Vietnam Joyride? Or Urban Legend?

[Matt Wiser]

Has anyone on the NG heard of this story? There's a set of documents with
uncorrelated info on POW-MIA cases in SEA that was declassified in '78, and
I was checking them at my college library and I noticed one report mentioning
that a USAF pilot took his girlfriend on a joyride in the backseat of an
aircraft (unknown as to type: either F-4, F-100F, F-105F, or B-57) on a mission
over NVN-and they were shot down. The report stated that both were seen alive
on the ground as the NVA came to scoop them up. The reporting officer (An
AF Lt.Col) stated that was all he knew-other than "it caused a big flap at
MACV/7th AF." The info posted is all I have on the incident.Group's opinion:
true story or urban legend?

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[Cub Driver]

>that a USAF pilot took his girlfriend on a joyride in the backseat of an
>aircraft (unknown as to type: either F-4, F-100F, F-105F, or B-57) on a mission
>over NVN-and they were shot down

Well, the last bit is surely an urban legend.

There was a novel about the VN air war--actually not too bad--in which
a fighter (that is, ground attack) pilot takes his girlfriend on a
tour. I found it wholly improbable, but that actually made me wonder
if there wasn't some basis for it: it's not the sort of story one
would put in a novel if it were made up out of whole cloth.

Possibly the novel had "Blue" in the title. It was not the sort of
thing I kept for future reference :)

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

The Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
Expedition sailboat charters www.expeditionsail.com

[Ed Rasimus]

On Tue, 07 Sep 2004 05:54:10 -0400, Cub Driver
> wrote:

>
>>that a USAF pilot took his girlfriend on a joyride in the backseat of an
>>aircraft (unknown as to type: either F-4, F-100F, F-105F, or B-57) on a mission
>>over NVN-and they were shot down
>
>Well, the last bit is surely an urban legend.
>

I know of one Colonel who did take his nurse girlfriend for a backseat
ride in an F-4 out of Korat. I know that he was identified in the
arming area by the quick-check crews and reported although nothing
much came of it.

I don't think it was a combat mission. Much more likely a functional
check flight or possibly just a support mission in the local area.
I've never heard of anyone taking a female, non-crewmember on a combat
mission during SEA or getting shot down in the process.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
"Phantom Flights, Bangkok Nights"
Both from Smithsonian Books
***www.thunderchief.org

[JHowell297]

Wasn't there some sort of yarn like this in the book "Doom Pussy" be Elaine
Sheppard?

Jan Howell

[Cub Driver]

On Tue, 07 Sep 2004 08:21:13 -0600, Ed Rasimus
> wrote:

>I know of one Colonel who did take his nurse girlfriend for a backseat
>ride in an F-4 out of Korat

Likely this story got around and made its way into the novel. She was
a nurse, too, but from Saigon, and the pilot was likewise stationed in
VN, perhaps Bien Hoa. It's been a while since I read the yarn, which
my wife picked up at a book-swap sale.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

The Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
Expedition sailboat charters www.expeditionsail.com

[Matt Wiser]

Ed Rasimus > wrote:
>On Tue, 07 Sep 2004 05:54:10 -0400, Cub Driver
> wrote:
>
>>
>>>that a USAF pilot took his girlfriend on a
>joyride in the backseat of an
>>>aircraft (unknown as to type: either F-4,
>F-100F, F-105F, or B-57) on a mission
>>>over NVN-and they were shot down
>>
>>Well, the last bit is surely an urban legend.
>>
>
>I know of one Colonel who did take his nurse
>girlfriend for a backseat
>ride in an F-4 out of Korat. I know that he
>was identified in the
>arming area by the quick-check crews and reported
>although nothing
>much came of it.
>
>I don't think it was a combat mission. Much
>more likely a functional
>check flight or possibly just a support mission
>in the local area.
>I've never heard of anyone taking a female,
>non-crewmember on a combat
>mission during SEA or getting shot down in the
>process.
>
>
>Ed Rasimus
>Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
>"When Thunder Rolled"
>"Phantom Flights, Bangkok Nights"
>Both from Smithsonian Books
>***www.thunderchief.org
The reporting officer (an AF Lt.Col) was at 7th AF/MACV. He would have
been in a position to know, and he certainly wouldn't have passed on a rumor.
The original subject was about a pair of Caucasian males and a female held
by the NVA in Laos in the 1967-68 time frame, and he was wondering if the
two stories were related; Unfortunately, the school's copy of the report
has the name of the reporting officer blacked out. ABout the reported joyride-what
I posted is all there is, unfortunately. So, if it's an Urban Legend, how'd
it get started?

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