The HORRORS of “Puff the Magic Dragon” in Vietnam — Why the VC Feared It

Comments · 360

• JO

  @JoelHC-u9p · 4 months ago

  Thanks to anyone who served and fought in Vietnam. 🇺🇸👍🏻

  192

• GE

  @genehenriksen · 4 months ago

  I was in Nam, June 67 thru June 68. I arrived at Binh Thuy the day before the Tet offensive, Puff saved us night after night.

  139

• MR

  @MrDoyle07 · 4 months ago (edited)

  I was sitting in a church meeting 18 years ago and met a Vietnam era pilot. He was challenged by another old vet and asked what he flew. The old pilot said, “I flew a C47”. The boots on the ground Soldier Veteran asked, “My God, brother! You are one of the people who saved my life”!!! That was a surreal moment. The Pilot of the C47 simply said, “A lot of people tell me that. I am glad they are here to tell me”, then he said, “They called me ‘Spooky’, I didn’t feel ‘Spooky’” True story, told by men who were not ‘Jody’.

  151

• VI

  @VietnamWarUntold · 4 months ago

  The AC-47 didn’t just dominate the battlefield — it turned the night sky into pure terror. A haunting reminder of how terrifying war truly is.

  39

• RA

  @RandyWatkins-k5x · 3 months ago (edited)

  VIETNAM VETERAN HERE &nbsp;! THANK YOU PUFF ! THEY SAVED A WHOLE LOT OF US VIETNAM VET &apos;S 😊 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nkt3jaYYcs&amp;t=666">11:06</a>

  30

• RI

  @rickt7826 · 4 months ago

  Just a remote radio operator outside Dalat. Saw this guy come in for support only once. The thing I remember most was that horrible sound that reminded me of a Godzilla movie and that red streak coming down out of a black sky. Never will forget that night.

  33

• CA

  @CandC68 · 4 months ago

  I was camp security officer in B-42, Chau Doc, 68. &nbsp;As Province capital it was one of the targets of the Tet offensive. &nbsp;The fight lasted about 3 days. &nbsp;During that time we had air support, including Cobras and Spooky. &nbsp;One night I watched as Spooky circled town and did it&apos;s thing. &nbsp;As it finished one pass, an enemy returned fire. &nbsp;A single rifle shooting tracers up at the plane. &nbsp;Spooky continued in it&apos;s orbit. &nbsp;But when it got close to the ground shooter, it dumped on that location with a LONG burst. &nbsp;Since then I&apos;ve mentioned that that enemy was probably killed by his own squad before Spooky made that last run.

  99

• EL

  @electrochubb · 4 months ago

  I witnessed Spooky doing it&apos;s thing just outside of Quang Tri in 68, it was awesome &amp; it worked.

  74

• RO

  @robetdd3307 · 3 weeks ago (edited)

  My father was an EC-47 pilot in Vietnam in 72, mind you, that is the electronic warfare variant, not the gunship. He had one story he liked to tell about a group of Marines him and his crew came across in a bar in Da Nang one night. the Marines found out my dad was a 47 pilot and they didn&apos;t seem to care about which type he flew. they proceeded to buy his drinks all night and made him an &quot;honorary Marine&quot; for that aircraft saving their ass over there. We lost him this past December. I love and miss you Dad, rest well

  1

• TR

  @truthisnotrelative7438 · 4 months ago

  While on patrol, we saw them flying near and around a quarry about 20 clicks from Pleiku 68/69 just about every night. Watching that tail whip the air and hearing the roar and impact let us know that the devil&apos;s tail was a mean M%^*@3(r.

  21

• BI

  @biggusgibbus8144 · 4 months ago

  I worked with a guy who was a navigator on a C-130 Spectre stationed in Bangkok. They flew night missions over the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The main target was truck convoys, upon whom they would drop parachute charges. He said the NVA chained truck drivers to the steering columns of the trucks so they wouldn&apos;t bail and run at the sound of the Spectre overhead, and he enjoyed being their worst nightmare.

  24

• ST

  @stevedolan5065 · 3 months ago (edited)

  I was West of Danang and our base was in danger of being over run that night…till one of those arrived…game over…thanks from a very old Marine!

  10