The War: An Improvement in the Air

When U.S. infantrymen or their South Vietnamese allies need fast air support these days, the planes that scramble to help them may well carry red, gold, blue and white markings rather than the simple blue and white of the U.S. Air Force. The planes are those of the Viet Nam Air Force, and the results are usually similar whichever service answers the alarm. The Viet Nam air force, as well as the MIG-equipped North Vietnamese air arm, grew out of a nine-pilot unit that the French organized in 1951. After the 1954...

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