Episode 16 of Military Tales dives deep into a fundamental question about military service and combat: What constitutes the greater courage? The conversation is driven by the speaker’s reflections, partly sparked by reading the book “When Thunder Rolled” by a fellow lieutenant who flew the F-105 Thud over North Vietnam in 1966.

The speaker contrasts his own experience, coming out of the academy and knowing his duty in a time of war, with the account in the book. For the author of “When Thunder Rolled,” flying 100 missions over North Vietnam, a dangerous task where many pilots didn’t survive, was initially terrifying. He was literally afraid and his first thought was how to get out of it. He contemplated flying just one mission to save face before quitting. Yet, he evolved, overcoming his fear and becoming a fantastic F-105 pilot who did great things.

The speaker, however, felt he had different apprehensions, primarily focused on whether he would measure up, be competent, and get the job done. He states he was “never for really for a minute” actually afraid in the same way. This led him to recognize a wide spectrum of experiences among the pilots he flew with. There were guys who were clearly afraid, some with a look in their eye that made you wonder if they’d make it back, and others full of bravado. This spectrum ranged from those who weren’t fearful at all to those who were terrified.

This realization brings the core question: Which is the greater courage? Is it the courage of those like the speaker, who were perhaps young and felt “bulletproof” and weren’t deeply afraid in the first place, or is it the courage of the guys who overcame their profound fear, often with families back home and other life concerns, and still performed their duty in an exemplary manner day after day? This is a topic the speaker notes has rarely been discussed openly among veterans over the past 50 years.

The conversation also touches upon the bravery involved in simply opening up and talking about these war experiences after holding them in for so long. Some individuals have found it hard initially but therapeutic over time. The speaker reflects on his own luck in avoiding significant post-traumatic stress despite being in dangerous situations and acknowledges a wide range of ways experiences impacted individuals, some perhaps carrying “baggage” they aren’t even fully aware of.

A significant part of the episode focuses on the specific role of the speaker as a pilot in a Special Operations Squadron, known as Air Commandos. Their primary mission, using the call sign “Sandy,” was Search and Rescue (SAR). While they did other missions, successfully completing a SAR mission to pull a downed fellow servicemember out of harm’s way was considered unparalleled. This is contrasted with “BS missions” like bombing suspected truck parks based on old photos, which could feel nebulous and less impactful than saving a life.

The episode provides a detailed account of one major SAR effort the speaker was involved in: Knife Six One – Six Two on October 6, 1969. This mission began as a Prairie Fire infiltration/exfiltration operation, where the initial landing zone (LZ) was mistakenly believed to be benign but was actually surrounded by 500 to 1000 North Vietnamese troops. Two helicopters, each with four American crew and 26 Thai/Laotian mercenaries, were shot down during the attempted infill.

The Sandy forces were launched. The speaker, flying wing for Jack Hudson, ended up leading the low element of the rescue effort due to a navigation error by the other aircraft. With over 50 people on the ground, including eight Americans, the situation was dire. The Sandys coordinated fast movers, expended their own ordnance, and flew dangerously close to the LZ, dropping CBU (cluster bomb units) and strafing to keep the surrounding enemy forces at bay. At one critical moment, with enemy troops moving in from the west just meters from the trapped personnel, the speaker made a rapid maneuver and used his 20mm cannons, the most accurate weapon, firing until he couldn’t stand it any longer. He later learned from one of the rescued crew members that the strafing was incredibly close but effective, with shrapnel even hitting the crewman’s hand.

Despite the chaos, a remarkable rescue was achieved. Using Super Jollies (H53 helicopters) and tactics like smoke screens, they managed to pick up 54 out of the 60 people on the ground, including all eight Americans. It was described as the biggest rescue effort ever in Southeast Asia.

The episode highlights the intense nature of the war in Laos and Cambodia, where forces would often swarm infiltrated teams. There’s a poignant anecdote about Sandy pilots and ground Special Operations (SOG) guys exchanging views, each thinking the other was crazy to operate in their respective environments – the pilots flying into heavy fire, the ground guys getting out into contested territory. Helicopter pilots and fixed-wing pilots also held this mutual respect and awe for each other’s bravery.

Finally, the term “Operator” is defined in this context. Operators are described as those who will overcome obstacles, get the job done, are super mission-oriented, very capable, and literally on the “pointy end of the spear”. They figure things out, accomplish what needs to be done, and might even bend a rule if necessary to achieve the mission.

The episode concludes with the understanding that there are more stories to share about SAR missions.