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At San Diego's Aerospace Museum, Navy Reserve Cmdr. Willaiam Driscoll stands at fighter jet he and partner flew in Vietnam

Los Angeles Times: Article
Taking Flight With Ace Advice

Aviation: When Vietnam-era combat veteran speaks, today's fighter pilots snap to attention.

SAN DIEGO? To the young pilots on their way to war, William Driscoll offered a formula for success and survival at supersonic speed: Stay focused and stay basic, even when the forces of gravity
and stress seem intolerable.

"Your world as you know it is going to be turned upside down,"Driscoll quietly told the air squadrons aboard the carrier John C. Stennis as it left San Diego for the Arabian Sea two weeks ago."You have to stay disciplined to get the job done."

Truth be told, his advice is not all that different from what the young men and women who will fly F-14 Tomcats, F-18 Hornets and other warplanes into combat have heard from their training instructors and senior officers. But the words have added impact coming from Driscoll, 54, a commercial real estate agent from San Diego, a Little League coach, and a commander in the Navy Reserve.

Driscoll is one. of only two Vietnam War-era Navy "aces," a designation reserved for aviators who shot down five or more enemy aircraft. In the world of military aviation, no other term is more respected."There's nothing quite like being in a room with fighter pilots talking about aviation and having an ace walk in," said Jim Huston, a former F-14 aviator and now a lawyer and novelist in San Diego."It's like being on a high school basketball team and having Michael Jordan walk in."

Some of the Stennis aviators were so impressed by Driscoll's presentation that they are now growing the kind of jaunty sideburns that were common among Navy aviators of that era, calling them "Willy D's." In three furious dogfights in 1972, Driscoll and Randy "Duke" Cunningham, flying an F-4 Phantom, shot down five Soviet MIGs flown by North Vietnamese pilots.

Cunningham, now a Republican congressman from San Diego, was the pilot; Driscoll was the radar-intercept officer. Both later became instructors at the Navy's famed Top Gun school in San Diego, where the "best of the best" are taught how to be even better. Called back to reserve duty in 1990, Driscoll lectures each graduating class at Top Gun, nowlocated at Fallon, Nev. He has made a study of aces, interviewing two dozen from various conflicts, including four from World War I, to find characteristics they have in common."Intensity, never letting up, always looking for ways to do things better" he said. The focus of his work "is not onwhat we did in the past," said Driscoll, his voice still redolent of his Boston Irish upbringing, "but what they're going to do in the future.

"He stresses training and simplicity: "You don't want to get too fancy. It's usually the pilot who makes the fewest bad mistakes who prevails."He knows the perils of losing focus and dropping what the Navy calls situational awareness. "Cunningham and I were shot down when we lost concentration," he said. Just moments after getting their fifth MIG, their Phantom was hit by a Soviet-made surface-to-air missile. The plane caught fire andbecame uncontrollable, and Driscoll and Cunningham were forced to eject. They were rescued from the Gulf of Tonkin by a U.S. Navy helicopteras North Vietnamese patrol boats raced to the scene in hopes of taking them prisoner. The F-4 from that incident was never recovered. But the plane that Cunningham and Driscoll flew for their first two shoot-downs has a place of honor at the San Diego Aerospace Museum in BalboaPark. "It looks just the same as it did in 1972," Driscoll said on a recent visit, momentarily unable to take his eyes off the craft. "It even smells the same."

While the Navy has numerous pilots and navigators with experience from the Persian Gulf War and from enforcing the "no-fly" zone over Iraq during the past decade, an ace is still a valued commodity. Cunningham's duties in Washington keep him pinned down, but Driscoll's time is more flexible.

Lt. Shannon Smith, a Top Gun instructor, said that the Top Gun students' attention never wavers when Driscoll speaks. "He talksabout how to not let the 'fog of war' keep you from the basics," Smith said. Added Cunningham, remembering a meeting as a young pilot with
World War II ace Chuck Yeager: "Theory is good, but it's important to have icons."

On the Stennis, Driscoll used the shipboard television system to talk to aviators in ready rooms spread throughout the mammoth ship. His audience was thinking not only about missions over Afghanistan but, if the war were to spread, missions over Iraq, where the anti-aircraft fire could be intense. For three hours he talked about "being good at being basic" and maintaining "a sense not of emergency but of the importance of the moment." Capt. Don Quinn, a veteran of the Persian Gulf War, said the presentation was particularly well-received by the younger crew members, many only months out of flight school. "Willy did a great job of preparing them mentally for what is to come," Quinn said. "r found that my own memories of January 1991 came flooding back." One of Driscoll's messages is that war is not romantic. "There's nothing nice about war," he said. "To have peace, you have to fight sometimes. This is one of thosetimes." He ended with a quotation from Melville's poem "The Martyr," written after the assassination of President Lincoln. The parallel with the America of post-Sept. 11 was clear: There is sobbing of the strong. And a pall upon the land; But the People in their weeping Bare the iron hand;Beware the People weeping When they bare the iron hand."You are the iron hand of the people of the United States," Driscoll said as a hush descended on the ready rooms. "Good luckand good hunting."

By TONY PERRY
TIMES STAFF WRITER

Aces' Interview

Willie Driscoll was commissioned through AOCS and joined VF-96 for a combat cruise in 1971. Following his tour with that squadron, he served with TopGun as a staff member before transitioning to the F-14 with VF-124. He made two cruises with VF-2 then returned to VF-124 as an instructor. Cdr. Driscoll left active duty in 1981 and affiliated with the Naval Air Reserve, serving with VF-301. He has 1,200 hours in the F-4, and 2,000 hours in the F-14. He recently retired from the Naval Reserve as a commander, but still maintains liaison with the Navy Fighter Weapons School as a guest lecturer. He is presently a commercial real estate broker in the San Diego area.

Approach: Thorough knowledge of your aircraft and its systems is always stressed as a prime factor for surviving in combat. During your 1972 combat cruise, and especially during the 10 May engagements, how did your knowledge of the F-4 help you?

Cdr. Driscoll: You go into a combat situation thinking you're well prepared, but you had no idea what you were getting into. It's dramatically different from what anyone has told you. The major thing I had to deal with - as do most combat aviators - is what we call the outer stratosphere of tension and anxiety, trying not to come unglued in a life-or-death situation. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying it isn't absolutely critical to know and understand procedures and NATOPS. But what happens to you in combat is so far removed for the NATOPS trainer that your daily surface consciousness fades. Your backup consciousness, which is all you have left, has to be absolute as far as your basic knowledge of the aircraft and tactics is concerned. Your surface consciousness will be tampered with in combat.

I made up cards, with boldface and tactical problems; I was always reviewing quizzes. I wanted to know the materials cold, but I found combat is such a stressful thing in terms of how I had prepared myself. In retrospect, I should have spent much more time working on my basic procedures. During combat, intimate knowledge of NATOPS doesn't shoot down bandits or prevent them from shooting you down. What is involved is the fundamental makeup of the man, his aggressive spirit, his will to live and win, and his ability to correctly execute basic tactical procedures.

Approach: Would you say that today's RIO does not have to be as aggressive as the pilot, but more knowledgeable about the systems?

Cdr. Driscoll: I believe that for the best pilot-RIO team, both crewmen have to be psychologically aligned the same way. You need intensely dedicated, aggressive RIOs, especially in combat. It is critically important that the RIO have that same sense of enjoyment about the work. I always looked at it with a cold, detached, unemotional approach. When I had the chance, watching a bandit explode was a thrilling experience.

Approach: What can you say about trying to keep yourself in position to be rescued while under fire during the post-ejection SAR effort on 10 May?

Cdr. Driscoll: Well, when I entered AOCS, I was not a very good swimmer and was assigned to extra instruction, sub-swim. At the end of AOCS, I was on swim hold. It was not a day at the beach. All the instructors helped us, but the effort had to come from us. One day I was really working hard in the pool, determined to get through, and the light just seemed to come on. The water didn't seem to be trying to push me down; it was really enjoyable. And that was it. I passed all the swimming requirements that morning.

During the mission on 10 May, we were hit by a SAM just south of Hanoi. Shortly afterward, there was heavy smoke and some fire in the cockpit. We didn't want to eject over land for fear of being captured. I knew the Navy's approach to water survival had helped me and I was confident of surviving an over-water ejection. I was more concerned with the remaining MiGs and other hostile fire.

As we floated down after the ejection, I got my mask and gloves off and secured them. Then I got on the survival radio to broadcast our position. I was also able to wave at Randy to make sure he was OK. After I broadcast our position, I switched to the beeper and prepared to deploy my raft. I landed in the water about 15 minutes later. The landing could have a replay of D-WEST training. I flipped over onto my back and popped by koch fittings, just like in training. There was a little breeze, although I don't remember being dragged. Despite the dogfights and the SAM hit, with the D-WEST training I had received, the water entry was almost routine. (This is quite a statement for me to make since I had always hoped that after an overwater ejection I would land in water no deeper than my knees.)

Approach: The SAR portion of your story has not been repeated as much as the aerial portion.

Cdr. Driscoll: Well, the North Vietnamese sent two PT boats out to get us. I think they were just coming out to get two Naval Aviators and didn't know what Randy and I had just done. We swam over to the raft with all our gear on. I saw schools of sea snakes and I thought it would be prudent to get into my raft immediately. I was tired and I was probably functioning on adrenalin. I pulled myself in and relaxed for a moment. Then, I remembered the PT boats and got out of the black raft thinking I could hide behind it. (I couldn't' see the PT boats because the waves were too big. Also, I was in quasi-shock.)

Approach: Did you get out of any of your flight gear?

Cdr. Driscoll: No, I kept everything on, including my helmet, except for my mask and gloves. It was just like D-WEST at North Island. The helo put a swimmer in the water, while several Marines manned the machine guns. We got right on the hoist and were hauled up into the CH-46. I wanted to stand up, but they told me to lay down and relax.

Approach: What makes for a superior combat aircrew, communication, knowledge?

Cdr. Driscoll: That's a good question. You'll find that sometimes your better crews in training aren't necessarily your best crews in combat. I think it's a combination of things. Combat, first and foremost, is such a heavy trip, a place you've never been before; it is laden with tension and anxiety - shooting, people crying on the radio, getting sick; it's hard to put into words. Real confidence in your abilities is fundamental to your survival.

You develop this confidence first in training, doing the same thing over and over again. In the fighter community, you sometimes see guys with a lot of swagger and arrogance. Many times, those people don't do well in combat. I always felt the confidence to look for was the real confidence, someone who knows what they're doing because they've done it over and over. Also, one of the keys is not to get bored with yourself doing the same basic thing over and over. That always helped Randy and me.

Kills in combat are produced not by great moves, but by avoiding or trying to minimize bad moves. You'll make bad moves - what I call gross mistakes, but your enemy will too. You want to capitalize on his mistakes and kill him. Try to never let a poorly flown bandit live. You want to continually work on minimizing the number of bad mistakes you make in training. None of this stuff about going up in the sun, dropping the flaps, reversing - that's stuff you read in books or see in movies.

Approach: Is there anything else you can tell us?

Cdr. Driscoll: I always read Approach when I was on active duty. There's a lot of excellent information in the magazine. As a matter of fact, Randy and I may not have survived that SAM hit I described if we hadn't read an article by then Lt. Duke Hernandez. The article dealt with handling an F-4 after it sustained major battle damage to the hydraulic lines.

Hernandez recommended that aircrews faced with a similar problem severely restrict stick input when trying to control the aircraft's attitude. He felt the F-4 should be controlled by rudder only. In that way, the aircraft might fly a little longer before depletion of the hydraulic system.

That's exactly the same situation we faced after the SAM hit. We still had 25 miles to go before "feet wet," and we used Hernandez's technique by doing a series of barrel rolls with no G. That's one of the main reasons I've always considered Approach a must-read for every Naval Aviator. It's fundamental to being the true professional you want to be.

-- Peter Mersky

I am a former TOPGUN instructor 21 years removed from active military duty. Last week, at age 54, I received orders to return to TOPGUN. I was asked to speak to TOPGUN's graduating class of fighter pilots about real world air combat. Incidentally, this is the same TOPGUN that was featured in the movie by the same name. My military background includes 170 combat missions flown with Congressman Duke Cunningham - perhaps one of the finest Navy fighter pilots ever. Together we shot down 5 enemy MIG jets over North Vietnam. We were also shot down by a Russian-built surface-to-air missile.

Following are three observations from meeting with the TOPGUN fighter pilots who may be flying combat missions in response to the recent horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

First, the aviators at TOPGUN were just as shocked, and saddened as the rest of us by those terrorist attacks. These normally steely-eyed aviators got just as blurry-eyed as we did when these attacks were discussed. However, I observed an ever-increasing sense of outrage and anger as more information on those responsible for these attacks was revealed. And make no mistake, these aviators fully support thorough preparations prior to the start of any military campaign. Although a modern jet fighter appears to be a graceful, glamorous machine, the jet dogfight itself is nothing more than a vicious, violent brawl to the death. Fighter pilots know that their greatest challenge in flying combat will be dealing with the intense and ever-present tension, anxiety, and stress of combat. Veterans of combat call this the "combat fog" or "not firing on all cylinders." These feelings are normal and manifest themselves initially in an intense and uncontrolled shaking of the body along with a tremendous urge to vomit. A good night's sleep is out of the question and any appetite, with combat pending, is non-existent. These are all normal physiological reactions to real combat. And the only thing we know for certain about real combat is that few of the previous lessons of combat will apply in our next combat. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander during "D" Day and later our 35th President, said it best: "Every war is going to astonish you. For anyone to predict what they are going to use and how they are going to use it exhibits their ignorance of war." There is no greater example of President Eisenhower's advice than the Vietnam War. It was supposed to be a six-month Naval action with land-based advisors also lending assistance. The total involvement of U.S. military personnel was supposed to be under 10,000. What happened was a 9-year, painfully divisive war costing more than $750 billion. It involved more than 3.5 million American troops, the loss of more than 1,000 jet aircraft and more than 58,000 American lives. The North Vietnamese lost more than 2.4 million people: an "exchange ratio" of approximately 40:1. And they were willing to accept this "exchange ratio" indefinitely.

The second point: In order to prepare for the uncertainty of combat, veterans of combat continually stress that our troops will "fight like they train." Therefore train hard and train realistically. You would think an elite squadron like TOPGUN would have the financial support and airplanes necessary to make their training scenarios the best in the world. I am sorry to report, through no fault of the military, that such is not the case. Consider the following:

· Of TOGUN's approximately 14 assigned jet fighters, only 5 or 6 can usually fly at any given time. The rest are down for parts. Those that fly do so only because parts have been removed or "cannibalized" from other aircraft. Cannibalizing a part is widespread throughout military aviation. Without this practice, very few aircraft would ever fly.

· TOPGUN has no dissimilar aircraft for training purposes. They therefore many times fly F-18s against F-18s. This is better than nothing, but not a realistic training environment. Although TOPGUN has been working extremely diligently for almost two years to acquire unassigned F-16s currently in storage, still none of those aircraft have been made available to TOPGUN. This is particularly disturbing when you consider that the Navy formerly had 5 adversary squadrons providing dissimilar air combat training. Today, there is only 1 reserve squadron which provides this invaluable service on a limited basis.

· Navy carriers, which should deploy with a crew of approximately 5,500, actually deploy with a crew of about 5,000. Many times crewmembers have to "crossdeck" from one ship to another to meet manning levels for deployments. These 8 months deployed - 2 months home - 8 months deployed place constant strain on military families.

· Women in the military - a tricky issue in the past - are doing a fine job on board Navy ships. Our carriers couldn't deploy today without the 500-700 women who serve so bravely and admirably. (TOPGUN also graduated their first female aviator last week. She did a great job and quickly earned everyone's respect.)

· An alarming number of men and women who maintain these $40M jets qualify for food stamps. Somehow that just doesn't seem right, particularly in view of the military challenges now facing our country.

To deal with the above, our aviators are encouraged to articulate what they need for combat, but to always prepare for combat with what they have. However, this blatant neglect of our airplanes, equipment, and people has been underway for some time. Admiral John Nathman, Cdr., Naval Air Force Pacific Fleet, at his August, 2000 Change of Command, said: "The fact is that we have reached such a low level of training that it will soon be impossible to meet the expectations of this nation in executing our operational tasks and completing the mission." There is no greater injustice a politician can inflict upon the citizens he/she serves than to take our most valued asset - our youth - and send them into combat with poor equipment and poor training. Yet that is just what has happened. Although these comments are centered around Naval aviation, every branch of the service has equally severe personnel and equipment shortages.

The final point involves a question asked by the fighter pilots at TOPGUN: "How will we do in combat?" And make no mistake - this is the key question all of our citizens and military are asking today. Before the question can be answered though, consider the following. Our way of life and our country are under terrorist attack by a vicious, determined band of well-organized and financed extremists. They are not going to just disappear. They're here to stay and we must deal with them if life as we know it is to continue. The terrorists have this view of us: a people who are rich, self-centered, greedy, and lacking the will to persevere. Our war on terrorism is not going to be won by airplanes and troops alone. The war is going to ultimately be won by you, the American people. Our first step, if we are serious about this, is to let our politicians know what we expect them to provide our military. Then our youth - our sons and daughters - will be better equipped and trained prior to going into combat. Let's go back now and answer the question: How will we do in combat? It's the same answer for our citizens as for our military. In the words of Oliver Wendall Holmes, "What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us is of little importance with what lies within us." If we take real action on the aforementioned points and have the will to support our leaders from start to finish, we'll do just fine.

Bill Driscoll, one of America's most highly decorated Naval Flight Officers is a professional speaker who can be contacted at Bill@willydricoll.com

Bill Driscoll
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Solana Beach, CA 92075-1727

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bill@willydriscoll.com