south and would go down and see if we could see the boat before we’d strafe. To do this I made the first pass at our recommended altitude and rolled to about 60 degrees of bank as I went over the target. Number 2 and 3 followed me, but none of us saw it on our first pass.I then informed Ralph, my back-seater, that we were going to go down low and slow and see if we could see it then. I got down to where we were level just off the ground, slowed to 250 knots and rolled to a full 90 degrees of bank as we went across the channel. This enabled both of us to see the boat sunk in about three feet of water and about six feet from the bank and centered between the two trees (dumb VC decision as this let us actually pin-point the boats position).I then informed Ralph that we’d make about a 300 knot pass at 10-15 degrees of dive angle and open up at about 1,000 feet and not to jump out of the airplane. He said okay and neither 2 or 3 had seen the target yet so I told them to follow me and strafe where I did and that I’d concentrate my burst about ten feet from the bank. I wanted to get close as the 20mm ammo had to penetrate the water to the I rolled out on my final andstarted shooting with a short burst at about 1,000 feet. During my burst I saw pieces of the boat come up and they must have gone up to about 30 feet. I knew we’d hit them if I did a normal pullout |
| so I went over the target at about three feet and level and went between the two trees. This put us just below the pieces of the boat. Ralph got very quiet and never said a word on the way back to base.On walking back to the squadron building I patted Ralph on the shoulder and asked him if he had learned anything on the flight. Ralph looked at me and said: “Yeah, I learned never to fly in the same aircraft with you again.”I said to myself that I’d never do a trick like that again. And, I didn’t! Once again: “God was taking care of me.”I went on to complete 231 missions in the F-100 over North Vietnam, South Vietnam and Laos. I then later flew 61 more missions over Cambodia in the F-4. This gave me a total of 292 combat missions without taking a hit. I attribute this to flying different patterns than what everybody else flew day after day. Therefore, as they flew as fast as possible, I backed off and flew as slow as the mission and aircraft would allow.Lt. Col. Ronald Green retired from the Air Force in September of 1980 and quickly found employment with McDonnell-Douglas in St. Louis. He was assigned to the AMRAAM (AIM-120 Advanced Medium- Range Air-to-Air Missile) missile program. In testsGreenCapt. Ron Green in full flight gear at Danang Air Base, Republic of South Vietnam, 1965.using both the F-15 and F-16, the missile proved effective and was purchased as the new air-to-air missile for the Air Force and Navy. Ron retired in 1996 and is currently active with his church choir, his local chapter of the Military Officers of America Association, and helping homeless vets in Scottsdale, Arizona. |