Recent content by oceanmariner

I wish the people that want to retire the A-10 would talk to people that served in combat before we had the A-10. Fast movers (supersonic jet fighter/bombers) were too fast to be accurate. I think the A-1 Douglas Skyraider had a lot to do with the decision to build a dedicated ground attack...

Communists don't care if thousands of their people die. So to stop them you have to put fear into their soldier's minds. Napalm was their greatest fear. Period. Drop some napalm and the survivors faded away. After that #2, the AC-47 and later the AC-130. Like napalm, the gunship ended support...

The group that got the ball rolling on reliability were known as the Whiz Kids in the Kennedy administration. A bunch of accountants with no combat experience looked for ways to make the M-16 cheaper. For the jungle the chamber needed to be chromed as it was eventually done. Otherwise rust...

Should have never stopped using napalm or flame throwers. Totally demoralizes the enemy and leads to fewer causalities on both sides. Bad guys run away and good guys don't have to dig the enemy out of defensive positions. Vet, several years in Vietnam.