Says La Chat: “After introducing myself to Commander Wayne ‘Deacon’ Connell, the skipper says, ‘Let’s say hello to Pete. Reporting to VF-161’s ready room at 2300 hours his first night aboard Midway, La Chat found squadron members gleefully waiting to introduce the new guy to a squadron tradition. But while the North Vietnamese talked peace in Paris, they were preparing a major thrust south that became known as the Easter Offensive. When La Chat arrived aboard the USS Midway, operating in the Gulf of Tonkin in late 1971, peace talks were under way. airmen downed 197 MiGs during the long conflict. His attitude was: ‘A MiG on your six is better than no MiG at all.’” “The skipper wanted a MiG probably even worse than I did. “I was a combat pilot, that’s what I wanted,” says La Chat. “It was a matter of leadership-skipper Deacon Connell was one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met.” La Chat credits Connell for fostering a warrior culture within the squadron, in which VF-161’s fighter crews were highly motivated to bag MiGs. “I think VF-161 was the perfect squadron,” says Pete La Chat, a former Navy lieutenant. “We went after the North aggressively and flew all kinds of missions-fleet defense, armed reconnaissance, Alpha strikes, and photo recon escorts,” says Jim “Wizzer” Wise, a radar intercept officer (RIO) attached to VF-161. During Operation Linebacker-a bombing campaign conducted in response to North Vietnam’s massive invasion of South Vietnam in spring 1972-the squadron was on the battle line for 205 days. Navy Fighter Squadron 161 (VF-161), known as the Chargers. The pace of the air campaign during the final year of the Vietnam War was especially grueling for U.S. ( Midway itself would lose 44 of its aircraft to enemy action.)

Fifty years ago, in January 1973, the last MiG kill of the long bitter war was also credited to an F-4 launched from Midway’s deck. In June 1965, the Phantom II fighters based on Midway were credited with the first two MiG kills of the conflict. As visitors stream onto the aircraft carrier’s four-acre flightdeck-located on San Diego’s waterfront-they might be overwhelmed by the immensity of the ship, but once they get their bearings, many gravitate toward a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, marked by five MiG silhouettes painted on part of the engine intake.ĭuring the Vietnam War, 197 MiGs were shot down.

Navy pilots recall the final, frenetic days of the air war over Vietnam.Īlthough now a museum, the USS Midway continues to inspire awe.

The us navy in the vietnam war