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A very bad misjudgment by both Israel and the U.S. Navy.
The USS Saratoga was 400 miles away in the middle of the Mediterranean and went into General Quarters and briefed aviators from VF-31 and VF-84 for one way trip to the site. Each F-4B was outfitted with 4 Sparrow III and 4 Sidewinder missiles plus 6 Mk 83 gravity bombs. Supposedly the fighters were to escort the A-4 Attack aircraft but their briefings did not tell them when or where to use the bombs.
In March of 1969 I joined VF-31 aboard the Saratoga. Many of the pilots that were aboard in June of 1967 were still with the squadron and were in the planes amd on the catapult when the order came directly from President Nixon to stand down. It still shows the grit those guys had.
The USS Saratoga was 400 miles away in the middle of the Mediterranean and went into General Quarters and briefed aviators from VF-31 and VF-84 for one way trip to the site. Each F-4B was outfitted with 4 Sparrow III and 4 Sidewinder missiles plus 6 Mk 83 gravity bombs. Supposedly the fighters were to escort the A-4 Attack aircraft but their briefings did not tell them when or where to use the bombs.
In March of 1969 I joined VF-31 aboard the Saratoga. Many of the pilots that were aboard in June of 1967 were still with the squadron and were in the planes amd on the catapult when the order came directly from President Nixon to stand down. It still shows the grit those guys had.
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