Warbird Information Exchange

Nice photos Tim, thanks for posting them. I guess the Phantom with the blacked over canopies was a static display (non-flying) aircraft rolled out for the airshow?

Did Cavanaugh's Corsair make the show??? If so, any pics?

On the day they grabbed 66-0280 for that MiGCap mission she was aremed with
Three Sparrows (AIM-7E2). Two in the rear wells and one in the right front
well. AIM-4D Falcons. No idea quite how many. Possibly just two on the inner
shoulder launchers one on each inner pylon with an ECM pod under the left
wing inner pylon as well. It is possible that a third Falcon might have been
carried under the right wing innner pylon to make a pair. That was a typical
load in pre-Sidewinder days. Fuel tanks on wings and centre line.

The stroy on the kill mission is that four jets were primed for the 'Papa
alert' two were on five minute readiness and two on ten minut readiness.
There was a need for a weather recce for the big strike mission and so '
Papa one and two ' were launched for that. Later an painic call for the
other two ' Papa ' alert jets was made and when the crews rushed out to go
to their jets they found thay had been stolen for the big strike mission
toreplace two broken jets. ' Papa one's ' pilot rushed up and down the
flightline tofind a couple of suitable jets loaded for MiGCAP and found
66-0280 primed with the sfaety catch on and stole her. The same situation
applied to ' Papa two ' The eventually launched 45 minutes late and ended up
right in the middle of a pair of MiG-21's. 66-0280 launched three Sparrows
to kill one MiG and so it was an eventful mission after all.

Notes from The Virtual Wall
On 20 November 1967 two F-4Cs, CRAB 1 and CRAB 2, from the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Danang were tasked against a suspected SAM site north of the DMZ. CRAB 2, F-4C tail number 63-7680, was flown by Captain John M. Martin and 1st Lt James L. Badley . The target was identified by a COVEY FAC, and the two F-4s began their attacks. Following his third pass at the target CRAB 2 was hit by anti-aircraft fire. With one engine out and his F-4 on fire, Martin headed for the nearby coast line. Badley ejected as the aircraft crossed the beach, but Captain Martin was not seen to leave the aircraft before water impact.
1st Lt Badley was picked up by a SAR helo, returned to flight status, and was killed in action four months later, on 27 March 1968.

The SAR forces failed to locate Captain Martin and he was classed as Missing in Action. He was promoted twice while in MIA status before the Air Force changed his status to Killed in Action/Body not Recovered.

As with most losses at sea, the wreckage of 63-7680 and Lt Col Martin's remains have not been located.

The aircraft Martin and Badley were flying, F-4C tail number 63-7680, was not on its first trip up North. Colonel Robin Olds and 1st Lt C. Clifton were flying 63-7680 when they shot down a MiG-21 on 02 January 1967, and Lt Col F. A. Haeffner and 1st Lt M. R. Bever of the 433rd TFS were in 63-7680 when they bagged a MiG-17 on 13 May 1967. Colonel Robin Olds and 1st Lt C. Clifton were flying 63-7680 when they shot down a MiG-21 on 02 January 1967, and Lt Col F. A. Haeffner and 1st Lt M. R. Bever of the 433rd TFS were in 63-7680 when they bagged a MiG-17 on 13 May 1967.