Visnapuu, Kuldar

“I was selected as a possible candidate to attend the Air Force Academy but when placed as the runner- up with a Congressional nomination. I realized I did not want to chance it and immediately applied to an Air National Guard opening and was accepted to go on to pilot training.

I began pilot training on October 4, 1963 at Laredo Air Force Base in Laredo Texas and then went on to F-100 training at Luke Air Force base in Arizona in November of 1964. Finishing, I returned to the Air National Guard Unit in Sioux City Iowa to continue flying the F-100 with the 174th Tactical Fighter Squadron.

In 1968 I was already flying for American Airlines when the 174th was called to active duty over the Pueblo Crisis in Korea. Within a few short months we were deployed to Vietnam. Having come from an Air National Guard Squadron brought some unusual undertakings in 1968. Not only were the pilots needed in Vietnam but due to the escalation of the Vietnam War the planes were also badly needed. Consequently, a pilot was designated to each F-100 available and given the co-ordinates to fly directly to Vietnam via Hawaii and Guam.

The first leg, with air refueling was directly to Hickam Field, a United States Air Force installation at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Spending the night at Hickam, our second leg, again, with air refueling was directly to Andersen Air Force Base at Guam, located approximately 4 miles northeast of Yigo near Agafo Gumas in the United States territory of Guam. Our last leg, again spending the night at Andersen along with air refueling was direct to our destination Phu Cat Air Base, a United States Air Force and Vietnam Air Force facility used during the Vietnam War.

On ending our tour of one year we again repeated the same procedures back to Sioux City Iowa. Uncharacteristically for most squadrons, we had our names painted on the side of our fighter for the journey back home, flying back with the same planes.

One plane was lost along with a friend and roommate, Lt. Warren Brown. Never will that day with him be forgotten. A second plane was lost by myself, however an Army helicopter was available almost immediately to come rescue me after my ejection. The 3rd plane lost was from Clive Grewell who was also successfully rescued.

We left for Vietnam May 17th of 1968 and returned in May of 1969, during which time I flew 256 combat missions.

The Super Sabre F-100 was known to be a formidable adversary in an air-to-air fight but its greater history shows their strength in hauling napalm, bombs, and rockets on air-to-ground missions in Vietnam. They were used as a number one tool to support friendly troops on the ground.

Proud of the F-100 and elated to fly the ‘Hun’.”

https://airandspace.si.edu/support/wall-of-honor/kuldar-visnapuu