One of my more memorable rides in the back seat!

We landed twice - the first time around, our tailhook skipped the arresting cable, so it was a "two-wheel touch and go" while skidding on a wing tank!  Carl said he wanted another try and his second landing was fine. He saved the plane - and me too!  This was probably the only time a Phantom ever successfully landed twice like this.

(Note:  The photo above is from "Stars and Stripes", a day or two after the November 1, 1968 incident.  This photo was then published in the VMFA-314 1968 cruise book, "The Black Knights Continue the Fight" and also in the squadron's 1969 cruise book.  It also appeared in in "USMC Phantoms in Combat" by Lou Drendel, Squadron/Signal Publications, 1990,  ISBN 0897472357, page 10 and eight years later in "The Marines", by Edwin Howard Simmons and J. Robert Moskin, Marine Corps Heritage Foundation,  October 1998, ISBN 0883631989, page 225.  The photo is properly credited to SSgt Calvin M. Hoar.  The captions are only partly correct in the later two publications.

In 2012, "US Marine Corps F-4 Phantom II Units of the Vietnam War" was published by Osprey Publishing; First Edition, Peter E. Davies, author.  ISBN 1849087512.  This photo with an extensive caption is on page 62, but with errors about Maj, Black's "300th and last combat mission".  It was neither!)

VMFA-314 had a great reunion in January, 2007 - see VMFA-314.com!

Here's the photo given to us after the landing.  SSgt. Calvin M. Hoar's name is stamped on the back:

Here's the Phantom crew, Maj. Carl E. R. Black and 1st Lt. Bob Schmitt:

And here is SSgt Cal Hoar in 1968:

In June, 2023, I had another celebration -

54th Anniversary!

on June 10, 1969, I was "withdrawn" from Chu Lai, RVN!  We were winning the air war when I left!

Thanks to all Phantom drivers who got me through:

Carl Black*
George Proudfoot*
Joe Garzik*
(pictured above in color photo, on left;
Joe & I drove Route 66 in September 2009)
Jack Sharkey
Don Evans
Bernie Schmidt*
Frank Petersen*
Bob Franklin
Gil Tanzer*
Kimo (Jim) Kelly
Herb Lundin*
Steve Hinkle
and many other VMFA-314 pilots!

(* now flying in the heavens)

(and coming up soon, Happy Holidays 2023!)