| Date: 28 October 1967 |
| Aircraft type: F-105D Thunderchief |
| Serial Number: 61-0169 |
| Military Unit: 357 TFS, 355 TFW |
| Service: USAF |
| Home Base: Takhli |
| Name(s): |
| Lt Col Thomas Henry Kirk (POW) |
| The attack on Hanoi’s bridges continued with another raid on the Paul Doumer Bridge on the 28th. Lt Col Kirk, the CO of the 357th using call sign Warhawk 2, delivered his bombs and started to pull up from his dive. As the aircraft passed through 6,000 feet it was hit by AAA, either 37mm or 57mm. He immediately turned south but the rear end of the aircraft was on fire and Lt Col Kirk had to eject as he passed over Van La, 10 miles south of Hanoi. He was captured and joined the five other F-105 pilots who had been captured during the last four days of fighting over North Vietnam. Lt Col Kirk was released on 14 March 1973. Thomas Kirk had flown 49 missions as a T-6 Mosquito FAC pilot in the Korean War before converting to F-86 Sabres at Kimpo. 61-0169 was painted as ‘Every man a tiger’, ‘Hazel’ and ‘Moose mobile’ at various times while at Takhli. |
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