Circa 1969-1971, Southeast Asia. A Douglas A-1 Skyraider taxies out with its canopy open and its Wright R-3350 turning, stores hung beneath the wing, past a checkerboard control tower and a waiting crash rescue truck. The tail of a second Skyraider fills the left of the frame, its tail code ending in 'S' above the number 75. Slow, heavily armed and able to loiter for hours over a downed airman, the piston-engined Skyraider flew the Sandy search-and-rescue and MACV-SOG support missions that defined USAF special operations aviation in the war. This slide comes from the collection of veteran Bob Karre, held with the papers of A-1 pilot Donald L. Engebretsen of the OLAA detachment at Da Nang. Project: 218905