A moving video

[Al Wohlstrom]

<Rescue of Roger Locher - Pilots of America Message Board

 

[Jim Craik]

Thanks Al

 

[Pat]

Wow, great video and story. If I'm not mistaken BG Steve Richie was one of the Aces of the Vietnam War.

 

[Al Wohlstrom]

Pretty ballsy move on the part of the Commanding General to rescue one guy!

 

[David Morton]

Not just one guy - but a pilot. Therein is the difference and the reason.

 

[domtoni]

So true David.

 

[Al Wohlstrom]

Not just one guy - but a pilot. Therein is the difference and the reason.

David, I wasn't saying that in a derogatory way, it was a ballsy decision. If it were any serviceman, it would be worth it.

 

[Jim Craik]

Not just one guy - but a pilot. Therein is the difference and the reason.

Actually he was not a pilot, at that time he was a Weapons System Operator, (rear seat F4) unfortunatly the pilot, Lt Lodge was killed. Later Mr Locher attended flight training and did became a well respected pilot.

 

[David Morton]

Aircrew - same thing = therefore NOT a mere mortal.
Al - sorry to split hairs but plenty of instances of foot soldiers
(mere mortals ) left to their own fate. Plenty more where they came from.

 

[Pat]

Actually he was not a pilot, at that time he was a Weapons System Operator, (rear seat F4) unfortunatly the pilot, Lt Lodge was killed. Later Mr Locher attended flight training and did became a well respected pilot.

Jim, I did some reading on this and apparently Lt. Lodge had told others that due to the amount and type of classified technical data he knew, he would never risk ejecting over enemy territory. CPT Locher later said that after they were hit, "...the airplane slowed down and we went into a flat spin." Locher then told Lodge as the flames were breaching the rear cockpit wall, it was getting too hot and he'd better get out. Lodge looked over his right shoulder at Locher and said, "Well, you better eject then."
So it appears Lt. Lodge chose to go down with the plane.

 

[Keith]

Actually he was not a pilot, at that time he was a Weapons System Operator, (rear seat F4) unfortunatly the pilot, Lt Lodge was killed. Later Mr Locher attended flight training and did became a well respected pilot.

I think you are all wrong. I have information that he was actually Sopheak Boutros Boutros Vichea, a Cambodian Yak herder that had snuck in to the back office of the F4 for a nap.

Which makes it even more amazing that he survived and went on to become a respected pilot. However, it was later discovered that he had abandoned his Yak Stephen on the runway in a dangerous position and he was subsequently stripped of his flying qualifications and transferred to the US Missing Yak Bureau.