Rules of Engagement

Chapter 25

Brad and Russ remained in their cockpits while the Phantom was lowered to the hangar bay. Brad had secured the engines after the F-4 had been chained to the deck-edge elevator. The tail of the Phantom extended out over the water.

When the elevator stopped, the aircraft handlers hooked a tow tractor to the nose gear of Joker 201. They quickly unchained the big fighter and pulled the chocks from the main wheels.

Contemplating the almost fatal mistake he had made, Brad felt the aircraft move as the tug driver maneuvered the F-4 off the elevator. The blue shirt stopped the Phantom directly behind Jon O'Meara's airplane.

Toby Kendall scrambled up the side of the fuselage to Brad's cockpit. "Cap'n, we got the word that Lieutenant O'Meara got him a MiG."

Brad smiled weakly. "He sure did, Toby."

The plane captain helped Brad and Russ with their flight gear, then stepped down to the hangar deck. He noticed that one Sparrow had been fired, but Austin and Lunsford were certainly not exuberant. Kendall busied himself postflighting the Phantom while the two officers walked to O'Meara's airplane. Russ Lunsford still favored his right ankle.

Mario Russo and Jon O'Meara, along with three maintenance men, stood on the right wing. They were inspecting the four holes along the engine air duct. There was also a hole in the leading edge of the wing, and two ragged openings in the right stabilator.

"Congratulations," Brad said when they reached the back of the wing. The pilot and his RIO were elated about their first MiG kill.

"Thanks," O'Meara replied, dropping to one knee next to Brad and Russ. "Looks like we took a couple of rounds through the engine."

Brad placed his helmet on the top of the wing. "I really apologize for setting us up for target practice."

"I would have done the same thing," O'Meara said as Mario Russo kneeled beside him. "Nine out of ten times those little goat holers cut and run. Shit, I was shocked when that son of a bitch cranked into us."

"Yeah," Russo said, shaking his head. "Those guys were not your average MiG drivers."

Brad leaned against the flap. "You're right. The leader was Major Dao."

O'Meara's eyes registered his surprise. "No shit?"

"None other," Lunsford responded as he shoved up his sleeves. "We about got our asses waxed."

"Well," O'Meara said to Brad with a grin, "you damn sure scared the shit out of him. I honestly thought you were going to hit him."

"I'll bet," Russo laughed, "that the little bastard fodded his wears."

Brad managed a small grin, then noticed a group of squadron officers and men coming to congratulate the MiG killers.

Relaxing on his bunk, Brad read the latest letter he had received from Leigh Ann. He hadn't heard from her since he had extended the invitation to join him in San Francisco. Brad worried that Leigh Ann's parents might be unhappy at the idea of his inviting their daughter to meet him in a faraway city.

He was reading the second page when Harry Hutton opened the door and entered the cramped cubicle. After shutting the door, he sat down with a troubled expression on his face.

Brad glanced up at his roommate. "What's the matter?"

"You've got a new backseater," Harry answered with a crease of a smile.

Perplexed, Brad frowned and absently folded Leigh Ann's letter. "I've got a new RIO?"

"That's right, partner."

"Who?"

"You're looking at him."

Breaking into a grin, Brad was uncertain if Hutton was pulling his leg. "Harry, if you're jake legging me around, I don't think it's — "

"I'm not kidding you," Harry said in a convincing voice. "The skipper is going to talk to you later. I told him that you were asleep, which you were."

Sitting up, Brad mulled over a number of questions. Had Russ Lunsford thrown in the towel? Why the change? "What the hell is going on?"

"Well," Harry said with a concerned look on his face, "the old man and Jocko apparently believe that Russ is about to go off the deep end."

"What gives them that idea?" Brad asked, confused by the unexpected change. "Is it because of me?"

Harry looked pained. "I don't know the full story. I wasn't privy to their conversation."

"Damnit," Brad blurted, then looked at the overhead. "I feel really bad about this."

Harry felt tension in his neck muscles. "They — the CO and XO — have been observing Russ closely the past few days. They have noticed, and so have I, that his hands shake uncontrollably at times."

Brad looked Harry straight in the eyes. "Hell, so do mine at times, especially from the constant adrenaline shocks. There has to be more to this."

Harry paused, thinking about the incident that had triggered the reassignment. "This morning, before you came to the ready room, the skipper and Jocko watched Russ try to drink a cup of coffee."

Brad started to speak but remained quiet while Harry continued.

"That was this morning, before you flew the BARCAP. He wasn't under the influence of an adrenaline charge." "What happened?" Brad asked impatiently.

"Russ sloshed over half the coffee on the deck before he could set the cup down. He scalded both hands."

"Jesus," Brad responded, remembering how quiet and reserved Lunsford had been during the flight that morning. "You know, he was unusually withdrawn today."

Brad analyzed Lunsford's behavior since the previous flight — the encounter with the North Vietnamese ace. "Russ didn't rant and rave, like normal, on the way back to the boat after Jon bagged the MiG."

Harry inhaled. "I think, from what I've heard, that the near midair with the MiG — right down in the dirt — flipped his switch."

Clenching his fists, Brad felt responsible for what had happened to his friend and flying companion. "What are they planning for Russ?"

"Well, from what I understand, the skipper is going to give Russ a collateral job — a project — to keep him busy for a week or so."

"Then what?" Brad asked, feeling a deep concern. "What about the long run?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. From what I gathered, they are going to have Russ fly with Bull Durham for a while, then evaluate the situation."

Brad and Harry reflected quietly on Russ Lunsford's future. Being grounded would probably be the kiss of death to his naval career.

Brad placed Leigh Ann's letter in his pocket. "Do we have to get new roommates?"

Harry shook his head. "No. The CO said since I don't have a pilot, then it's you and me, and we can stay put where we are."

Dropping his head, Brad worried about Lunsford. "I better go talk with Russ. I'm the one who is responsible for putting him into shock."

Harry raised his hand slightly. "I'd give it some time. He feels like he has failed you… let you down."

"Okay," Brad replied, knowing how he would feel under the same circumstances. "I understand."

Brad opened the refrigerator and pulled out two soft drinks. Handing one to Harry, Brad opened his can and leaned back. "Well, tell me the truth."

"I always do," Harry responded, wiping the corner of his mouth where a sip of Coke had spilled out.

Brad set down his can. "Do you have any qualms about flying with me?"

Harry chuckled, then downed a quick swallow. "Hell, no. You and Palmer — you're the best in the squadron."

Glancing at the bulkhead-mounted aeronautical chart of North Vietnam, Harry grew serious. "You know something, that asshole Carella has turned into a real shitbird since he took over as XO."

"How's that?"

Harry lifted his Coke can and held it a few inches from his mouth. "He inferred that since I don't have a brain, flying with you wouldn't scare me."

"Yeah," Brad replied, "a real prince."

Austin stood on the landing-signal officer's platform while the carrier turned into the wind. The afternoon strike group was inbound for the recovery scheduled at 1545. The rescue helicopter hovered off the starboard side of the stern of the carrier.

Brad looked out at the ship's churning wake, taking in the plane-guard destroyer. The smaller ship split the middle of the wake 5,000 feet behind the carrier.

He shared the platform on the aft port side of the ship with the controlling LSO, Lt. Tag Elliot, another LSO trainee, and two sound-powered telephone talkers. They were all aware of the safety net that would be their escape route if an aircraft appeared about to strike the ramp.

Terrell "Tag" Elliot, who was heralded as one of the best LSOs in the fleet, had warmly welcomed Brad to join his other trainee. Elliot was a quiet, studious man who had an air of melancholy about him. His curly blond hair was normally mussed, and he always had a cup of coffee in his hand. He had even been known to take a thermos bottle of the scalding liquid to the LSO platform.

Elliot held a telephone receiver that connected him to the controller in the Carrier Air Traffic Control Center, the Air Boss in Pri-Fly, and the inbound pilots. In the other hand, he held a pickle switch, which he used to energize the bright red wave-off lights if an approach looked unstable.

The LSO had total responsibility for getting the pilots safely aboard the carrier. He assigned a grade to each approach and landing, then critiqued the pilots in their ready room. His word was law at the ramp, without an appeal process.

A thirty-eight-knot wind whipped the cluster of men, making them continuously shift to maintain their balance. They had to shout to each other in order to be heard.

While they waited for the returning planes, Brad thought about the previous four days. He had had a lengthy, pleasant conversation with Russ Lunsford. Both men had felt comfortable after they had expressed their honest feelings, and reinforced their mutual respect for each other. Their friendship was not in jeopardy.

Lunsford had enthusiastically attacked the assignment involving revamping and updating the squadron personnel files. He had also expressed a strong desire to return to flight status as quickly as possible.

Doc McCary had initiated a combination of tranquilizers, vigorous workouts, and personal counseling to assist Lunsford in adjusting to his environment.

Scheduled together for the first time, Brad and Harry had gone down on the catapult when a hydraulic leak had been detected under their Phantom. They were not going to be scheduled to fly again until Brad completed his five-day familiarization course with their sister-squadron LSO.

The most stimulation for Brad had been the letter from Leigh Ann. She had been enthusiastic about meeting Brad in San Francisco, but had insisted on paying her own expenses.

After checking with Dan Bailey, who had readily agreed to endorse Austin's leave papers, Brad had talked with an acquaintance on the staff of the task-force commander. The lieutenant commander had confirmed that Bon Homme Richard was about to complete warm-ups, providing the weather cooperated. The carrier was expected to depart Dixie Station in forty-four hours, and relieve Brad's troubled ship shortly thereafter.

Bringing his mind back to the present from more pleasant thoughts, Brad listened to the first pilot call the landing-signal officer.

"Skyhawk, ball, two point eight."

"Roger, ball," Elliot replied calmly. He watched the aircraft with a critical eye, ready to offer verbal encouragement if the pilot needed assistance.

"Green deck!" a talker shouted above the roar of the wind and jet engines. The A-4 Skyhawk continued the approach, seemingly nailed to the glide slope.

Seeing the aircraft settle in close, Tag Elliot spoke to the pilot. "Power — need a little power."

The seasoned aviator made a slight correction before crossing the round-down and thundering into the number-two arresting wire. The A-4 screeched to a wing-rocking halt, then rolled backward as the pilot pulled his throttle to idle. The hook runner yanked the arresting gear loose, allowing the Skyhawk pilot to quickly taxi out of the landing area.

Brad turned and looked forward on the flight deck, checking to see that nothing was protruding over the foul-deck line. He noted that a KA-3B tanker was preparing to launch off the port-bow catapult. The jet blast deflector had been raised and the Skywarrior was being hooked to the catapult shuttle.

Returning his attention to the next aircraft in the landing pattern, Brad listened to the pilot call the ball.

"Skyhawk, ball, two point nine."

Brad could hear the approaching aircraft. The pilot constantly jockeyed his throttle, causing the engine to spool up and down. The continuous power adjustments were necessary to maintain a perfect descent profile down the glide slope to the arresting wires.

Noticing that the attack jet had started a left-to-right drift, Brad peered at Elliot. The LSO tilted his phone receiver next to his mouth.

"Line up. Back to the left."

The pilot of the Skywarrior tanker went to full power, checking his controls. Brad stole a glance up the deck, then returned his attention to the A-4. The Skyhawk dipped to the left and rolled wings level as it passed over the round-down.

Sensing trouble, Brad watched the attack jet continue to drift to the right. The aircraft slammed into the flight deck far to the right of the centerline, blowing the right tire. The tail hook impacted between the number-three and — four cables, skipping over the last arresting-gear wire. The damaged right landing gear pulled the Skyhawk even farther to the right of centerline.

"Bolter, bolter!" Elliot exclaimed, using body language to will the aircraft airborne. He also felt a sense of impending disaster.

The KA-3B thundered down the forward port catapult as the Skyhawk pilot pushed his throttle to the stops. He frantically shoved on the left-rudder pedal and yanked the control stick into his lap.

As the A-4 rotated, the right wing smashed into the port blast deflector. Debris exploded from the shattered wing as the deperate pilot fought to control his severely damaged aircraft.

Momentarily paralyzed, Brad witnessed the Skyhawk climb a hundred feet before it began a slow roll to the right.

The captain of the ship, anticipating an imminent crash, had already ordered a turn to the left to go behind the crippled A-4. The Skyhawk continued to roll to the right, passing behind and below the KA-3B tanker.

"EJECT! EJECT!" Tag Elliot shouted as the aircraft passed in front of the carrier's bow in a sixty-degree bank to the right. The A-4 was 190 feet above the water, nose level with the horizon. When the angle of bank approached ninety degrees, the Air Boss and the LSO yelled in unison for the pilot to eject.

Brad watched the canopy jettison, followed by the rocket-powered ejection seat. The pilot shot out horizontally, then started to arc toward the water. His parachute was only partially open when he impacted the water with tremendous force.

The aircraft crashed abeam the bow, creating a huge geyser of water. Wreckage ricocheted across the water for more than 200 yards.

Brad felt the ship heel over as the captain turned back into the wind. Elliot instructed the returning pilots to orbit overhead the carrier.

The rescue helicopter was slowing over the downed aviator, and the plane-guard destroyer had maneuvered to the right of the carrier's wake. The support ship was slowing in preparation to lower a boat over the side if the helicopter developed any problems.

As the carrier prepared to continue to recover aircraft, Brad watched the SAR helicopter hover over the A-4 pilot. The rescue swimmer jumped into the water as the carrier passed the helicopter. The injured aviator was apparently not able to don the rescue collar on his own.

"Ready deck!" the talker shouted into the wind.

Brad looked forward to see the last of the Skyhawk's debris being thrown over the side of the carrier. A plane handler kicked a shred of metal off the deck and gave a thumbs-up indication.

Tag Elliot was talking to the Air Boss and the pilots. It was time to continue recovering aircraft, before they all had to tank from the Whale.

Brad heard the approaching Skyhawk pilot call the ball, then glanced at the rescue helicopter. The rotorcraft was falling far behind the carrier, but Brad could see that the A-4 pilot was being hoisted aboard the helicopter. The injured aviator would be back on the carrier deck in a matter of minutes.