Listening to every transmission from 35,000 feet

Episode 10.

I hear the SAM control officer loudly issue the terminal command: “Phóng!” (Launch!) 

Immediately, I hear the actual sound of the SAM missile blasting off—so good is our spy technology aboard our Hognose beauty!  Under these circumstances, Hognose is what sexy looks like!    The command to launch was clear and then one hell of a roaring sound as the SA-2 missile ignited its huge first stage rocket and took off. 

This is the first SAM launch of the night.  It’s 1:45am.  All SAM activity is in the east, over Haiphong Harbor.

At this moment, far from this launch, the Son Tay Raid assault formation is now sneaking in from the dark western mountains undetected.  They are on track to arrive at Son Tay in a half an hour.

We know exactly what that NVAF commander will say if he were to actually achieve a shoot-down of an American aircraft.  You would hear extremely excited voices in the SAM van declare, “Tiêu diệt mục tiêu rồi!”  (Target destroyed!!) or at other times it might be, “Bắn rỏi tại chỗ!”  (Shot down on the spot!!)

[NOTE:  In the case of shoot-downs, sometimes the only real status of a pilot is what has been gleaned by 11-Op and 7-Op intelligence.  This is extremely valuable to US authorities.  You can imagine that families of downed Airmen are thankful for the details we provide them.  And our information greatly aids rescues.] 

See more photos and stories on this website and in Who Will Go, which is just as much to honor the wives and family as the men themselves.

Click Here:  The audiobook is now available.