merida72
Charter Member
<style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> A-7A BuNo 153226/NM 305 of VA-153/CVW-19, USS Oriskany, 1971
This aircraft features the prominent vertical tail colours associated with VA-153’s nickname, “The Blue Tail Flies”, which stems from Korean War incident. BuNo 153226 joined VA-147 in September 1967 and made two deployment to Vietnam with the unit. It then served with VA-122, before moving to VA-153 in December 1969 and making two more Vietnam deployments.
Trasferred to VA-125 in April 1972, it then moved on to VA-93, foward deployed in Midway. Placed in desert storage in 1977, the jet was eventually refurbished as an A-7P and sold to Portugal.
A-7B BuNo 154430/NM 411 of VA-215/CVW-19, USS Oriskany, 1971
Issued to VA-122 in September 1968, this aircraft moved to VA-146 for a Vietnam cruise in 1969. Reassigned to VA-215 in April 1970, it then deplyed aboard “FDR” to the Med, before rejoining the “Barn Owls” for a combat cruise in 1971. The A-7 was lost on 22 September 1971 when it suffered engine failure during a strike mission. The pilot ejected and was rescued.
Sources: OCA - US NAVY A-7 Corsair II Units of the Vietnam - Pag. 58, 60, 93 and 94.
I hope you enjoy it. :ernae:
