Distinguished speaker shares life, experiences

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mike Andriacco
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  The Eighth Air Force Museum Association hosted the lead Vietnam ace as the third speaker in its Distinguished Speaker Series May 12 at the Eldorado Resort and Casino in Shreveport, La.

Retired Col. Charles "Chuck" DeBellevue spoke about his experiences in Vietnam as a weapons system officer.

Tickets were $40 per person and there was a silent auction, with all proceeds going to support the education and preservation efforts of the Eighth Air Force Museum located near the base's North Gate. In all, the event grossed more than $6,700.

DeBellevue has the distinction of being the last fighter ace on active duty until his retirement in 1998. His last command was the Reserve Officer's Training Corps detachment at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He garnered his lead ace status with the downing of two enemy aircraft, his fifth and sixth, during the Vietnam War.

The association's speaker series is part of a larger education program aimed at teaching students about aviation and military history.

"The purpose of the speaker series is to give the community more awareness of the museum and provide a resource of information, as well as an evening of good entertainment," said Terry Snook, Eighth Air Force Museum Association president. "We are scheduling these dinners every quarter."

During his tour in Vietnam, DeBellevue logged 550 hours while flying 220 combat missions. His skill as a weapons system officer was recognized when he received the 1972 Mackay Trophy, the Veterans of Foreign Wars' Armed Forces Award and the Eugene M. Zuckert Achievement Award.

DeBellevue shared with the audience stories of what it was like to fly in combat during Vietnam and some of the challenges and fears he and his team, the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Udorn Royal Thai Air Base, faced and overcame on a regular basis. Not the least of these challenges was the need to be ready to go at a moment's notice.

"I landed at 1 p.m. on Udorn, and flew my first check ride the next day," DeBellevue said.

Pilots and WSOs also had to contend with older, analog bomb technology, a far cry from today's weapons systems.

"From the time the radar acquires the target, it takes two seconds to send the information to the missile and two seconds to program it," DeBellevue said. "Four seconds in combat is an eternity and then some."

In the end, DeBellevue made it clear that the training and dedication of his teammates was what set the American forces apart from their enemies. He shared how his team found out the last two MiG fighters he and his pilot downed had trained together for months and polished their tactics specifically to take on the 555th, or "Triple Nickel", to little avail.

"It took us a minute and 29 seconds to prove their training wasn't any good," he said.

The Vietnam ace closed his speech by sharing five core values he and his team developed while serving air missions north of Hanoi; integrity, discipline, leadership, followership and training. In the end, DeBellevue said those values guided everyone from the crew chiefs to the pilots.

"It's how you act when you get there that makes the difference," he said.