Vietnam Vet finds old friend at Cannon

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CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (ACCNS) --   Retired Col. Robert Kruse flew here this week to visit an old friend -- a friend everyone who enters the bases front gate notices every day.

I was reading a book on F-100s a couple of months ago and it had a list of every Hun on static display, said Col. Kruse. Imagine my surprise when I found the plane I flew almost 200 combat missions in sitting at Cannons front gate!

The realization started a month-long personal investigation for Col. Kruse.

The aircraft here actually has a different tail number on it now, but by working with wing historian, the maintenance group and the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, Col. Kruse found that the F-100 at Cannons gate is the plane he flew in Vietnam.

For whatever reason, the original tail number was painted over. The good folks in Cannons maintenance group said that will be changed when it undergoes its next scheduled painting, Col. Kruse said. As a senior major, I was able to pick my plane.

There were two to choose from, and I picked number 940 because that was the address of the house I grew up in.

The retired colonel was stationed at Cannon in 1966 while he went through upgrade training for the F-100 as part of the 524th Fighter Squadron.

As part of his visit, Col. Kruse toured todays 524th FS and was impressed with the changes.

Its great to see how far things have come, he said. But the bottom line is that the planes still drop explosives on the enemy. Today, theres a better chance of (pilot) survival.

While in Vietnam, the primary mission Col. Kruse and his squadron mates flew out of Bien Hoa and Phu Cat were rescue combat air patrol missions to help protect downed pilots and close air support to help Army troops in contact with the enemy.

Those are tough missions, even today, Col. Kruse stated. But it made us feel good to know we saved their butts a lot.

Then-Major Kruses squadron lost two pilots in combat. His own plane, the one that now sits at Cannons gate, was hit by anti-aircraft fire on several occasions.

None of it was very serious, but anytime your plane gets hit, it gets your attention, he remembered.

Col. Kruse said his reaction upon seeing his plane at Cannon was one of nostalgia.

I remember a handful of missions in that plane like they were yesterday, he said. The old girl got me home through almost 200 missions. I owed it to her to come say thanks.