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98-year-old A-1 Skyraider pilot at OA-1K Skyraider II delivery ceremony
At 98 years old, retired Lt. Col. Bill Buice never imagined he’d see another Skyraider take flight.
Looking ahead, he smiled as the hum of the aircraft’s turboprop engine deepened as it drew closer.
Joined by his family and members of Air Force Special Operations Command, Buice watched as the first missionized OA-1K Skyraider II arrived at Hurlburt Field.
As the OA-1K Skyraider II taxied, Buice said the moment brought back a wave of memories. As told by Staff Sgt. Natalie Fiorilli, Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs, in the article 98-year-old pilot sees Skyraider legacy live on in AFSOC’s OA-1K Skyraider II, to him, this was more than a new aircraft — it was a tribute to the original A-1 Skyraider, the plane he piloted during the Vietnam War until the day he was shot down nearly 60 years ago.
It was July 9, 1968, and Buice, call sign “Firefly 16,” and his wingman, “Firefly 17,” were providing cover for a formation of American helicopters flying in northern Laos, near the Vietnam border.
Rolling in for a pass to inspect the area below, Buice heard a sudden explosion.
Looking through the canopy of his A-1, he spotted a fire on the left wing of his aircraft.
Buice dumped the hydraulic system pressure to extinguish the flames. It worked, but the wing had a gaping hole, and the magnesium casting continued to burn.
He pulled the aircraft into a climbing turn, looking for a place to land. His teammates warned him over the radio.
Air America helicopter
“Not in the valley, whatever you do,” they urged, warning the enemy could be there.
Knowing he would soon lose complete control of the aircraft, he reversed his rudder controls, forcing the A-1 into a faster roll. Inverting the plane, he pulled the ejection handle as soon as he could see the sky through the canopy.
“The canopy disappeared with a bang,” Buice recalled. “Then nothing.”
His parachute deployed, slowing his descent. He crashed through the jungle, hitting a tree and injuring his shoulder and quickly realized he couldn’t move his right arm.
Hearing noise nearby, he used his left hand to reach for his pistol and call for help with his radio.
Moments later, an Air America helicopter arrived. Owned and operated by the CIA, Air America was a cargo and passenger airline that provided air support for the US and its allies during the Vietnam War.
A pilot came down to help Buice onto the lift, but as they ascended, the weight was too much.
“I insisted that he join me for the trip up, but it was too heavy,” Buice recalled. “So I gave him my radio and pistol, and he stayed behind, hoping another chopper would get to him before the bad guys did.”
End of 20-year Air Force career
Buice was airlifted to Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand for urgent medical treatment. Ultimately, his shoulder injury would end his 20-year Air Force career.
For decades, Buice often thought about the man who had rescued him, wondering if he made it out alive.
Sitting beside Buice at the OA-1K delivery ceremony was Phillip Jennings, a retired Air America helicopter pilot—the very man who had saved him that day. Over the years, the two had reunited only a handful of times, making this moment even more special, Jennings noted.
“I knew from the moment I watched him get shot down that we would have to go get him,” Jennings said. “I’m elated to be able to be here to see him be recognized and honored. He was the real hero that day, saving the Air America helicopters from landing in the deadly gunfire that shot his A-1 down.”
Delivery of first missionized OA-1K Skyraider II
As already reported, the OA-1K Skyraider II officially joined the Air Force Special Operations Command fleet with the delivery of the first missionized aircraft at Hurlburt Field, Fla.
Based on a proven aircraft platform, the AT-802, the Skyraider II is a dynamic aircraft that will allow operators to adjust effects for required missions and create dilemmas for our adversaries across the spectrum of armed conflict. In addition to versatility, the Skyraider II requires a much smaller maintenance package and costs less per flying hour than other conventional or other special operations aircraft.
Built for ISR Strike
- Rugged and Reliable – The Air Tractor 802U is designed and built for austere operations
- Effective and Flexible – Combat proven, multi-mission open systems architecture to “collapse the stack,” replacing multiple aircraft with a single aircraft
- Persistence and Payload – 6-hour loiter at 200 nm combat radius; 6,000 lb. flexible combat load-out
- Connected – Robust suite of radios and datalinks providing multiple means for line-of-sight (LOS) and beyond line-of-sight (BLOS) communications
- Situational Awareness – Ability to host multiple EO/IR, ISR and other sensors
- Affordable and Sustainable – Low production and operating costs, backed by an established global sustainment network
- SOF Heritage – Mature system built on more than 1.3 million hours of ISR and Strike support and upgrades driven by mission operators
- Production-Ready
- L3Harris is converting its Sky Warden aircraft into U.S. Special Operations Command’s OK-1K Skyraider II light attack platform
Sandy
The moniker of the OA-1K renews the rugged and versatile nature of the A-1 Skyraider, which was in service from 1946 to the early 1980s.
The A-1 Skyraider originated as a carrier-based torpedo and dive bomber. As the XBT2D-1, it first flew March 18, 1945, and deliveries as the AD-1 to the Navy began in November 1946. In 1962 the Skyraider became the A-1.
From 1950 to 1953 in the Korean War and from 1962 to 1975 in Vietnam, the “Sandy,” as it was called, served as a mainstay workhorse due to its payload, range and durability. The Air Force acquired it’s a-1s from the Navy for counterinsurgency duty in Southeast Asia. In addition to the Air Force, the Navy and South Vietnamese flew them in combat.
While in use during the Korean War and Vietnam War, the Skyraider provided extra muscle and firepower for Air Commando combat operations. Its sturdy and persistent nature was showcased when Maj. Bernard Fisher was awarded the first Medal of Honor for an Airman in the Southeast Asia War in an A-1E Skyraider. Later in 1968, Lt. Col. William A. Jones III also received the United States military’s highest decoration – the Medal of Honor – for his actions in an A-1H Skyraider.
Photo credit: Staff Sgt. Natalie Fiorilli / U.S. Air Force
