The Brutal Reality of Flying the F-4 Phantom

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This is the story of F-4 Phantom pilot Carl Parlatore, and how he was shot down over hostile territory on September 3rd of 1968. After ejecting, he had more than one problem on the ground, as a Huey helicopter tried to rescue him during his first tour of the Vietnam war. Hope you enjoy! Please like, comment, and subscribe. #WW2 #WWIIHistory #WarThunder
RESEARCH SOURCES: Research sources in all of my content include the United States National Archives (NARA) - and specifically, Missing Air Crew Reports, as well as combat reports and diaries from various fighter and bomber squadrons. catalog.archiv...
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[@TJ3]

Join Carl today on War Thunder! Download free here: playwt.link/tj3history2024

[@vegasclubb]

Id like to tell you a story about my grandfather.. WW2 bomber pilot

[@vegasclubb]

How do I get in touch with you?

[@TJ3]

@@vegasclubb you can email me at [e-mail] although it's hard for me to reply to everyone!

[@RussianBiasEnjoyer]

That Warthunder sponsorship ad was honestly pretty cool.

[@stevenbrucci]

Good graphics! But you made the Huey roll onto its LEFT side wben it got hit... and crushed Carl and his rescuer!

[@keithdubose2150]

17-18 year old Corpsmen shielding a wounded pilot from shrapnel with their bodies? The number of brave men in this story is incredible

[@TJ3]

Agreed!!

[@hariszark7396]

Dedication! Incredible....

[@miguellogistics984]

That was a 100% bust up moment. You could see it is his eyes. Then hear him come apart.

[@MrAndyBearJr]

No crying for safe spaces with these warriors.

[@miguellogistics984]

@@MrAndyBearJr Nope. Men can cry from the inspiration seeing greatness even in these kids in his view, giving themselves to save his life. The best thing a man can ever see to steel his heart. Those kids assured that he would be back, and resolve to be back. Its always the little things. Like Larry Liss flying 3 times into a hole in the jungle that he cut with his unarmed and unarmored Huey, with a loaded Car15 next to him. He got out with it once he remembers, but does not remember anything particular about it, or how it was empty after the event.

[@TheTacktishion]

I am 80 years old now, When I was in Vietnam I was 20. I was a Crew Chief on the flight line, Every time you go up the ladder to help the pilot strap in... You never know if you will see the pilot or "your" plane again. Pilots are special people, I thought it was an interesting story, but having been there, I did not find it easy to watch. Fortunately I got to come home after my tour. Many didn't.!

[@agentmueller]

Thank you for your service sir, and welcome home. I’m glad you’ve made it, and I appreciate you

[@lorenzomaximo1818]

I know what you mean. I helped arm an A7 the pilot was our division officer. He took off that morning and never came back. He got shot down but was track down by NVA and killed. Lieutenant Daniel V Borah. September 24, 1972.

[@fredflux2738]

Thank you for your service

[@jefferyroy2566]

Which aircraft was your favorite, and which one topped your POS list?

[@TheTacktishion]

The F-100 D. I’m old… you might see one at a VFW static display, occasionally…! POS…. C-124 old “Shakey” You never knew if you were gona get there or not… lol

[@KyleCowden]

"If you're lucky, you might find yourself dogfighting Carl himself." I can't beat the 13 year olds, the last thing I want to do is face someone of Carl's qualifications. 😂

[@TJ3]

Lol!

[@ElvinLeadfoot]

Yes if you watch the training flight film. F4 Phantom 2 If thrown forward into the seat belts, you’re in an unrecoverable spin. You must eject (Only Option)

[@Tht1superchargedcivic]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 When the snail gets to you it stays with you forever FREE THE BASEMENT GUY GAIJIN 💀

[@alberttorres4138]

I am a teen and ofc am not stating my actual age I play war thunder and I play with the phantom 2 and in my opinion it is a good aircraft but if you want to be agile and you are carrying a gun pod and missiles, bombs drop your bombs first if you get into a dog fight the F4 is a heavy aircraft

[@Cybernaut76]

Carl has some extreme experience and knows exactly what to do. But it may surprise you how fast reflexes 13 year olds can have and how smart they can be. Never underestimate "child soldiers". You may not get off much easier with them than with Carl. So I am not surprised you found yourself in trouble with them too. I perhaps would also.

[@edtyler6444]

About a month after this event, I lost my dad in Nam over the DMV to SAMs. Operation Rolling Thunder. Watching this brought back a lot of memories, and helped me realize what he actually went through. We didn't know if he was alive or dead. Declared KIA after 7 years. If he survived, he may have ended up in a Russian POW camp, I learned many years later. His RIO did return, thank GOD!. My dad was Col. George Edward Tyler, 38 years of age, from Detroit, MI.

[@braincraven]

I am really sorry to read this and your dad never came back. My dad was in the 433rd and he came back, I was lucky.

[@edtyler6444]

Thanks for your kind words@@braincraven . I became a private pilot later in life and it would have been fun to go flying with him. I also would like to have been able to ask him about UAP's that he may have investigated for the Air Force in the southwest in the late 60's and early 70's, but I'm not sure how much he would have been able to tell me.

[@nickhalden9220]

My dad was in WW2...went through Normandy....he made it back

[@Isaacbway]

@@nickhalden9220 my great grandpa Warren was on Normandy, he died just before I was born. My grandpa jack, his son would have been 3 years of age during d day. Jack served in the Korean War guarding a checkpoint. Warren made it back with stories of France and having to hide in a house while Germans searched. He said they were opening the higgens boats too early. Also mentioned he had to keep moving. For a while I pondered how he could have survived, but this was the main invasion force into Europe and many many many waves of men entered through Normandy. I’m pretty sure 0 men of the first wave survived.

[@ironbomb6753]

Bless your dad and his family Ed. His sacrifice is not forgotten or unappreciated and always honored. ❤

[@carlparlatore294]

TJ -= GREAT Job with my story! The graphics were incredible - You are doing a great service to us ole' warriors for telling our stories - My God bless you and your family!

[@TJ3]

Thanks so much for the opportunity Carl! Thank you for your service.

[@sergioleone3583]

Sir, I can't thank you enough for your service, and for your indomitable spirit. When I get down thinking about the crap I and many others are dealing with in our country right now, I hear your experience told by you, and I know I can get through this. Thank you Sir, and God Bless you!

[@carlparlatore294]

@@sergioleone3583 Thank you for your kind comments - it was truly an honor and privilege to serve my country flying fighters of 26 years.

[@CRAZYHORSE19682003]

Carl. As a veteran of both the US Navy and US Army I just have to say I can't STAND it when other veterans wear crap like you do. Are you that desperate for attention that you have to walk around and advertise to EVERYONE that you are a veteran and you were wounded? SUCK IT UP BUTTERCUP, live your life as a normal person and if someone ASKS you about your military experiences you can talk to them. No need to BEG for attention wearing that self promotion CRAP!!!!! You remind me of these social media obsessed kids of today, self centered narcissists.

[@QMore-fp7wn]

Thank you so much for your service, sir. FIL was a dustoff medic in ‘Nam.

[@batgoat28]

The grunt finding the F-4 on the flight line and hugging it. Wow. (Edit: 10:44)

[@TJ3]

Yep, crazy!

[@jimmyc451]

i'd hug any F-4 F4ever

[@SweatyFatGuy]

While I was in the USAF, I got to know the cargo planes I loaded/unloaded rather well. Tail numbers, nose art (yeah we had nose art in Shield/Storm and OIF) so when I see cargo planes in movies, video, or photos I look for familiar tail numbers. I remember the numbers of the planes that took me out of not so wonderful places best of all. Being able to read nose art on an F4 going by means he was low and the kid had something we call an emotional marker. heh, I say kid, I was born in 1969, dude coulda been my dad. Emotional markers are things that happen and you will remember the smallest details from that moment for the rest of your life. I have lots of them, everyone in the military does. They make sure you have them, like getting off the bus at basic, the haircut, getting uniforms, arrival at your first duty station, and then the ones they don't plan like the first time you get shot at. When you are in a very dangerous situation, things seem to slow down in some instances and go incredibly fast in others. That heightened awareness can imprint on you creating memories that never leave and will retain that emotion attached to them for years, maybe the rest of your life. If he is still alive, he can tell you 55 years later what the name on the plane was, and probably the tail number on the side, along with what day it was, where he was, and roughly the time it all went down... and describe the environment around where he was that day in minute detail. Its like a movie of that moment replays in your mind, and you are there again living it. Its called a flashback, some of them are rough, some are actually kinda fun. I have some really good ones from 1990-91 and 2001, not so many from 2004. I think the memory bank was fun in 2004, also it was just lots of work, zero danger outside normal day to day work with aircraft. The rough ones are from 91 and before. Sometimes I will talk about them, but not usually. When I do on here they are almost always hidden. Most of what I say in comments on here is hidden, so if you're reading this, I hope you got something from it. Might as well help people with what I went through if I can, and if they hide it, well... its still out there somewhere.

[@user-yd6cl3ue8m]

​@@SweatyFatGuy Love you man! I don't know you at all but it sounds like we've had similar experiences. Some amazing and just proud wouldn't change a thing memories and flash backs and then there's though nightmare ones where you can't understand how the heck you survived

[@kingghidorah8106]

please could you timestamp? i usually play youtube in the background 90 percent of my time (because i mostly work on projects)

[@j.dunlop8295]

Pilots and mechanics in Vietnam, said "F4 phantoms, were proof, that you could get a brick to fly, with big enough engines!"

[@JRS986]

A four tour friend refered to the F-4s as lead sleds.

[@patrickgriffitt6551]

Same can be said about F-15 and F-14 both of which are larger than an F-4

[@christopherness4274]

Still the most beautiful aircraft I have ever seen!

[@Pyreax865]

@@patrickgriffitt6551 calling the F-15 a brick is a joke.

[@marksauck3399]

In the Navy those bricks had to catapult launch off the flight deck with a full load of bombs. You can’t imagine the noise those J79 engines made especially in afterburner.

[@PsRohrbaugh]

My grandfather has 176 combat missions in the RF-4C in Vietnam. I will show him this in a few days and see if he has anything to add.

[@jcheck6]

I am sure he has great stories to tell. Your grandfather is a brave man. I flew the RF-4C just as the Vietnam war was winding down and ended up in Germany as my first assignment..

[@skybot9998]

Cool grandpa. 😎👍

[@TJ3]

Hey guys! This one was a doozy to make. Certainly plenty of challenges recreating these scenes, but we did our best! Historical notes - Everything should be pretty accurate here - only slight adjustment is Carl mentions Ian Dawson dragging an AK across his face later in the video, but he meant to say an M-16! Hope you guys enjoy :)

[@rockymountainlifeprospecti4423]

Awesome job team! Godspeed 🇺🇸

[@user-pk2fg8im4u]

I had two good friends that flew choppers in Nam, (both returned), I roomed with one in college, and he carried an AK, said many others did too. Brave people, I was stateside my whole career. Can't say enough thanks to those guys.

[@lilylin5226]

I love your video and keep it up

[@MilitantVision]

Make actual content please :)

[@alberttorres4138]

Incredible job 👍👍👌👌

[@trumanstumo1718]

CARL thanks for the video and thanks for your service. I was lucky enough to be stationed AT PAX RIVER NAVEL AIR CENTER MARYLAND. It was in 1960-63 and was a plane captain on the Chance vought F8U. At that time the flight crew had to pull flight time each month. We were testing a F-4 so i climbed into the back seat as many time as i could. A Test pilot named JJ OLSEN told me to hold my stomach muscles tight when doing maneuvers so i wouldn't get sick. Oh my god, i have never experienced anything ever close to having pulled positive & Negative G's, mach 2 and in-flight refueling. WHAT A RUSH!! Thanks for bringing it all back to me at 81 years young!!

[@CineSparky]

I could listen to Carl's stories all day. Man, I miss listening to stories like that. Glad the footage works out well on this video, I was concerned that I didn't get enough or didn't do it properly.

[@WaltherFrosch6.]

Hello sparky

[@CineSparky]

Hello@@WaltherFrosch6.

[@xhappybunnyx]

assuming you did the in game footage---very very cool visual aid and absolutely does the story justice from an audience perspective. First time I've seen it done that way too which is an extra feather in your cap

[@thesovietvorona1007]

You really did work wonders with this one man. I appreciate you helping bring it to life. Genuinely just reminded me of that old dogfighters show on history which to me at least is definitely a compliment.

[@sergioleone3583]

"God Bless those guys" talking about the Huey rescue teams. Absolutely! And God Bless Carl Parlatore, thanks so much for his service and his indomitable spirit. A true inspiration.

[@jimmymiller7568]

Worked on these for 12 years, hated replacing the parachute’s or going thru two systems to get to the one your working on!! Retired crew chief

[@jrhartley6742]

Hats off to you! my father used to tell me they were 'a pig to work on', having to take everything apart to get to something relatively minor

[@patrickgriffitt6551]

Almost all military aircraft are that way. At least from that era. Spent 15yrs on F-4C,D,E variants. F-15s have some difficult areas to access also. 2yrs on them. F-16s are reasonably good. 3yrs on them.

[@Jeff-jg7jh]

When they built those planes they figured out that the Meck "could" figure out how to fix them. I am sure there was a tool for that, but I ground a wrench thin enough to get into the space I needed to fix the plane (A-4). I took that wrench home with me and still have it. Maybe it wasn't as bad as I remember. @@patrickgriffitt6551

[@prestonphelps1649]

crew chiefs. True hero's.

[@johnhart9582]

Replacing bad battery right side by rudder/brake pedal had to stand on your head to pull it out that's what I hated. Crew chief

[@neilhurt1992]

I have so much respect for these blokes (as a retired RAF pilot). I worked with many of them after I left the airforce in 1984 and worked at SHAPE in Belgium. Many of the American blokes had served in Vietnam and had many, many superb stories! God bless them all. Cheers from a very damp evening in Otford, Kent, UK.

[@b.chuchlucious5471]

My Dad was in the Triple Nickel and worked to keep those mighty Phantoms in the air, Udon and Uborn. Don't forget the ground crew in these stories! God bless ya, Carl.

[@skybot9998]

The unsung heroes.

[@mikeelder6298]

My dad was crew chief in Ubon from 65-66.

[@skybot9998]

@@mikeelder6298 Did you ever get to sit in one? I got to look in the cockpit at an airshow but wasn't aloud in it.

[@mikeelder6298]

@@skybot9998 oh yeah. I got to sit in F-4s, T-33, T38, and some kind of British fighter

[@thesovietvorona1007]

@@mikeelder6298I miss getting to sit in a talon.

[@mikemontgomery2654]

What an insane experience. Nothing but respect for guys like Carl.

[@LancelotChan]

When one look at how much crazy thing he went through, our daily challenges suddenly seem nothing relatively. Thank you for such inspiring story.

[@kevinlutz5994]

Our mundane lives.

[@GeoGonzalez-xg5df]

Great video. It’s absolutely amazing having an actual vet telling the story. Thank you Carl!!!

[@andrewferguson3535]

What an amazing man. Carl is brilliant at explaining his experiences! What a great interview. 10/10 👏

[@JUNKERS488]

Another Great video TJ. My Dad was a Chief Master Sergeant in the Air Force he always called them Fox-4 Charlies. The F-4 has always been my favorite jet. Once again you knocked it out of the park. I always knew you would do well you love History to much for it not to show through in your videos. I find it so exciting to learn about a story or event that I have never heard before as I have always loved all things History so its kind of rare to find out something I had not heard about before. I can not thank you enough for all the research you have to do to bring us these wonderful fact filled stories. Please "Keep 'Em Flyin"

[@patrickgriffitt6551]

Charley refers to the 'C' variant of the F-4 Phantom. There are many variants including Navy, Air Force, Marines as well as foreign versions

[@Spitfiresammons]

Great story Carl I know many Soviets Vietnamese and Middle East pilots found respectful to the F-4 Phantoms during the dogfight duel over both Vietnam and Middle East.

[@tomp3146]

Retired Army Ranger and Infantryman here. Joined at 17 in 1984 with 27 years time in service. Father died when I was very young. He was a Vietnam era vet. I had dozens of fathers. They were all Vietnam Vets. Taught me how to be a man, a warrior and a patriot. They were hard men. Often times brutal with us. But I loved them then and I love them now. Thank you!!!

[@jayledermann7701]

I was 1 year old when Carl was in his fight. I grew up on a farm where Phantoms would come screaming over low alt from the fighternbase at Hulman field across the state line in Ind. I fell in love with the plane. It is the muscle car of fighters. Thank you Carl for what you did to keep me as a kid safe and care free at the time.

[@levidawson]

My grandfather, is Ian Dawson! He speaks of this very story often, as one of the first big events to take place during his tour of duty. Oh the bravery from all who served, in such a deadly conflict.

[@pvtjohntowle4081]

These videos with the actual vets are amazing you are doing great work TJ3 History. Reminds me of Band of Brothers where the vets spoke before each episode. Sadly not many left, that's why we didn't see any in Masters of the Air miniseries.

[@skyden24195]

Heroic story to say the least. I have three direct relatives who served during the infamous conflict: my dad, who was USAF Orthopedic Surgery, my uncle (dad's brother,) who was US Army 1st Air Cavalry, and my grandfather (my mom's father) who was USAF Red Horse.

[@indycharlie]

Pretty cool . The 1st Cav was in every Corp area of RVN , and always in the shit . At Tay Ninh the 1st Cav had a wood banner over the road coming into their A.O. Said ... " Ya ain't Cav , Ya ain't shit " :D I know a guy who was Red Horse in Da Nang 69-70 who mainly ran the concrete plant or drilled water wells . I tried Med School but failed , but my son went on to become a Trauma guy here in Michigan . Tell your family some old 25th ID medic said Welcome Home .

[@skyden24195]

@@indycharlie Thanks for the extra insight. My fam members that went over really didn't talk about their time there, at least not to me. Most of what I know of their experiences comes second hand (from other family members as well as a few news articles, particularly on my uncle who received two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, and a few other honors for his service.) On behalf of my fam, welcome home to you as well, and congratulations to your son for his accomplishments.

[@raymondyee2008]

Now that’s a story from Vietnam that I didn’t know of.

[@ssnerd583]

When I was young, there were a good few WW I vets still around.....now....now the Vietnam era vets are getting toward their end. God bless you, one and all.

[@charlesblithfield6182]

Carl, thank you for telling your story with its many moments of high emotion.

[@JasonMcCord-qk3yb]

What a great story!!! Carl is a natural storyteller! He is so forthright and earnest, that you can tell every word is factual , as it happened, with no embellishment! An experience like that one, doesn’t need any embellishment to be incredibly riveting! Carl, thank you, for your service! It’s good people like you, who make our country the greatest nation on earth!

[@carlparlatore294]

Jason - thank you for your kind words - I was truly blessed to be able to fly the best fighters in the world at that time - F-4s and then F-16s - for 26 years.

[@jamesmerritt1899]

I love the Vietnam content. My dad was there. He never saw combat but he used to tell me stories about what it was like over there.

[@johnshields6852]

I was 10 in 1970 Boston when my uncle Jack piloted the F4 phantom in Vietnam, I was in awe, he'd come home on leave on Christmas or other holiday rarely, but it was always great to see him before he'd have to go back. God bless America.🇺🇸

[@jerrysolari1530]

🎉🎉

[@cdfe3388]

Gotta say, it’s pretty damn cool to hear a real Phantom Phlyer is playing War Thunder.

[@davidmesser5813]

I was 18 in 1973. I was going to enlist into the navy, but the draft ended 2 months before graduation. I should have gone ahead and enlisted. The war was almost over, and I was just so relieved that I never did. When the war in Kuwait in 1990 started, I really regretted my earlier decision. I still talk to guys who were my age and they serve. Non of them made it to Vietnam. I appreciate you guys who did serve back then. Lord bless you all. Vaughn

[@LanceRomanceF4E]

I have 492 hours in F-4D and F-4E…one 2 1/2 yr tour at Clark AB Philippines before transitioning to F-111F. The Rhino was a jack of all trades- master of none. We were “ok” at everything from deep interdiction, CAS, precision guided munitions, nuclear delivery and air-to-air. It was a lot to absorb as a new lieutenant, but fun as hell flying with Americas best warriors. First assignment in the Philippines was icing on the cake!

[@LanceRomanceF4E]

Btw, the story Carl tells of the army grunt hugging a jet after reading the pilots name on the F-4 from the ground is total BS. Not possible. Names are hard to read standing next to the jet. Impossible to read at 420kts from grunt level

[@jameswilson6374]

Thank you Carl for your sacrifice! You and your brother veterans are not forgotten! I salute you all!🇺🇸

[@loganbrown3334]

My dad has this old brochure from the 1960s that was for the Thunderbirds when they performed at the opening for the Central Wisconsin Airport in his hometown. If I remember correctly, it was from the first year the Thunderbirds had the Phantoms, and the brochure was signed by all the pilots. The F-4 had great carrying capacity, but as far as flying it, I have nothing but respect for the pilots who did so. Just from old documentaries and interviews I've seen, the F-4 wasn't an easy aircraft to handle, especially for the guy in the rear of the diamond formation.

[@TheShadeTreeFixitMan]

Thank you for sharing these stories. Being a Vietnam Veteran myself, they re-affirm my reasons for being there.

[@TJ3]

Thanks for watching!

[@indycharlie]

First off . Welcome Home brother , and thanks for that " fast mover " support . Like thousands of others , I came into country at CRB . Which on that 1st night , we got incoming ( AF side ) and I saw my 1st Puff work out . I left CRB headed to lll Corp and ended up via Long Binh to Tay Ninh . I was NOT with the 45th , but was in a smaller Med . Unit . I know that at some point the AGE to serve in RVN was changed to 18 . I was NOT in country in 68 ( 70-71 ). But I can tell you that all of us looked like H.S. kids :D After I left TN I ended up as a leg , recon and finally a Blue . We worked all over lll Corp and the S end of ll . Though I don't recall that SF camp . We did work out of many SF camps , some had been turned over to the SV Rangers , but still had American advisors . Glad you made it home , Carl ... doc 68-71 Army ( medic ) .

[@carlparlatore294]

Doc - All I can say is the docs who took care of me (corpsmen that is) were angles sent from God - don't know if anyone ever told you thank you for what you did - but that ends NOW! THANK YOU AND YOUR FELLOW DOCS FOR KEEPING ME AND GUYS LIKE ME SAFE!

[@indycharlie]

TY . Stay strong brother . There are less of us by the day . @@carlparlatore294

[@molivroman9806]

What a great storyteller. Like I was there right next to him. Also, as a young E-2 navy ATC in -72 the Phantom was in my mind the coolest aircraft I had ever seen.

[@Bunker278]

Carl's story was captivating. Holy mackerel. I'm a civvie, but I've done military electronics work and have been privileged to hear some crazy stories from Iraq and Afghanistan. Vietnam, though, takes the cake. Thank you for your service, Carl.

[@BasedF-15Pilot]

If I never see another War thunder advertisement, it'll be too early. I'm so over it.

[@adammckenzie6074]

The game is insanely realistic and its free thats why its so popular. I didnt no how good it was till downloading it last week. It has so much shit its overwhelming i dont know where to start lol

[@adammckenzie6074]

It deserves to be pushed more then call of duty and shit. Personally im sick of raid shadow legends ads lmao

[@REAPER3382]

The grunt hugging the phantom is just great. Very touching. I wish i could hug a phantom with love like that. Greatful to not have under that circumstance though. Great vid.

[@rael5469]

When I was in the Air Force in the early 80's I used to read Air Force Flying Safety magazine. They would always have an article telling about the latest in-flight emergency. The majority of the time it involved an F-4 Phantom.

[@ssh4779]

Very touching story.... I worked on F4's for six years. On two separate occasions I met two Grunts who wistfully commented on they how loved to see those birds delivering their ordinance at tree-top level.

[@ColinFreeman-kh9us]

I bet Tj’s eyes and mouth were were wide open listening to this great man. Incredible

[@mikeroll8515]

My gosh, thanks for your service, Carl! And my heartfelt thanks to those who served with you!

[@michaelblack3579]

True Hero. From one Veteran to another.. Thank You for Your Service my Brothers!

[@bmeuman1833]

Carl, bless you sir! You’re a great story teller! My father was a camera avionics specialist on RF-4C’s and spent some time at Udorn during his 20 year career in the USAF. He was my hero.

[@AmigoAmpz]

Another amazing video. You’re recreating battle scenes in a way that puts big productions to shame.

[@TJ3]

Thank you :)

[@mantia39]

God bless you Carl! Glad you made it out of Vietnam in one piece, and thank you for your service!

[@fifteenbyfive]

I remember as a little kid being able to touch them and climbed into one at an airshow and my dad said it looked so big and heavy that he couldn't believe it would fly well. Then we saw four of them flying in the show and he was really impressed by that.

[@PontiacBanker]

Great video! My late Father-In-Law served with the 541st Medical Detachment of the 187th Assault Helicopter Company at Tay Ninh. I believe he was there later though.

[@billyray8062]

Outstanding video TJ3!!

[@TJ3]

Thanks Billy!

[@moonshineofthemoon8054]

Hey there TJ do you you plan to do more jet videos? I would like to see a video on the Navy’s classic jet the F14 Tomcat! Excellent Video on the F4 Phantom as well!

[@alberttorres4138]

Another one of my all time favorites the F-14

[@enchantederic3792]

Cool stuff Carl, as my father was also at Cameron Bay working right next to, or part of the 391st. In 1968 as you were. He interpreted the miles of film you took. Great video to come across!! Thank you sir for your Service, and making it home as my dad did as well. I was about 5 at the time, and he and I built numerous models of the F-4s, and the killer camo jobs they gave the planes, in the years that followed. An honor, thank you again for the memories.

[@jettsetter7]

My grandfather did the same thing Carl did in the same plane during the same time. Although he was in the backseat, my grandfather was a rated F-4 pilot. He unfortunately died with his front seater during a night bombing of trucks mission in Laos on March 21st, 1968 :(

[@jbf2858]

Thank you Carl for your service! You are so appreciated! 👏👏👏👏

[@robotorch]

Carl - welcome home, glad you made it back, and thank you for helping protect our guys

[@SoCal780]

Awesome story, I was riveted the whole time. Glad you made it out, Carl, and thank you sir for your heroic service.

[@carlparlatore294]

Thanks for your comments - the real heroes are my warrior brothers who, sadly, never came home 😞

[@TheWeirdoCharlie]

My great great uncle was a Phantom pilot and one of the first American pilots to fly the harrier vtol jet . 2 years ago he died and got buried in Arlington national cemetery

[@Wolfm4ster]

Carl is going to be so happy when the new DCS F4E module gets released. So happy for him! Great doc btw!!

[@spigot993]

Love to see Carl's reaction to the upcoming F-4 Phantom DCS module!

[@SunBrohan]

Exactly what I was thinking.

[@Hunter_i86]

I'm a big fan of close air support and Phantom planes, great video. Thanks for making it :)

[@obsidianjane4413]

@1:35 "I been playin' for 5 years and I finally got the Corsair unlocked. Mebe before I die I'll get to fly a Phantom again..."

[@randomcroc338]

Gaijin should really give the Phantom to Carl.

[@jimmcnair5843]

Carl's story totally fukked me up!! I'm a pretty hardcore guy but when he mentioned about those brave young men protecting him with their body's i burst out crying like a baby!! God bless them!!! War brings out the best in brothers in arm's! I will never forget this!! Thank you so much for sharing this sir!! MUCH RESPECT!!

[@lawrencequave7361]

Well described, and glad you made it back home after ever MORE VN tours. From another VN vet.

[@louislochner5713]

Wow, what a tale of inspiration & raw heroism 💪🏽

[@patriotrising6214]

11 years with war thunder, it rocks . An I'm 62 going on 14 😮 . Salute to my childhood heros Vietnam vets , cowboys from indian country , tunnel rats , point men ,an all the grunts jar heads fly boys an squids . Welcome home troop ❣️ THANK FOR YOUR SERVICE AND SACRIFICE 🇺🇸

[@HobRob148]

You are a true hero sir. God bless you. Thank you for posting this.

[@Thegretta92]

Thank You Carl. You’re a good man. Glad you made it home.

[@garygilchrist1840]

Great and well told story. I, too, served in Vietnam as a USAF support officer and appreciate the fear and anxiety that the aircrews experienced!

[@user-fi2ix7mr6i]

Only one word in my head about this airman the hospital people "RESPECT"

[@vladlenvronsky]

This was an AMAZING story! Thank you for sharing this and creating such an engaging visual!

[@jimjacobson8758]

What a story! I loved the sound effects from Carl! I was at Cam Rahn but when I was there it was a MAC base with c130s & c123s. Of all the planes I saw in my life, the Phantom was my favorite! If only I was in Vietnam a couple of years earlier I might have met Carl! I was a ramp rat, security police met a lot of aircrew. Very glad Carl got home in one piece!

[@HardCorps88]

I want to hear bout his second tour!

[@JasonMcCord-qk3yb]

Me too! And his third!

[@johnnie135]

Man, I just had a few tears rolling down my eyes when you mentioned the 'two kids' covering your body with theirs. I would bet that those two guys was the exact reason why you went back to Vietnam -- you owed it to guys like them. Brave story indeed. Thank you.

[@connerq3726]

Carl is the coolest guy since the last F-4 pilot I got to talk to.

[@erich9011]

Former F4 ejections seat mech, that's the greatest story I ever heard. I would love to meet this man.

[@carlparlatore294]

Erich - understand you were an F-4 ejection seat mech - if it wasn't for guys like you I wouldn't be here today PERIOD! Thank you for your service and what you did for guys like me

[@erich9011]

@@carlparlatore294 Well thanks brother, the pleasure was all mine. Feel free to share a sea story if you find the time.

[@patrickthomas8621]

You've made tremendous progress as a content creator. The level of professionalism that you've achieved is impressive and it's been exciting to watch the evolution of your videos over the past few years. Keep it up.

[@yamarider6199]

thank you for the sacrifice's you and your buddies made back in the war. all of you vets deserved a better treatment coming home than you got.

[@thexmerlyn]

Excellent presentation! Well done. Carl is a tough and dedicated man.

[@NeilTonkin]

A great story. My time in SVN was may 66 -may 67 with the Aussie army. One battle (Feb 17 67) went for 5 hrs and finished with napalm and bombs delivered by US Aircraft. I did 20+ years in the Australian army! this was a memorable time. Then a Sgt aged 27. now 84

[@cheyeannepaulette7042]

amazing camera angles, amazing story telling, amazing video war thunder is one of my favourite games 😄👍

[@marcosavila8215]

you can see Carl is a real F-4 Pilot just by looking at his mustache...lol, much love and TX for your service Sir.

[@rudyyarbrough5122]

I was at Da Nang AB in 1965 with a Marine F-4 B squadron and it was a learning experience for us because the F-4 was new to the area at that point. We had practiced bombing in the Caribbean with the F-4 but had no bomb sight at that time and had to create angles, speeds, and altitudes for dropping bombs. Of course, when we got to Vietnam, we got totally different kinds of bombs to drop. We primarily dropped Snake Eye folding fin low-altitude bombs because they allowed us to depart the area before they went off. We also dropped napalm and 500-pound dumb bombs. Occasionally we dropped 1,000 pounders but they threw up a lot of debris and we had to be careful when we pulled up. Once I was in a bomb run and a 37mm anti-aircraft gun opened up and the bright orange balls were going just above my canopy in the dive. I couldn't pull up or I would fly right into it. I was going about 500 mph and had to do something quickly so I made a slight turn to the right, dropped my two bombs, and started a rolling pullup which is not a recommended maneuver for the aircraft. When I relate these stories it sounds like there was a lot of time to think about it but in reality, it happens in a matter of seconds as the gentleman above says of his ejection. I loved the F-4 for the big brute it was and the old girl got me home to my loved ones. That's all a pilot can ask of any plane! Once letting down through a low overcast, two OV-10 Broncos flew between me and my wingman! It happened so quickly that none of us had time to react. The Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines were all operating in the same areas with no communications! It was a zoo.

[@carlparlatore294]

Rudy - fellow Rhino fighter pilot - great story - thanks for what you did - as I can relate to it! Welcome home warrior brother!

[@dereks8930]

My Uncle Russ Wilcox was at Da Nang with the Marines I believe, a flight mechanic from 70 to 72 spoke very highly of the pilots and men that he served with. Army Infantry myself, but much much later and I can tell you for a fact, I've never once heard a grunt say a bad thing about a pilot. Thank you for your service service,Sirs.

[@itsmezed]

What a great story. I'm glad I stumbled upon this channel 😄

[@shane41225]

This was a super wholesome story

[@retiredtom1654]

Great detailed first-hand story. Thanks Carl!

[@HarveyAndToddTheWraith]

Very nice video, the last part in the X-ray room gave me goosebumps. I hope there will be more videos with Carl.

[@danielwarnes7231]

Carl is really cool. Like and appreciate his respect and appreciation of the Grunts and medics. Hats off to both the crews of the Huey and loach tha came to his aid. You're a good "Zoomie Carl" (our name for fly boys, no insult intended). I'm ex Special Forces, not a Viet vet as I joined at 17 in 1973. But almost all my leaders and instructors were combat vets. Thanks Carl.

[@carlparlatore294]

Back at you Daniel and thank you for your service fellow brother-in-arms - from a Zoomie 🙂

[@henriyoung3895]

WELCOME HOME CARL. I was a grunt watching F4s fly over in I Corp. SGT DOUG, RECON, 101ST, RVN 68-69 LZ SALLY

[@jrhartley6742]

Thanks so much for sharing Carl's story. It's a shame vietnam has so often been painted as a dirty war to be forgotten about. Carl's story is Incredible. I'm in awe. If only so many more of the current generation could see and hear his story and that of other vets. Such courage, selflessness, beyond words really.

[@classictutor]

I was 8 years old at the time. Thank you sir for your sacrifice and service to our country!

[@Auggies1956]

I hope you don't mind me posting an upperclassman from my high school, Allan Dyer a great guy who went into Army Aviation piloting the H1, he died in combat on a mission where ground fire caught him through the windscreen, where he died. I still remember his face from time to time.

[@hansericsson7058]

Thanks for the story sir and thanks for your service

[@TheMagusOfTheMagnaCarta]

I can't say I "enjoyed" your story but seeing you there telling it gave me pleasure.

[@PhantomMark]

@7:36 you can share the pain of everyone who ever built an F4 Phantom model kit, the amount of stencil markings on these planes is insane :D

[@patrickgriffitt6551]

I'm trying to find a good F-4D kit in 1/72.

[@MUSTANG_P51]

The F-4 Phantom is easily one of the most iconic aircraft of the Cold War. Fast, tough, and versatile. Despite not being designed for air superiority and the lack of air to air combat training many Air Force pilots received, this fighter gave the MiG-21 Fish-bed a run for its money. The best use of the F-4 was Operation Bolo, where fighter ace Robin Olds came up with a plan to lure the 16 MiG-21s the North Vietnamese had and destroyed half of them. Also, because I can barely get 5 kills with WW2 aircraft, if I ever get the third generation jets, and find myself against Carl, I’m immediately turning tail and rocketing away.