Deqr Friends,

I am about ready to leave to visit my oldest daughter and her family in
Anderson, South Caroline. Although she has a computer I don't know if she
has Internet acccess. If she doesn't, then I won't be back on until next
year. So I will take this opportunity to wish all of you Merry Christmas,
Happy Hanukka, Hsin Nian Quai Le, and Happy New Year.

BTW, to save having to retype the information several times in the chat
room, I give you the following:

The details of the rescue of Bat 21 were classified until last year. The
details of the mission I was flying at the time are still classified. I was
the Mission Commander in a multi-crew electronic reconnaisance aircraft at
about 30,000 feet. I had received information about Bat 21 going down from
our Operations Center in Thailand. This was a little after sundown. When I
tried to contact him, the Airborne Command Post contacted me and said that
no rescue attempt was to be made until sunrise. After thinking about this
for 15 minutes (and having been through jungle survival myself) I
"disobeyed" orders and attempted contact.

I was successful on the first attempt. Bat 21's response was "Man, am I
glad to hear  you". I then contacted our Ops on secure channels and advised
them of the situation. They came back in five minutes and said that they
were sending in a Forward Air Controller (Nail 29) and a helicopter (Hotel
61). I contacted Nail 29 and guided him into the area where Bat 21 was
located. Using night vision equipment he was able to get an eyeball on him.

In the meantime, the Airborne Command Post (Cricket) tried to assert their
authority by sending in a regular rescue aircraft (King 22). They told me
that King 22 was on his way and that I was too turn the rescue effort over
to him. At that point, the "Voice of God" came up. "Blue Chip" (Battle
Commander) was the ranking US authority in the war zone and had a very
powerful transmitter. Blue Chip told Cricket that Murky 16  (my callsign)
had the mission and that King 22 was to return to base.

What took place during the next few hours is still classified but Bat 21
was eventually picked up by Hotel 61, whom both Nail 29 and I had assumed
was an Army copter since it wasn't an Air Force callsign and was too far
inland to be Navy. But Hotel 61 said he wasn't Army (and nothing more).
This, of course, left Air America (a fully owned subsidiary of the Central
Intelligence Agency). Of couse this was never confirmed or denied.

This was the only successful night-time extraction of a downed aircrew from
enemy territory during the war. As I said, the rescue events (which I just
summarized) were classified until just last year, so when the Department of
Defense censors got through with the story about the only thing that
resembled actual fact was Bat 21's callsign! (This story is based on actual
events...only the facts have been changed to protect national security!
*G*)

Anyway, this is the only mission that I remember the callsigns (they
changed every mission except for the command posts) and I will never forget
Bat 21's voice when I first contacted him. Although I received the
Distinguished Flying Cross getting him out of there was reward enough for
me.

Bruce
(Air Force nickname "The Reverend")

P.S. Part II of my BIO to appear when I return.