“Major Carl Light Pistol 02 described the incident involving Capt Lasiter as follows: ‘As we approached a point about 30 miles west of the target, I saw Pistol Four burst into flames and immediately afterward a MiG-21 approached from his six o’clock position and pulled up and to the left of Pistol flight…I called that Pistol Four was hit and called the MiG-21 when I saw it. another Mig-21 then crossed over the flight from right to left. I heard Pistol Four make no calls. His wings rocked once and he went into a right descending turn, burning from the fuselage and right-wing. I saw the pilot eject and separate from the seat, but due to watching the MiGs I did not see his chute open.’… LCOL Nevin Christensen, Pistol One, confirmed a good chute: ‘Downed member was hit by AIM/MiG-21 at 07:52L … I did see a good chute. I did not hear a beeper. Weather in the area where member is down was overcast about 6,000. Type of terrain mountains and lightly populated. Received a call that #4 was hit by a MIG-21. Observed #4 on fire. A/C rolled inverted and pilot ejected at about 12 to 14,000 feet. No beeper was heard, but pilot was observed in chute…Search and rescue operations were not conducted due to location.’”… “…The F-4s pursued the MiGs and got a hit on one…”
Vet has no regrets about Vietnam (Thomas Collins)
Thomas Collins III would like to clarify one point about his bombing missions in Vietnam, and the more than seven years he spent as a prisoner of war: It was not a mistake, not a waste, not a failure. “We needed to stop communism,” says Collins, 74, a retired U.S.
