stories from Vietnam & cambodia

General H.T. Johnson didn’t just follow a path; he defined the standard. Explore the memoir of the first 4-star graduate, a man who served as the vanguard for the Class of '59.

"My first clue that all might not be well was when I heard an unidentified voice on the radio exclaim, ‘Holy S#*t!!!’ ... I shifted my eyes to the desired touchdown spot and saw the First Air Cav Band standing in the overrun, playing military music! My windshield was filled with a tuba!"

On what should have been a routine final sortie, then‑Major James Rhodes found himself defending a downed wingman, engaging enemy patrol boats, and pulling off a split‑second maneuver that nearly ended in the Gulf of Tonkin. His firsthand account captures the razor‑thin line between survival and loss—and the courage demanded of every pilot who flew into North Vietnam.

"Two weeks to the day after I spent four days in that same car, Colonel Rowe was killed in a rain of bullets..." General Dick Carr recounts the incredible and tragic intersection of his life with that of a legendary Special Forces hero.

"A Quiet Flight Turned Deadly" On May 23, 1968, a routine ferry flight for Art Elser (’59) quickly escalated into a life-or-death rescue mission over Quang Ngai. Read his raw account of the Vietnam air war—from the cockpit of an O-1 Bird Dog—and the haunting poem born from its aftermath.

The Secret Legacy of Jim Blackwell: The Pilot Who Earned a Green Beret Most knew Jim Blackwell as a distinguished member of the USAFA Class of 1959, but few knew the full story of his 900 combat missions in Vietnam. Declassified only in 2002, Jim’s service with the elite MACV-SOG unit culminated in a legendary rescue at FOB Duc To—a mission so daring it earned him an honor almost never bestowed upon a pilot. Discover the story of the "First Class" grad who became a lifeline f

On May 31, 1967, Capt. Richard “Dusty” Trail and his KC‑135 crew performed history’s first tri‑level aerial refueling over the Gulf of Tonkin. Their daring mission saved Navy and Air Force aircraft from fuel starvation and earned the Mackay Trophy for the most meritorious flight of the year. Today, Dusty’s legacy is honored at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force and within the Class of 1959 family.

On a routine dawn patrol in 1970, Colonel Don Brooks and his interpreter were hit by enemy fire over Cambodia, forcing a mid‑air ejection, a harrowing descent, and a rescue that unfolded like a scene from a war film. His firsthand account captures the chaos, courage, and unlikely moments of grace that defined that day.

Colonel Thomas Gardner Derrickson’s legacy spans fighter missions, test flights, and early space program training. This tribute, submitted by a fellow USAFA ’59 classmate, honors his life, his quiet leadership, and the heartbreak endured by his family after he was declared Missing in Action in Vietnam. A story of courage, friendship, and the unseen cost of war.

In the darkness over North Vietnam, RL Penn flew into the heart of Route Pack VI—where 208 AAA guns waited beneath him. This vivid account from the USAFA Class of ’59 archives captures the tension, wit, and grit of a pilot who survived the impossible. From tracer duels to a four-foot miss beneath a tanker, Penn’s story is a tribute to courage, camaraderie, and the razor-thin line between life and loss.

“Steel Six, this is Rash 31. Pop some smoke — I’ll be over you in thirty seconds.” The enemy knew we were pulling out. That knowledge fueled their desperation—and their firepower. I dropped through the clouds into chaos, rockets blazing, just twenty-five meters from our troops. The jungle lit up with smoke and gunfire. I wasn’t supposed to be there, not under those conditions. But I was. Because they needed help. And because sometimes, you fly to the sound of battle.

Colonel Robert E. Blake, USAFA Class of 1959, became the first Academy graduate to down a MiG in combat. His legacy of valor, innovation, and leadership—from Vietnam skies to the White House—continues to inspire the Long Blue Line.