Hit My Smoke!

Flight Journal, Aug 1998 by DeGroat, Robert S

Hit My Smoke!

by Jan Churchill. Sunflower University Press, 1531 Yuma, P.O. Box 1009, Manhattan, KS 66505-1009; (785) 539-1888; 220 b&w Photos; $25.95.

Unsung and virtually unknown, the Forward Air Controller (or FAC) has become increasingly important with every conflict since WW II. The fascinating story of the FAC has at last been told in "Hit My Smoke!" by Jan Churchill.

Much has been written about air wars, but little of it concerns the FAC and his integral part in tactical aviation. It doesn't matter whether it is close air support, search and rescue, visual reconnaissance, or control of strike aircraft, the FAC is involved.

The FAC is actually an outgrowth of the old artillery spotter of the U.S. Army, flying "Horsefly" missions in such aircraft as the L-5 during WW II. In Korea, he flew T-6s in the "Mosquito" role. Vietnam found him flying O-is, 0-2s, or OV-lOs with such call signs as "Nail" and "Covey."

In Vietnam, as the air defenses grew more intense, the idea of the Fast FAC gained popularity. It was an attempt to give the FACs more survivability through speed. Potential problems with seeing and identifying items on the ground from high-speed aircraft like the F-100 and, later, the F4 were quickly dispelled. The Fast FAC, scorned in the past, was now an integral part of the aircombat equation; nothing was struck without his identifying and targeting the specific spot.

The best part of "Hit My Smoke!" is when the participants tell their own stories. Included are the inevitable tales of terror and the loss of good friends. But there are funny experiences also, as there are in all conflicts. That the combatants can even find humor amid the death and destruction around them speaks well for their human spirit.

Readers will find this an interesting story. In addition, some fascinating items are included as appendices: FAC programs and procedures, strike diagrams and munitions and communications systems. These add immeasurably to understanding the FAC role. The book does the right thing: it gives long overdue recognition to some valiant warriors.