Archives: Today in History

24 September 1965 – Major Martin W. Barbena is on a mission over SVN when his aircraft, F-100 #562923 is hit by gunfire. Barbena ejects and his parachute gets tangled in a group of 20′ trees. He is rescued uninjured by an HH-43F Helicopter nicknamed “Pedro” piloted by A1C Bill Pitsenbarger. The Helo hovered over […]

23 September 1965 – G.W. Marlowe was serving with the 429TFS out of Bien Hoa AB, Vietnam. On a strafing mission over SVN, his F-100 was hit by gunfire, and Marlowe was forced to eject. He was rescued by Helo and uninjured.

22 September 1950 – Colonel David Schilling makes the first crossing of the Atlantic in a jet fighter, an F-84 Thunderjet. The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) proposal for a “day fighter”, the F-84 first flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thunderjet was