Episode 45 of Military Tales takes us to a special event: the premiere of “Who’s the Guy in Back” at Boys Town, featuring aviation artist and filmmaker John Mollison and the subject of his film, Colonel John Mollison. The episode delves into the extraordinary life of Colonel Mollison, a highly decorated Vietnam War veteran and a proud alumnus of Boys Town, shedding light on the vital, often unsung role of the “guy in back” in the iconic F-4 Phantom.

Colonel Mollison’s journey began in Naples, Italy, in 1946, born to an American soldier and an Italian War bride. His early life was marked by frequent moves and instability, eventually leading his mother, who despite the difficulties remained “extremely positive” and ensured there was “always food on the table,” to make the difficult decision to send John and his younger brother to Boys Town in Omaha, Nebraska. John describes arriving at Boys Town at age nine, not fully understanding why he was there, but finding it a place that instilled a crucial sense of control and taught him that if he wanted something, he had to “go out and work for it”. This foundation built his confidence and set him on a “completely new Flight Plan”. Though he initially planned to become a music teacher, playing multiple instruments and singing in choirs while at Boys Town, his path shifted when he attended a land-grant college in 1964 and chose the Air Force ROTC unit, drawn by the idea of flying jets rather than slugging in jungles with rifles.

While he originally intended to complete his tour and return to music, getting into the Air Force opened another door. Although his dream of being a pilot didn’t work out, he looked for the “next best deal” and became a Weapons Systems Officer (WSO), known affectionately in the Air Force as the “guy in back” (GIB). This role, or Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) in the Navy and Marines, was essential. The F-4 Phantom was built as a crewed airplane, with the GIB assisting the pilot with complex tasks from radar and navigation to target acquisition and weapon delivery, essentially serving as a crucial second set of eyes. While a pilot could technically fly without a GIB, the mission required both crew members employing the entire weapon system.

Combat in the F-4 out of bases like Udorn and later the more austere Nakhon Phanom (NKP) was demanding. Colonel Mollison recounts harrowing experiences, including a mission on March 8, 1971, during Lam Son 719, an operation intended to cut the Ho Chi Minh trail. Amidst bad weather and a South Vietnamese retreat, their flight was scheduled to lay a smoke screen for helicopter evacuation. When standard smoke deployment wasn’t feasible, their sharp flight lead discovered they could drop the smoke canisters below 25 feet, causing the white phosphorus to burn on the ground instead of creating smoke. Flying dangerously low, around 20-25 feet, they targeted a camouflaged ammunition dump on the Ho Chi Minh trail. Mollison vividly remembers seeing a guard with an AK-47 firing at them from close range as they pulled off the target. The mission was an unexpected success, setting off a chain of secondary explosions that continued for three days and earning Colonel Mollison one of his three Distinguished Flying Crosses (DFCs). He also describes another DFC mission involving a dangerous AC-130 gunship escort and hitting a target-rich area in Mugia Pass with heavy enemy reaction. Flying in combat involved navigating anti-aircraft fire (like green 37mm and red 57mm tracers) and understanding safe altitudes, typically staying above 4500 feet to avoid small arms fire unless supporting troops in contact.

Life in the cockpit also involved enduring physical challenges, like pulling significant G-forces. Colonel Mollison describes pulling up to 8.5 Gs in the F-4 and experiencing the sensation of his face drooping and body feeling nine times its weight, or the opposite effect of floating during negative Gs. Training in a centrifuge helped prepare for this, and he notes the F-4’s G-onset was more gradual than modern jets. He highlights the importance of teamwork with the pilot, noting that the best results came from crews used to working together, often flying with a primary assigned crew. He shares instances where he had to step in, like correcting a training pilot who blew through a pull-up altitude or guiding a pilot on a minimum fuel profile during a night mission when tankers were unavailable. Mission durations varied greatly, from short 1.5-2 hour flights in country to much longer missions (3.5 to 6 hours) out of Thailand involving refueling, or even trans-Pacific flights lasting 11-13 hours, requiring preparation like high-protein diets and “piddle packs” for bathroom needs. Long flights could be boring, and some crew members brought music.

Reflecting on changes over time, Colonel Mollison contrasts the numerous gauges and switches in the F-4 cockpit with the screens in modern jets, noting that while different, technology allows crews to focus more on the mission rather than just systems. He also shares thoughts on social media, seeing its potential for communication but also its downsides like lack of accountability and reduced interpersonal interaction, stating he personally avoids it except for promoting DFC Society events. His most impactful reflections, however, come when speaking to the Boys Town youth in the audience. He advises them to work hard, set goals, not let people put them down, care for others, be kind, and accept unkindness while moving on to “fight better fights”. He attributes his own positive attitude and ability to overcome failure and achieve his goals to the “training, teaching, and mentoring” he received at Boys Town, which provided a critical “underpinning” for his life and “opened a whole set of different doors”. Colonel Mollison’s story is a powerful testament to resilience, the importance of mentorship, the value of teamwork forged in challenging circumstances, and the enduring impact of places like Boys Town.