Winning

Betting it all in the ultimate gamble where there is only one winner. Lou Drendel continues his exhilarating account of how modern air combat is fought arid won.

September 9, 1972 2 MiG-19’s

F-4D, 555th TFS, 432nd TRW A/C Ser No. 60-267, Call Sign “Olds 1”

Captain John A. Madden Captain Charles DeBellevue

John Madden was one of the most experienced flight leaders in the 555th TFS during the climactic aerial campaigns of 1972. He finished this tour with a total of 254 combat missions, 190 of which were over North Vietnam. He won two Silver Stars, 11 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 21 Air Medals and two Air Force Commendation Medals. He never lost a wingman from any of the flights he led, which in itself is a high tribute to his leadership and skill as a fighter pilot. Captain Madden completed his tour with three MiGs to his credit. His first and second victories were the fifth and sixth for his WSO, Chuck DeBellevue, making DeBellevue the leading ace of the Vietnamese Conflict. A narrative of the three “kills” follows:

On September 9, 1972, I was “Olds 1” in an F-4D, leading a flight of four F-4s. My wingman was Capt Mike Francisco, with Capt Billy Graham in his back seat. Number three was Capt Brian Tibbett and Lt Bud Hargrove, with Capt Bill Dalecky and Capt Terry Murphy on their wing. We carried four Sparrows, four Sidewinders, two ECM pods, and three external tanks. Tibbett was flying an F-4E, so he had the gun in addition to his missiles.

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