What F-102 units were called up for Viet Nam

Scott Peterson wrote in message ...
(Kevin Brooks) wrote:

You are aware that the Cold War was still alive and well through
the *eighties*?

Yes. But I'm also aware that throughout the Viet Nam era National
Guard units were regarded as draft dodgers refuges. Specifically, the
TxANG 147th fighter group was considered a "champagne" unit that was a
refuge for the area's privileged. Its ranks included John Conally's
son, Lloyd Benston's son, John Tower's son, George Bush's son and
seven Dallas Cowboys

I wonder if you'd have the temerity to utter such a thing to, say, the
personnel from the ANG units like those in CO and NM that were
activated and flew in Vietnam, or to those "champagne unit" (your
description) members who pulled their voluntary rotations in Vietnam?
Methinks not...



And that despite the fact that the TXANG units were
based in Texas, they could have been assigned air defense duties
*anywhere*?

Could of, maybe shudda, but weren't and considering that in that time
frame the F-102 was no longer a first-line aircraft, were probably
close to the bottom of the list for doing that.

Was no longer a "first line aircraft"? Uhmmm...care to guess when the
last F-102's left active duty? Since you did not even have a ghostly
idea that they had served in Vietnam, how the heck are we supposed to
believe your assessment of their operational status? As to even the
definition of 'first line", have you ever looked at what the breakdown
in the old ADC force was during that period? Take a gander at how many
of those forces you call "second echelon", I presume, were standing
alert on a routine basis.


The situation today is not all that different (except that
today's threat is unlikely to shoot back), with ANG fighters flying AD
missions from detached locations on a routine basis.

You've lost me here. I'm not aware of any 'threats' that shot back at
air defence missions around the Continental US. In the seventies or
now.

You had no idea that the TU-95 was armed?! Or that Bears routinely
trolled down the eastern seaboard, and into the Gulf? That the USSR
used Cuba as a refueling point for those Bears (even into the 90's
IIRC)?


I believe that in the sixties and seventies, the units were much more
tightly tied to the state than they are now.

Not really. The degree of state control has always been exaggerated by
those who have never served in a Guard unit, which number I am
guessing from your sneering tone you would be a part of.

Also since they were
flying aircraft that were not in first-line service, and fairly
high-maintenance, moving them to other bases not equipped to handle
them would have been a major logistical move that would be difficult
to justify.

Uhmmm...take a gander at when the F-102 retired from active service,
and recall that two NATO allies continued to fly them even after they
left ANG service--and you can't see where they might have been used?


You may not like
GWB, but attacking the service of the F-102 pilots who did their duty
*wherever* it occured is not gaining you very much.

I said it wasn't the stuff of legend. i.e. not particularly
memorable. That's a long way from attacking them. Anyone who did
their duty honorably can be justifiably proud, regardless of how
memorable it was.

Too little, too late (in terms of backpeddling, that is). Go up and
read your first paragraph in *this* post and then come back and tell
me you were not "attacking".

Brooks



Scott Peterson