Lords of the Sky: Fighter Pilots and Air Combat, From the Red Baron to the F-16 (52 page)

The F-86 Sabre, shown here with its full weapons load-out.

(National Museum of the U.S. Air Force)

Gun camera photo of a MiG-15 being attacked by a USAF fighter.

(National Museum of the U.S. Air Force)

Medal of Honor recipient George A. Davis (above left), an ace in both WWII and Korea with 21 total victories; Ed Rock (above right), who would later go on to fame as a Wild Weasel in Vietnam; and future astronaut John Glenn (bottom) pose with their Sabres.

(Davis and Glenn, National Museum of the U.S. Air Force; Rock, the collection of Ed Rock)

Thirty-nine USAF F-86 pilots (and one Marine Corps exchange pilot) became Korean War aces.

(National Museum of the U.S. Air Force)

F-105 Thunderchiefs—nicknamed “Thuds”—in action over Vietnam during Rolling Thunder operations.

(National Museum of the U.S. Air Force)

SA-2 surface-to-air-missile (SAM) site destroyed after an attack by Wild Weasels.

(National Museum of the U.S. Air Force)

A Wild Weasel Thud team returns from a mission, April 1967. Note the three SAM kills stenciled between the cockpits.

(National Museum of the U.S. Air Force)

A Thud evades an SA-2 SAM.

(National Museum of the U.S. Air Force)

Thud pilot (and Medal of Honor winner) Merlyn Hans Dethlefsen celebrates his 100th mission.

(National Museum of the U.S. Air Force)

North Vietnamese MiG-17 pilots.

(National Museum of the U.S. Air Force)

F-105 pilot Ralph Kuster shoots down a MiG-17.

(National Museum of the U.S. Air Force)