4028th SRS VIETNAM

The Air Force Outstanding Unit Award 2nd September 1959

First Oak Leaf Cluster 1963

VIETNAM.

War Beckons the 4080th SRW

4028th SRS/ 4025th SRS

On December 31st 1963 President Johnson issued the order for the 4080th SRW to support the RF-101 Voodoo reconnaissance effort in South Vietnam and by March 1964 they had moved a detachment of 3 U-2E aircraft ( 347, 370 & 374) to Bien Hoa AB near Saigon.

The HASP program had been terminated as an agreement had been reached where above ground nuclear testing was stopped, so all WU-2A aircraft had the HASP air sampling equipment removed and were refitted with photo and electronic (PHOTINT & ELINT) collection gear.

The 4080th SRW had been Laughlin AFB, Texas and then transferred to Davis-Monthan AFB and during this move they had a small group of people assigned/attached to the 4028th SRS, a group who had been working on the classified programme "Lightning Bug" which were photo reconnaissance drones.

They had been at Davis Monthan for less than a year when ordered to deploy both its U-2 and DC-130 / Drone operations to South Vietnam. They moved Bien Hoa Operating Location-20 (OL-20), under the code names "Lucky Dragon" for the 4028th SRS's, U-2E Dragon Lady, and for the DC-130 / Ryan AQM-34 drone detachment operation the name "Blue Springs" was used. The DC-130 / Drone operation originally deployed to Kadena AB on Okinawa before being re-positioned at Bien Hoa AB.

In July 1965 this drone detachment of the 4028th SRS became the 4025th RS as the squadron number was reactivated. The 4025th originally being the RB-57D unit.

The 4025th RS still used the "Black Knights" emblem from their previous role with the RB-57D although officially they were not supposed to.

Lucky Dragon later changed to Trojan Horse and then Giant Dragon for the U-2 operations with the DC-130/Ryan drone changing to Lightning Bug, Bumble Bug and Buffalo Hunter.

Initially the three U-2E's deployed to Vietnam on the 11th of February 1964 via Hickam AFB and Clark AFB and Anderson AFB in Guam and finally to Bien Hoa as OL-20 with operations starting also most immediately. These flights were to start with restrictions in the areas of operations as there was still a C.I.A bird in the theatre of operation. The C.I.A was covering the flights over China and North Vietnam from Thailand and these could be still classed as a civilian flight if one was downed. The Americans were still at the time only "Advisors" at this point in the conflict.

This changed and SAC took on the role left by the CIA's Detachment G at Takhli withdrawing their aircraft and operations on April 24th.

-LUCKY DRAGON

VIET-NAM 1964

A photograph of the Lucky Dragon Photo Lab personnel and the Photographic Interpretation personnel and support personnel that were hurriedly rounded up in early 1964 and shipped to Clark Air Force Base, Philippines. In 24 hours after our arrival, we make a roll film processing laboratory out of an abandoned mess hall and processed our first U-2 film from across the pond.

The patch above is to commemorate all the personnel that made the S.A.R.P.F. work

Designed and Donated by Hobie Statzer

I HAVE IT( Thanks Hobie)

The personnel came from the numbered Reccon Techs, 15th Technical Reconnaissance Squadron, March Air Force Base, California, the 8th Technical Reconnaissance Squadron, Westover Air Force Base, the 12th Technical Reconnaissance Squadron, Barksdale, Louisiana, the 4080th SRW which was still at Del Rio, Texas and the 544th Reconnaissance Group, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.
The U-2 was also at Clark but only for a short time. The story was that the President was not told of the U-2 coming to The Philippines and was so disturbed that he gave the US, 72 hours to get the "Spy Plane" out of the country. Shortly thereafter, the U-2 went on its way to Nam and the "take" was transported to Clark for processing. About 3 weeks later all of the crew at Clark went on over to Nam and the processing was done at the 12th Reconnaissance Intelligence Technical Squadron ( RITS ) at Ton Son Nhut
Everyone went to Nam except the 11 people from March. The day before they were to leave Clark, Major "Wild Bill" Porter told them "I do not know what kind of clearance you guys have, but you are not going to Nam with us" So, the 11,, went back to their respective units

A mission was planned at SAC Recon Centre and it was sent and received overnight at Bien Hoa AB in Vietnam. The Squadron Navigation officer then worked on the flight details and Photo requirements and a pre-brief was held with the Operating Location Commander, mission pilot, back-up pilot and the mobile control officer. There was one mission planned for each day although bad weather did have an impact on these being actually performed.

These flights Photo monitored the roads and trails from North Vietnam that were being used to send both weapons and personnel into South Vietnam and the surrounding states of Laos and Cambodia. They also supplied target data for the forthcoming deployment of the B-57 to Vietnam.

U-2 DRAGON LADY 66680

Fitted with "Rams Horn"

either side of the rear fuselage.

As the war progressed the U-2's had to move to operating at higher altitudes as first the Mig 17 and then Mig 21's were introduced making flights at medium altitude a risky business. Also the introduction of SAM 2's missiles by the North Vietnamese necessitated the careful planning of flight routes to bypass these hot spots.

4080th SRW went to war with Dragon Lady printed in Air Force grey and there were some concern over this making the aircraft being too easily spotted, both on the ground and in the air and this was changed to the black velvet scheme that the C.I.A had been using for sometime.

Even the Bad times were Good

Well not to sure how they sounded though !!

BBB's

Bevacqua, Brown and Baughn at the Club



TROJAN HORSE OL-20	TROJAN HORSE REPRO	TROJAN HORSE
WANTED	I HAVE IT	Thanks to Alec Fushi. WANTED

ORIGINAL HAND MADE -LUCKY DRAGON VIET-NAM 1964	"KAUFFMANS RAIDERS" OPERATIONAL OR FRIDAY PATCH? INFORMATION REQUIRED	LUCKY DRAGON VIET-NAM 1964	LUCKY DRAGON VIET-NAM 1964
I HAVE IT ( Thanks Harry McGil)	WANTED		I HAVE IT Thanks to Alec Fushi.

OL-20 GIANT DRAGON	4028TH SRWS	CHINESE WILLIAM TELL Drone operation 4025th SRS
Thanks to Alec Fushi. WANTED	J COOK WANTED	J COOK WANTED	WANTED

GOTCHA Gulf Of Tonkin Charlie Hunt Aircraft? 12 hour night missions	GOTCHA Gulf Of Tonkin Charlie Hunt Aircraft? 12 hour night missions Red scarf		HIGH FLYER
Doug & Charlene Barnard TROUTDALE AERODROME			I HAVE IT
There was an "Operation Golden Flow" which was Drugs testing of troops etc in 1970-1972 where Urine samples were taken. People who failed the test were sent to a detoxification center. If an individual tested positive twice in a row, they were processed for discharge.