Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force
James Dozier wrote in his memoirs,I loved flying, my job, the people . . . and the next thing I knew, I had been 10 years in the Air Force.
Following his graduation from LSU in 1955, James Dozier was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force as a second lieutenant. He earned his wings and trained in several aircraft including the F-105 Thunderchief. In the Vietnam War, Dozier was assigned to the 561st Tactical Fighter Squadron in Thailand. These were the “Wild Weasels.” As an electronic weapons officer, with expertise from communications detection to jamming, he flew in the backseat of the F-105 in 256 combat missions.
Most pilots did their best to avoid venturing into North Vietnam airspace at low altitude, but that was the job of the Wild Weasels. They would go in and “light up” enemy anti-aircraft radar, then fire AGM-45 Shrike missiles at the source of the radar before the North Vietnamese could launch their surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). They made the skies a little safer for the incoming bombers as they “ferreted out” the enemy sites. From bases in Thailand, they flew missions into dangerous airspace along the Ho Chi Minh Trail and in Laos and Cambodia, supporting the rescue of downed airmen, engaging in hunter-killer missions, iron hand missions and special intelligence collection missions.
In one important mission, his wingman, “Bobbin 05,” was shot down by a surface-to-air missile inside North Vietnam. He stayed on station for 11 hours, air-refueling twice, until they located the downed crew. Then they flew cover until the downed crew was rescued. Dozier’s heartfelt description of this mission says a lot about his bravery, “There were many moments of relief, frustration and stark terror.” Lieutenant Colonel Dozier recalled that “In a war zone, you meet all kinds of people, both foreign and American. What impressed me most was the professionalism and ‘can-do’ attitude of the American fighting men.”