Thud Ridge / Going Downtown: The War Against Hanoi and Washington

Flight Journal, Jun 2002 by DeGroat, Robert S

Thud Ridge by Jack Broughton. Order from the author (see info below); 286 pages; $11.95 (plus S&H). Going Downtown: The War Against Hanoi and Washington by jack Broughton. Order from the author: 22921 Springwater, Lake Forest, CA 92630; 300 pages; 27 Mw photographs; $16.95 (plus S&H).

A chain of small mountains in North Vietnam was used as a handy landmark by pilots headed toward Hanoi. American F-105 pilots knew it as Thud Ridge. lack Broughton's classic book of the same name and the follow-up, "Going Downtown," have recently been reprinted. Overall, these are real stories from the cockpit of the lead Thud (as the F-105 was known). When "Thud Ridge" was written in 1969, the Vietnam War was everyday news. No one knew much about how the F-lOSs battled MiGs, guns and SAMs then.

"Thud Ridge" reveals the life of an F-105 pilot early in the War. "Going Downtown" continues the story of Jack Broughton's personal battle with often inept leaders-- both civilian and military-and their questionable prosecution of the war. Together, the books give as realistic a picture of the air war as you'll find.

Thud pilots were a different breed-- often brash, arrogant and supremely confident; they had to be. Those who flew during the Vietnam War were, as the author says: "... sharp, dedicated and highly proficient at what we did. Our aircraft and weapons systems were highly capable .... We were not utilized properly."

And therein lies the crux of what many veterans still believe: they could have made a difference had they only been allowed to. In Vietnam, air power has been wrongly accused of failures not of its making. Because political leaders did not understand the enemy or its cause, the flawed theory of "gradualism" meant a much longer conflict while denying any air-power advantages. Politicians micromanaged all military operations. As the pilots saw it, the problem became pilots dedicating their lives to politicians who never properly appreciated the sacrifice.

Jack Broughton is well able to tell the tale. He has flown every operational U.S. fighter from the WW II-era P-47 to the F-106. He led the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team from 1954 to 1957. But it is his experiences as a wing commander in charge of a wing of F-lOSs in Ta Khli, Thailand, during the Vietnam War that provide the spark for some outstanding reading.

Broughton clearly retains affection for the Thud-one of the last of the famed Century Series aircraft. Designed as a low-level, tactical nuclear bomber, it was the U.S.'s weapon of choice early in the War for hauling iron bombs. Broughton kept a small tape recorder in the cockpit that allowed him later to recount verbatim what actually happened. Its effect is to slide the reader into formation for the hazardous rides up north. Broughton's knowledge and expertise in the operation of a combat unit become readily obvious. It is a great and often tragic story of air combat during uncertain times. These books are definitely must-read materials for those interested in the air war over Vietnam. They are that good.