Brig. Gen. Steve Ritchie and the Rescue of Roger Locher

Brig. Gen Steve Ritchie tells the amazing story of the rescue of downed pilot Roger Locher in Vietnam in 1972.

In that same year Ritchie volunteered for his second tour in Southeast Asia and was assigned to the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Udorn, Thailand. Flying an F-4D with the famous 555th ("Triple Nickel") Tactical Fighter Squadron, he became the only Air Force jet ace by downing a MiG-21 on May 10, another on May 31, two on July 8 and his last on Aug. 28.

After completing 339 combat missions totaling more than 800 flying hours, Ritchie returned as one of the most highly decorated pilots of the war, having received the Air Force Cross, four Silver Stars, 10 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 25 Air Medals.

His combat expertise brought him the 1972 "Mackay Trophy" for the most significant Air Force mission of the year (along with Capts. Jeff Feinstein and Charles DeBellevue), the Air Force Academy's 1972 Colonel James Jabara Award for Airmanship, and the 1972 Armed Forces Award, presented by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. In 1973 he was selected as one of the "Outstanding Young Men of America," and in 1974 he received the Eugene Zuckert Award from the Civil Air Patrol.

• Category

  News & Politics

[Bourne Accident]

Wow... the end really got to me... I really want to live in that country.

[MARKFLEGEL]

This video illustrates who really are the real Americans!

[alderete74]

1. I have been deeply involved with Iraq for over 12 years now. Do you live in a dream world. Sectarian killing sky rocketed to all time highs under "US occupation." Search the facts and you will clearly see there was little under the iron first control os Saddam.

2.Did you read my posts? I made no negative comments directed at BG Ritchie or his video.

[theOldInfidel]

NOW there's more sectarian killing??? wrong, dude. maybe 6 or 7 years ago, but not now. Iraq's government is actually functioning quite well now. when is the last time you've paid attention to the news coming out of there? wait...let ME answer that: about 6 years ago!!

why are you so bitter that you would post such negative comments on this Hero's video??? sounds like you could use some help dealing with whatever it is you saw/did over in Skinny Land.

[sheltondk43]

Please explain how President Obama blew that apart. Please state how he has been so callous and irresponsible with U.S. lives and safety. Please compare that to his CINC predecessors, because I may have some numbers for you that would remind you of a sad reality.

[Hexmate70]

Just stating another fact. I see you don't have any to offer so I thought I would embellish my comments with an accurate descriptor.

[alderete74]

Name calling, really!

[Hexmate70]

Just ask me and I will tell you just like I did above and I don't own any defense industry stock. As a matter of fact 5 years ago a woman who escaped from Laos with her family thanked me personally for risking my life to protect the freedoms of the Vietnamese people. Now you can go ask the 2 million Cambodians that were slaughtered by their government, or the 2 million Vietnamese that disappeared when the communists took over. Ooops - sorry you can't do that, they're dead.

[Hexmate70]

Look moron. You have no well researched historical facts, just your inaccurate statement without any facts. The Vietnam War is a replay of the Korean War in a different region with a different outcome. Elsewhere in Asia, including the Philippines, Malaya and Indonesia, communist insurgencies were defeated by local governments because of the U.S. commitment to go to their aid if they were threatened. Vietnam was a proxy war with China and Soviet Union driven by the global Cold War.