As listed in "Aces and Aerial Victories"
It's all in a days's work for Major Ralph Kuster
| NAME | CREW POSITION | SQUADRON | WING | DATE | CREDIT | ENEMY PLANE | RADIO CALL SIGN | F-105 WEAPON |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPT Gene I. Basel | Pilot | 354TFS | 355TFW | 27/OCT/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Bison 02 | 20 mm |
| MAJ Kenneth T. Blank | Pilot | 34TFS | 388TFW | 18/AUG/66 | 1 | MiG-17 | Honda 02 | 20 mm |
| CPT Max C. Brestel | Pilot | 354TFS | 355TFW | 10/MAR/67 | 2 | MiG-17 | Kangaroo 03 | 20 mm |
| CPT Charles W. Couch | Pilot | 354TFS | 355TFW | 13/MAY/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Chevrolet 03 | 20 mm |
| MAJ William M. Dalton | Pilot | 333TFS | 355TFW | 19/DEC/67 | 0,5 | MiG-17 | Otter 02 | 20 mm |
| LTC Arthur F. Dennis | Pilot | 357TFS | 355TFW | 28/APR/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Atlanta 01 | 20 mm |
| MAJ Roy S. Dickey | Pilot | 469TFS | 388TFW | 04/DEC/66 | 1 | MiG-17 | Elgin 04 | 20 mm |
| CPT Phillip M. Drew | Pilot | 357TFS | 355TFW | 19/DEC/67 | 1 | Mig-17 | Otter 03 | 20 mm |
| CPT William E. Eskew | Pilot | 354TFS | 355TFW | 19/APR/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Panda 01 | 20 mm |
| LTC Philip C. Gast | Pilot | 354TFS | 355TFW | 13/MAY/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Chevrolet 01 | 20 mm |
| MAJ James L. Graham | EWO | 333TFS | 355TFW | 19/DEC/67 | 0,5 | MiG-17 | Otter 02 | 20 mm |
| MAJ Harry E. Higgins | Pilot | 357TFS | 355TFW | 28/APR/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Spitfire 01 | 20 mm |
| MAJ Jack W. Hunt | Pilot | 354TFS | 355TFW | 19/APR/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Nitro 01 | 20 mm |
| CPT Harold E. Johnson | EWO | 357TFS | 355TFW | 19/APR/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Kingfish 01 | 20 mm |
| Maj Ralph L. Kuster | Pilot | 13TFS | 388TFW | 03/JUN/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Hambone 02 | 20 mm |
| CPT Thomas C. Lesan | Pilot | 333TFS | 355TFW | 30/APR/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Rattler 01 | 20 mm |
| MAJ Carl D. Osborne | Pilot | 333TFS | 355TFW | 13/MAY/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Random 03 | AIM-9 |
| 1LT Karl W. Richter | Pilot | 421TFS | 388TFW | 21/SEP/66 | 1 | MiG-17 | Ford 03 | 20 mm |
| MAJ Robert G. Rilling | Pilot | 333TFS | 355TFW | 13/MAY/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Random 01 | AIM-9 |
| MAJ Donald M. Russell | Pilot | 333TFS | 355TFW | 18/OCT/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Wildcat 04 | 20 mm |
| COL Robert R. Scott | Pilot | 333TFS | 355TFW | 26/MAR/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Leech 01 | 20 mm |
| MAJ Maurice E. Seaver | Pilot | 44TFS | 388TFW | 13/MAY/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Kimona 02 | 20 mm |
| CPT Jacques A. Suzanne | Pilot | 333TFS | 355TFW | 12/MAY/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Crossbow 01 | 20 mm |
| MAJ Leo K. Thorsness | Pilot | 357TFS | 355TFW | 19/APR/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Kingfish 01 | 20 mm |
| MAJ Frederick G. Tolman | Pilot | 354TFS | 355TFW | 19/APR/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Nitro 03 | 20 mm |
| MAJ Fred L. Tracy | Pilot | 421TFS | 388TFW | 29/JUN/66 | 1 | MiG-17 | Crab 02 | 20 mm |
| 1LT David B. Waldrop | Pilot | 34TFS | 388TFW | 23/AUG/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Crossbow 03 | 20 mm |
| MAJ William H. Wheeler | EWO | 357TFS | 355TFW | 19/DEC/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Otter 03 | 20 mm |
| CPT Larry D. Wiggins | Pilot | 469TFS | 388TFW | 03/JUN/67 | 1 | MiG-17 | Hambone 03 | AIM-9/20 mm |
| 1LT Fred A. Wilson | Pilot | 333TFS | 355TFW | 21/SEP/66 | 1 | MiG-17 | Vegas 02 | 20 mm |
These are of course the officially credited MiG-killers. There have been quite a
few more kills whose claims were denied by PACAF Headquarters, one of the more spectacular
being the unconfirmed kill by LTC (Ret.) George O. Guss (deceased in 1992).
Here's his personal account about that event:
"The story about me downing a MiG with ejection racks happened on my first flight over North
Vietnam. I was #2 in our flight of two F-105F's when four MiG-17's jumped us.
My leader tried to turn with them, which was impossible. One of them was firing and he couldn't
get enough lead.
The other three were beginning to move under me which didn't look good. At that time, I pushed
what we called the "master panic button" that jettisoned everything on the plane - bombs, pylons
and rockets - and went for the deck. My leader looked back and saw a ball of fire and thought
I had been hit. He swears he saw an airplane go down. All I know is I had a full load and they
had a lot of garbage to dodge."
Then there is the question: did Lt. Dave Waldrop shoot down one or two MiG-17's? I don't know,
unofficially, word has it that he indeed bagged two of 'em, but that the
second kill was denied by higher ups, even though Col. Robin Olds, Commander of the F-4C equipped
8th Tactical Fighter Wing, confirmed seeing the second MiG go down (must have ticked him off a bit!).
Perhaps those who were directly involved that day are reading this and can provide the answer...
Readers, F-105 veterans and enthusiast alike, are hereby invited to share any information about
the unconfirmed Thunderchief MiG kills. The Thud Ridge Web's address is on the main page.
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