Valiant Volunteer --- By John L. Frisbee, Contributing Editor
    Capt. Jack Weatherby knew the risk as few did when he volunteered
 to fly a photo-reconnaissance mission against a new kind of target.
     THE most hazardous operation in the war in Southeast Asia was
 reconnaissance. Recce pilots flew alone or sometimes with a wingman
 against high-value, heavily defended targets, generally deep in enemy
 territory. Their loss rate was far higher than that of strike figh-
 ters. Only exceptional pilots with the experience to make on-the-spot
 tactical decisions were used as recce pilots.
     In the early months of the SEA war, the photorecce workhorse was
 the McDonnell RF-101, a supersonic aircraft derived from an early
 1950s-developed penetration fighter. It had neither electronic jam-
 ming equipment nor side-looking radar as did the RF-4C that, in 1965,
 was to succeed it for deep penetration missions.
     The scope and danger of photorecce work expanded in early 1965
 when North Vietnam began deploying Soviet-made and -operated SA-2
 Surface-to-Air Missiles around Hanoi. At that time, Allied aircraft
 were not permitted to destroy the SAM sites, but it was essential
 that their location be known. Eventually 200 SAM sites were estab-
 lished north of the demilitarized zone. The first USAF aircraft to be
 shot down by a SAM was an F-4 on July 24, 1965. More aircraft were
 downed by the anti-aircraft guns protecting the sites than by the
 missiles themselves.
     At the time, two of the most experienced photorecce pilots were
 Maj. Jerry Lents and Capt. Jack W. Weatherby, based at Tan Son Nhut
 near Saigon. Lents had flown 48 missions, and Weatherby, who was con-
 sidered one of the best recce pilots, flew the first mission against
 a SAM complex.
     As they were returning from an in-country mission on July 29,
 1965, they picked up a radio message from higher headquarters con-
 cerning a run against a SAM site northwest of Hanoi. Weatherby im-
 mediately volunteered to lead the mission and Lents asked to go as
 his wingman. Weatherby's unique experience in reconnoitering a SAM
 site should help them on this one. His earlier experience convinced
 Weatherby that no pilot could expect to survive many SAM photo mis-
 sions, but never mind that.
     This particular mission would be not only harrowing but long.
 The site they were to photograph was 700 miles from Tan Son Nhut and
 more than 300 miles north of the DMZ. After take off, Weatherby lost
 his UHF transmitter and Lents took the lead. Near the DMZ they ren-
 dezvoused with a tanker and took on a load of fuel.  Although his
 transmitter was out, Weatherby's receiver still worked.  The two
 pilots were able to establish somewhat shaky communications by Lents
 asking questions and Weatherby responding with clicks of his micro-
 phone button. Weatherby made it known that he wanted to resume the
 lead.
     The weather was deteriorating rapidly, with severe thunderstorms
 in the area. For a time it looked as though the mission could not be
 completed, but finally they broke out of the clouds a short distance
 south of the target area. Weatherby let down to their approach alti-
 tude of 200 feet, and they began their run about 40 miles out and at
 600 knots. Ground fire became increasingly heavy as they neared the
 SAM complex.
     Weatherby had turned on his cameras when he was hit by an anti-
 aircraft shell that passed through the fuselage without exploding.
 Fuel began leaking from both sides of the plane, and within seconds
 small flames appeared under the fuselage. Without knowing if Weather-
 by's receiver was still working, Lents screamed at him to get out
 before the aircraft exploded. Ignoring the damage to his aircraft and
 the likelihood of a fatal crash, Weatherby continued his photo run.
 He believed there was a remote possibility that the flames would blow
 out and that he might be able to reach a friendly airfield. If he
 bailed out, the film would be lost and almost certainly he would
 become a POW.
     Leaving the SAM complex, they flew on the deck up a valley so
 narrow that evasive action was not possible. Gunfire was coming from
 both sides, but with each passing second the possibility of escape
 improved. It was not to be. Weatherby's aircraft exploded and crashed
 to the ground in a ball of flame. Lents flew through the flames,
 cleared the hills, and made it back to a tanker and to Tan Son Nhut.
 Though the film was gone, he was able to pinpoint the location of the
 SAM complex. He continued to fly recce missions until his return to
 the States.
     On Nov. 23, 1965, at Carswell AFB, Texas, Capt. Jack Weatherby
 was awarded the Air Force Cross posthumously for his heroism that
 July day. He was the 12th man to be awarded the AFC in the Vietnam
 War. He laid his life on the line to complete a mission of vital
 importance to USAF. His selfless valor was an inspiration to those
 who followed him.
 AIR FORCE Magazine/April 1998  Page 81
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