A Reconnaissance Mission for a Hidden Rescue Effort in Vietnam
- Christina DeSantis
- Jun 27
- 6 min read
Even after the official end of the Vietnam War, the conflict's shadow lingered, and dangerous missions continued. This firsthand account offers a glimpse into one such operation, revealing the hidden perils and the human stories behind the headlines.
I flew another mission in Vietnam long after all official "military activities" ceased.
My squadron had some highly advanced Infra-red (IR) sensor pods that we could attach to the underside of our aircraft. When we used these sensors during the early mornings, they were so sensitive that they could detect the heat signatures of footprints left in dew-covered fields. This allowed our interpreters to estimate the number of troops who had crossed a particular area by essentially counting their tracks.
One day, an urgent operational order, or "frag," came in. It required us to use this IR sensor to fly a reconnaissance route up the Parfum (Perfume) River, starting from the city of Hue. I had flown many "road strips" (missions to survey roads) and "road recces" (reconnaissance missions to gather intelligence on roads), but never a river. It turned out that military command had received intelligence that American missionaries and the U.S. representative for the province were trapped in Ban Me Thuot, a city in the central highlands of Vietnam.
With enemy forces closing in, the Navy believed they could rescue them using a fast boat traveling up the river, followed by a team to extract, or "exfiltrate," the Americans to safety. What the Navy desperately needed was a detailed picture of the river's depths as far as they could go upstream, along with safe routes to avoid dangerous sandbars. Our specialized IR equipment was the only way to provide them with this crucial information.
For this particular mission, I actually had some time to plan. The next morning, I flew with an experienced back seater. To avoid detection, we took off simulating a plane full of happy tourists who had just been entertained by Reclining Buddhas and riding on elephants, flying past Vietnam and out over the South China Sea. Then, I turned off our transponder, dropped down to just a few hundred feet above the water, and headed west, back towards the river. When flying these types of low-level reconnaissance "strips" (routes), I always enter at a relatively slow speed of 360 knots (approximately 414 miles per hour) but keep the throttles up and the plane accelerating. As I cleared the mouth of the river and began flying inland, things got hairy.
I expected to encounter guns, but what truly shocked me was seeing a dozen SA-7 missiles in my rearview mirrors, along with many 23mm and 37mm anti-aircraft guns. This immediately captured my full attention because, at the time, no one in our forces knew the enemy possessed SA-7s. These are "Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems," often referred to as MANPADS – shoulder-launched, short-range anti-aircraft missiles. They are incredibly accurate and deadly, guided by the heat, or "IR," emitted from an aircraft's engines. The F-4 fighter jet's engines, in particular, are perfect hot targets for these missiles. Realizing the grave danger, I accelerated even faster. I was soon pushing Mach 1 – flying at or above the speed of sound – something I had done before. I managed to escape the area and return safely to Udorn Air Base in Thailand. Later, photo interpreters confirmed that the images we captured were clear enough for the Navy to use in making their decision about the rescue attempt.
I never heard anything about the outcome of the Navy's mission. I write military articles every month for our local magazine, and last week (June 2025), while researching a three-part article on the end of the Vietnam conflict, I found nothing concerning this specific Navy operation. However, I did come across an article that provided information on the missionaries. The group had been captured by the North Vietnamese Army and taken to Hanoi. Thankfully, they were released the following October! For me, it was a profound sense of "déjà vu".
Dick
Story by Ret. Major General Richard (Dick) E. Carr
Biography of Major General Richard E. Carr
Early Life and Education
Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in 1937, General Carr graduated from Plymouth High School in 1955. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1959. Demonstrating a commitment to higher education, he later completed a Master of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from Stanford University in 1968. His pursuit of knowledge continued through his military education, as he graduated as a distinguished student from Air Command and Staff College in 1972 and completed the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in 1978.
Early Military Assignments and Vietnam Service
After graduating from the Air Force Academy, General Carr underwent pilot training, earning his pilot wings in September 1960. His initial assignment in December 1960 was with the Air Defense Command at Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts. He then served his first tour in Southeast Asia as an adviser and instructor pilot at Nha Trang Air Base, South Vietnam, from August 1963 to July 1964. Following this, he became an instructor pilot at Mather Air Force Base, California, until June 1967.
Academic and Combat Returns
After earning his master's degree, General Carr applied his expertise as an associate professor of mathematics at the Air Force Academy from October 1968 to June 1971. During this period, he was actively involved in the airmanship program and coached the soaring team.
His service in Southeast Asia resumed after he completed RF-4C training in December 1972. He was assigned to Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, until July 1974. During this critical time, he served as a flight commander, chief of safety, and squadron operations officer, accumulating more than 200 combat missions.
Leadership and Command Roles
General Carr remained in the Far East, serving as operations officer and squadron commander of the 15th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, from August 1974 to July 1977. His responsibilities included commanding a forward operating location at Osan Air Base, South Korea.
Upon his return to the continental United States in July 1977, he attended the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. From July 1978 to January 1981, he was the chief of the Tactical Systems Division at Headquarters U.S. Air Force in Washington, D.C. He then served as vice commander of the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, from April 1981 to January 1982. Subsequently, he took command of the 363rd Tactical Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, overseeing its significant conversion from an RF-4 training wing to an operational F-16 wing.
In June 1984, he assumed command of the 831st Air Division, Tactical Air Command, at George Air Force Base, California. His extensive responsibilities included overseeing two wings of F-4Es and F-4Gs, and exercising operational control over the Air Force's participation in the Army's National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California.
Strategic Leadership and International Service
In November 1985, General Carr became the assistant chief of staff, studies and analyses, and commander of the Air Force Center for Studies and Analyses at Air Force headquarters. His international leadership continued in June 1988 when he became chief of staff for both the United Nations Command and the South Korea/United States Combined Forces Command at Yongsan Army Garrison, Seoul, South Korea. He also served as chief of staff for the Ground Component Command of Combined Forces Command. In June 1990, he was appointed director for foreign intelligence at the Defense Intelligence Agency, Bolling Air Force Base, D.C. In July 1992 he assumed the position as deputy commander and chief of staff, Headquarters Fourth Allied Tactical Air Force, Campbell Barracks, Heidelberg, Germany until retiring in 1994.
Flying Hours, Awards, and Promotions
General Carr is a distinguished command pilot with an impressive record of more than 7,500 flying hours, including 900 hours flown in combat during the Vietnam conflict.
His exceptional service has been recognized with numerous military awards and decorations, including the:
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster
Distinguished Flying Cross
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal with 11 oak leaf clusters
Air Force Commendation Medal
Order of the National Security Merit, Cheonsu Medal from South Korea
Additionally, he is a rated parachutist. He was promoted to major general on June 1, 1988, with the same date of rank.
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