During the North Vietnamese Army’s invasions across the DMZ in the spring of 1972, conditions in northern South Vietnam were becoming quite hot. As a result, a somewhat unique mission for one F-4E Phantom was born of opportunity and circumstance, and not a little initiative on one officer’s part
The F-4 was a twin-engine, two-seat tactical fighter intended to perform close air support, air superiority, and interdiction. The aircraft was first created in 1953 by McDonnell Aircraft Corp. for the US Navy. In 1963, it was delivered with modifications made to meet Air Force specifications. In October 1967, the Air Force received the first F-4E. Along with an upgraded engine, cutting-edge slats for enhanced maneuverability, and an extra fuselage fuel tank, this model also features an internal 20mm multi-barrel gun with an enhanced fire control system.
During the North Vietnamese Army’s incursions across the DMZ in the spring of 1972, conditions in northern South Vietnam were becoming quite hot. As a result, a somewhat unique mission for one F-4E Phantom, little known until the painting featured in this post, was born of opportunity and circumstance and not a little initiative on one officer’s part.
Situated in South Vietnam near the DMZ, the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) Gunfighters, located in Da Nang, was the last F-4 Wing operating in South Vietnam during this bold enemy onslaught. These factors inspired Gunfighters Director of Operations Colonel J. D. Pewitt to conceive the idea of operating one of the Wings F-4Es as a free-roaming and heavily armed strike-recce aircraft to help stem the fast-moving enemy tide and collect up-to-the-minute feedback on rapidly changing NVA positions and operations.
Based on intelligence on troop movements, ammo storage, POL, riverboat traffic, and other assets in the vicinity of and above the DMZ, this aircraft attacked its targets. Chico flew under the callsign Stormy Fast FAC, one of the then-current F-4 high-speed FACs at Da Nang, because there was no provision in the Rules of Engagement for such a special aircraft operating alone.*
*In 1972, there were three F-4 Fast FAC callsigns associated with the 366 TFW at Da Nang: Stormy and Gunsmoke, the standard high-speed FAC units, and Chico, the subject of Meyers’ painting (there was only one aircraft, the F-4E 68-339, which operated as Chico). The entire North Vietnamese Easter assaults on South Vietnam on three fronts necessitated a drastic overhaul of the conventional FAC operations up to that point.
The enemy was now pouring in the area around the DMZ and the northern sectors of Military Region I, which included Da Nang, with heavy reinforcements, AAA weapons, and SAMs—among which were the brand-new SA-7 heat-seeker and SA-2 radar-guided missile. Because of the enemy’s heavy armament, Fast FACs had to maintain speeds of 400–450 knots IAS at the extremely low altitudes at which they had to operate, or else they would come back with big holes!
The Chico concept was but one 366 TFW innovation at this critical time. Chico praised the Strike Lead strategies that Stormy and Gunsmoke FACs were using. Under Strike Lead, an experienced crew flying a Stormy or Gunsmoke FAC would take off carrying an F-4 that had been bombed, and the two would start hunting. After marking the target with smoke rockets (and occasionally by strafing it with his internal cannon, with the rising dust identifying the target), the FAC, also known as Strike Lead, would move on to another hot spot while his wingman attacked the new target right once.
This gave Chico the freedom to walk around alone under the ROE. “Chico” was the callsign issued by HQ 7AF for two reasons: Initially, it was a recognized FAC callsign (compatible with the FAC persona). Second, since the callsign was no longer in use, controller duties would not be confused with actual FACs. Accordingly, the Chico name alerted airborne FACs that a special F-4 was available.
The F-4 Phantom II could carry twice the typical load of a B-17 bomber from World War II when it was used for air-to-ground missions. Nine external store stations have the capacity to carry weapons and/or external tanks. In 1967, eight 750-pound Mk 117 bombs, four AIM-7E, and four AIM-9B air-to-air missiles were a standard setup for an F-4. Additionally, the aircraft was equipped with one ALQ-87 electronic countermeasures (ECM) pod on the right inboard pylon and two external fuel tanks on the outboard pylons.
An F-4E-37-MC (68-339) from the 421st TFS Black Widows was equipped with SUU-23/A gun pods on the outboard pylons, two Navy Mk 20 Rockeye II Cluster Bombs on each inboard station, one AN/ALQ-71 ECM pod carried in the right front missile bay, two AIM-7 Sparrow radar missiles in the aft wells, and a 600-gallon centerline drop tank after conferring with armament technicians and receiving approval for the special mission from HQ 7AF.
The Marine Corps F-4 contingent deployed in Da Nang made the USN Mk 20 ammo easily available, and it was chosen as the optimal weapon for attacks involving tanks, boats, and ammunition dumps. It also offered more consistent coverage than the standard Air Force Mk 82 Snakeye 500 lb bombs or Napalm canisters for extremely ephemeral targets like trucks and missile transporters. In Vietnam, Chico was probably the only USAF Phantom using Mk 20 Rockeye IIs. Since the late 1960s, the Gunfighters have been equipped with the improved SUU-23/A gun pod, which was designed to replace the SUU-16/A Ram Air Turbine driven pod. The Chico loadout was easily reconfigured so the aircraft could be used for normal daily strike missions.
Col. James D. Pewitt flew this Phantom frequently from April to June 1972. There were only five pilots who flew 68-339 in her Chico configuration: Col. Pewitt; Lt Col Al LaGrou, 366 TFW Stan/Eval Chief; Capt. Jack G. Merrell, Jr., 366 TFW Command Post, and supplier of these five names; Col. George W. Rutter, 366 TFW Wing Commander; and a Brigadier General from Saigon (HQ MACV), who came up to Da Nang for a visit and one Chico mission. In June, the Wing moved to Takhli RTAB, Thailand, and, due to the distances involved, it was no longer practical to operate the relatively short-range/short-notice Chico the Gunfighter.
The aircraft was utilized with devastating success in its intended purpose but remained the only USAF F-4 operated in this configuration and mission. She was truly a special aircraft. The accompanying painting depicts a mission flown on May 21, 1972, in the A Shau River Valley just below the DMZ. Col. Pewitt and his WSO Lt. David “Bubba” Craighead earned their nomination for the Silver Star medal this day for successful repeated gun-strafe attacks on a very heavily armed enemy site, pinning down friendly troops.
The artwork in this post was painted by Wade Meyers.
Photo by U.S. Air Force