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Greg Kittinger
122 articles

F-105 Thunderchief (Thud) – 1/1

October 9, 2018 · in Aviation · · 13 · 3.5K
This article is part of a series:
  1. F-100 Super Sabre (The Hun)
  2. F-101 Voodoo (the One-Oh-Wonder)
  3. 1/1 RF-4C
  4. F-105 Thunderchief (Thud) – 1/1
  5. F-4 C/D Phantom II (Rhino)
  6. T-38 Talon (White Rocket)
  7. Assorted Cold War Warriors – 1/1
  8. F-4C, Cam Ranh Bay, S. Vietnam
  9. Pilot’s Last Flight

From October 1963 to September 1965 we were stationed at Seymour Johnson AFB in N. Carolina. Dad flew the B, D and F models of the , as part of the 334th Tactical Fighter Squadron. A TDY assignment took the unit and it's Thuds to Incirlik AB, Turkey, for several months in 1965.

In October 1965 he was assigned to the 23rd Tactical Fighter Squadron stationed at Bitburg, Germany. They flew the 105's until April 1966, when the unit transitioned to 's (next in the series).

As I remember it, the Seymour Johnson Thuds were NMF, and it wasn't until Germany that they began to carry the SEA scheme in anticipation of taking part in action in Vietnam.

That is not him in the cockpit - one of his squadron mates.

Reader reactions:
9  Awesome

13 additional images. Click to enlarge.


13 responses

  1. This THUD material is really unique Greg, I love this plane and its designer (same as the Republic Thunderbolt) Alexander Kartveli, a European immigrant to the US. Looking forward to your next entry here!

  2. More awesome photos! I love seeing these. The fact that it's your Dad's unit and planes makes it even better! Thanks for sharing, Greg!

    In 1983 I was almost stationed in Bitburg, but ended up in Fulda with the 11th Cavalry. I miss Germany.

    • @mikegolf: I loved Germany. First half of the year (winter) we loved on top of a mountain because base housing wasn't available. Oil heat - no hot water in the shower. Bear tracks and an abandoned castle on our mountain, and one day when I disobeyed my mom and tried to walk up the mountain when the school bus dropped me off at the bottom, I had a standoff with a wild boar face-to-face. Memories I'll never forget!

  3. Another favorite airplane of mine...thanks for sharing your pics, Greg.

  4. Thank You! I love the "thud" and the pictures are all great! What a family album!

  5. Nice! These show the transition of AF camo,,nice shot of the exhaust petals!

  6. Really good of you to share such wonderful photos Greg. Thanks so much.

  7. Hey Greg, thanks for the pictures and the memories, I am really enjoying this.

  8. Hello Greg,
    Thanks for this latest article.
    Be aware, these items are being downloaded for later use.
    Regards, Dirk / The Netherlands.

  9. Hi Greg, Great images. I love the Thuds - so much so I went and bought a book solely about them called Thud Ridge by the late Col Jack Broughton and his time as OC 354th FS out of Takhli. Never flew one but would have loved too as although not a great turner, the burner made them a real fast low down mover though.

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