-
Jamjari topside view. Rollover : Another topside angle, these jets were first introduced to Korea in Oct. 1976, it's last operational flight was in 2007 Seoul Air Show with ROK-AF Black Eagles acrobatic team.
-
Besides USAF, A-37B largest user was Republic of Vietnam Air Force (VNAF), also known as South Vietnam. Over 250 Dragonfly (in Vietnamese called Con Chuon Chuon) were shipped to Vietnam in 1968 as replacements for aging 1950s-era A-1 Skyraider ground attack aircraft fleet. These A-37Bs would fight for VNAF to the bitter end as NVA Communist forces overran South Vietnam in Spring 1975. A historical tidbit was that VNAF was established in July 1955 before formation of South Vietnam in October 1955. VNAF South Vietnamese Air Force 1951-1975 - vnaf.net
-
Another Vietnam War observation is that from Western perceptions, conflict was about regional Communist "Domino Theory" and so-called indigenous unification. However, viewed from Asian perceptive on centuries-old Vietnamese history, the war was a continuation of tribal clan dominance between northern and southern regions. For most part, a political equilibrium was stabilized for hundreds of years with a weak Vietnamese Emperor which served as unifying figure head, while strong feudal clan lords ruled respective regions. 1955 partition of Vietnam into North and South Vietnam was a progression of this regional tribal rule. But 1975 conquest of South Vietnam by North Vietnam (Communist socio-political dogma aside) completely disrupted this defacto social compact equilibrium. History of Vietnam - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Vietnam
-
From 1975 to present day, Northern Vietnamese control all political, military, and other  national institutions, while Southern Vietnamese are locked out of the political arena. Disparity is such that Southern Vietnamese (commanding more enterprising and entrepreneurial skillsets) generate circa 70% of nation's GNP. Compounding this problem is rampant Vietnam graft and corruption, in which British magazine Economist.com recently ranked as worst Asian nation to do business (on a 10-point scale, Vietnam scored worst rating of 9.7, while Singapore scored best with 0.25). Intel in Vietnam – Solving Vietnam’s corruption logjam - www.ethicalcorp.com/content.asp?ContentID=5694
-
As for Vietnamese who fled South Vietnam in 1975 and scattered to Americas - Australia - Europe, after a generation overseas they now command significant socio-economic prowess contrasted with Vietnamese Communist regime back in home country. War memories die hard, thus this ethnic group as a whole is staunchly anti-Communist and still flies the Republic of Vietnam flag for all occasions (inset photo).
-
For example, in June 2005 when Vietnamese Communist Prime Minister Phan Van Khai visited US, and he was deluged with Vietnamese-American protesters waving South Vietnam flags to such an extent that he bemoaned why these people can't get over the fact the war ended 30 years beforehand. This was accentuated by 2009 poll that vast majority of Vietnamese-Americans would rather see their country vanquished in a foreign war just to destroy the Vietnamese Communist regime outright, thereby swiping the slate clean to rebuild the country from anew. Guess some Asian groups simply have longer memories and harder heads than Uncle Ho (as in Ho Chi-Minh) and his commie cohorts. Vietnamese American - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_American#Political_activism
-
Since we are on a roll.. another Vietnam tidbit. After Saigon fell to North Vietnamese Army (NVA) in April 1975, Viet Cong or V.C. (South Vietnamese Communist) who allied with NVA throughout decades long civil war expected their share of power, prestige, and glory. But as fate would have it, their military units were disbanded 3 days after this victory. By late-1970s, systematic campaign of political purges and re-education camps were impressed upon Viet Cong, by which some fled overseas as bonafide "Boat People". These ex-VCs nowadays live mostly in Americas and Australia, their past incognito, for if they dare to announced their VC status, some folks who had family or friends killed by VCs during the war, may yet decide to look them up and settle some old scores. Like I stated, for some... old memories die very hard, if ever. Viet Cong - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viet_Cong#Vietnamization
-
 |
With empty weight circa 6,210 lb, A-37 can be man-handled into position.
Stars & Stripes archives | Stripes.com
Bien Hoa airbase 1964-1969 | YouTube.com
April 1972 : Bien Hoa airbase (near Saigon) South Vietnam, USAF crewman positions A-37B of 8th Special Operations Squadron into revetment (covered armored hangar) after mission return from bombing NVA siege lines around An Loc city (north of Saigon).
Battle of An Loc 1972 | Anloc.org
BATTLE OF AN LOC (VALIANT BINH LONG) | VNAFmamn.com
|
 |
A-37s of USAF Thunderbird aerial acrobatic team. It's Korean counterpart is the Black Eagles.
U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds | Wiki
Best of The USAF Thunderbirdss | Youtubes.com |
 |
Via WW2 American fighter pilot slang, this low-level approach is called "Mowing the Lawn" or "Bunny Sucking". In any event, deafening jet blast and jet wash will soon overtake this photographer.
Jet Wash | Wiki |
 |
Dragonfly of FACH (Fuerza Aérea de Chile, or Chilean Air Force) circa early-1980s, South American countries extensively utilized this jet's COIN abilities in battling leftist insurgents funded at that time by Communist Cuba, East Black Warsaw Pact, and ever present Soviet Union.
Note, all Central/South American countries used similar air force acronyms, thus FAC refers to Fuerza Aerea Colombiana (Colombian Air Force), thus Chile had to added the H for FACH (Fuerza Aérea de Chile).
Chilean Air Force | Wiki |
 |
Color profiles of A-37Bs in various national service, including US, South Vietnam, Honduras, Peru, etc. Dragonfly continued its COIN abilities in respective countries well into the 1990s. combating left-wing rebels, narcotic drug cartels, and occasional border dispute.
Albatros Modelworks A-37B Dragonfly Decals | Zotzdecals.com |
 Jamjari patrols one of the world's heaviest defended border : Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) which cuts across Korean peninsula. Korean Demilitarized Zone | Wiki World Demilitarized Zones | Wiki DMZ created from 1953 Korean War truce, which legally means a temporary halt to open warfare before recommencement (all be it this halt has lasted nearly 60 years with occasional border clashes). Military Truce | Wiki South Korean military ever prepared for Communist Korean incursion. If one ever travel to capitol Seoul, notice large concrete blocks hanging above train tracks, tunnels, major highways. In case of Communist attack, these blocks would be blown and fall into roadway to block enemy mechanized assault. Seoul Korea | Wiki BTW, Korean DMZ is also world's heaviest mined border. US/ROK forces depend on this deterrent to channel enemy forces into prescribed artillery kill zones. Hence, US and Korea both refused in 1990s to sign UN charter outlawing use of land mines. Land Mine | Wiki |
 Age-old wisdom states that one could not withstand force of history when fate and destiny converges, this is so true of current Korean partition. Granted, Korea has been divided before, such as famed 7th-century 3-Kingdom period among Silla - Baekje - Goguryeo. This rivalry lasted for centuries, yet in the end, strive for unification was instinctive, inherent, and incessant. Three Kingdoms of Korea | Wiki Koryo (Goryeo) Dynasty | Wiki Same observation can be applied to modern day Korea, for in the end, only one state will rule "über alles" on the peninsula. DMZ is at best an artificial barrier, awaiting its end time, for dividing line across centuries-old Kyonggi-Do and Kwagwon-Do provinces is at best un-natural. Eight Provinces of Korea | Wiki Gangwon-do (South Korea) | Wiki Kangwon-do (North Korea) | Wiki FYI, circa 2000, South Korea adopted new romanization system, partly to reflect its socio-economic prowess as one of the "Asia Tigers". Another reason was that Koreans felt previous romanization system overtly emphasized 1930s-style Japanese romanization patterns, hence out of patriotic fervor a new system was proclaimed. That is why nowadays, Pusan is rendered Busan, Cheju is now Jeju, and Kangwon-Do is Gangwon-do. Korean romanization | Wiki |
 Sept 1950 : this was what happened the previous time North Korean Communist invaded South Korea. Korean War | Wiki Open pit mass execution graves discovered by US/ROK forces throughout hilltops surrounding Seoul, as allied forces retook the capitol. Multiple mass execution sites also found throughout Communist-controlled South Korea until they were driven out by Oct 1950. North Korea | Wiki Communist mass executions attempted to eliminate political rivals, expunge POWs (both ROK and American), eradicate educated class, and destroy religious adherents (especially Christians for fear they will follow moral doctrines rather obey dictates from Communist proletariat). (Inset) Man responsible for ordering these executions was North Korean Communist leader Kim Il-Sung. Interesting fact, Kim was a minor Korean rebel leader to survive the factional warfare among Korean resistance groups in 1940s and fled to Soviet Siberia. Soviets indoctrinated him in Communist ideology and returned him/cohorts back to North Korea after WW2 as proxy ruler. He is viewed on-par with equal disgust & disdain as Chairman Mao Tse-Tung of Red China, Ho Chi-Minh of North Vietnam, and Pol Pot of Cambodia by majority Asian-American diaspora in Americas - Europe - Asia/Pacific regions. Kim Il-sung | Wiki Ho Chi Minh | Wiki Pol Pot | Wiki |
|
