An Air Force airman poses atop the wing of a Douglas A-1 Skyraider, the propeller-driven attack aircraft nicknamed the "Spad" for its World War I-era design philosophy of rugged, heavily armed close air support. Photographed in August 1969, during the peak years of A-1 operations in Southeast Asia, where Skyraiders flew close air support and Search and Rescue (SAR) escort missions, including support for downed airmen and MACV-SOG reconnaissance teams. Project: 218943