On 21 Feb 2004 16:32:22 GMT, (ArtKramr) wrote:



I have forgotten nothing. Don't believe everything you read. We moved into
Germany days after VE day and we walked the streets unarmed without the
slightest fear of being attacked. The entire country was crawling with MP's
and everything was under control right off. Don't mix political and economic
issues with getting the military under control. These are totally unrelated
concepts. BTW, did you get to Nam via the National Guard? And if not why not?


Arthur Kramer

I don't understand your statement, "don't mix political and economic
issues with getting the military under control". If you mean getting
the military of the enemy defeated or under our control, then that has
been done in Iraq in much less time at much less cost than the
invasion, defeat and occupation of Germany. If you mean that there is
not a relationship between political and economic goals and the use of
military force, then I must vigorously disagree. The concepts are
inextricably intertwined.

As for you question of how I got to Vietnam, you already know that I
went by the active duty USAF route. Why? One, I wanted to fly
fighters. I only knew of the USAF as a route to pilot training and
then fighters. I knew that there was a Guard and Reserve air
component, but I didn't know that they had direct training slots. My
knowledge at the time was limited to the belief that Guard and Reserve
pilots came from active duty after an initial service commitment.

Second, I wanted to fly fighters (I know, I'm being redundant). I
lived in Chicago. The only Air Guard or Reserve unit I was aware of
was at O'Hare, flying KC-97s. Not my goal at all.

Third, I went into the AF with little or no knowledge of hostilities
in Vietnam. I was commissioned in June of '64 after four years of
AFROTC. The first deployments of F-100s were going to Thailand/Vietnam
about that time. Some of those units were ANG!!!!!!

Fourth, by the time I was in pilot training, my goal was more
specific: to fly F-105s. I still didn't know that there was a rapidly
intensifying combat operation going on. I did know that F-105s were
incredibly exciting aircraft and like all of the Century Series
fighters (including the F-102) could kill you quite nicely without the
benefit of an additional enemy.

Fifth, I didn't volunteer for combat. It came and got me. By the time
I was completing F-105 training, the entire production (nine every six
weeks) from the training course was going to Thailand and flying into
N. Vietnam. Within weeks of completing my training, the F-105 course
was modified to double the capacity (fifteen per class) and half the
duration (60 hours vice 120 flying hours). No more Lt's were
taken--only "experienced" pilots, although many were bomber, airlift,
training command and staff types.

Sixth, I did volunteer for my second combat tour in the F-4, nearly
six years later.



Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
Smithsonian Institution Press
ISBN #1-58834-103-8