19 Years in Vietnam: Unaccompanied, Unarmed and Unafraid

The ongoing Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union intensified the battle being fought in the Vietnam War. The United States hardened its policies against any allies of the Soviet Union and in 1955 President Eisenhower pledged his firm support to South Vietnam. As troops on the ground took part in armed combat it is said that the aviators had one of the riskiest jobs in the world. Most combat pilots carried their defences with them but there were some that travelled unarmed. The part these men played in the Vietnam War goes under the label of "tactical recognisance". Throughout the war these planes flew over combat targets, carrying cameras as "the eyes of the army". The intelligence they brought back kept commanders abreast of enemy activity. It was the perilous job of the brave combat aviators to fly over the most hostile territories "unaccompanied, unarmed and unafraid".