U.S. Navy OV-10 Broncos in Vietnam - the Black Ponies of VAL-4 from National Archives Airailimages
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- Опубліковано 29 бер 2024
- An idealized rendering of a North American Bronco in U.S. Navy gray and white colors above an amphibious assault ship may not be exactly what played out for the Navy and OV-10A Broncos. The Navy did create Light Attack Squadron 4 with Broncos received from the Marine Corps.
We found this motion picture footage of VAL-4 in Vietnam, in the National Archives. Made in April 1969 at Binh Thuy, the squadron was just four months old at the time, and had deployed to Vietnam the previous month. Later nicknamed the Black Ponies, Light Attack Squadron 4 provided fast overhead protection for a variety of Navy assets in Vietnam including Mekong Delta river patrol watercraft, air support for Navy SEALs, and support of combined U.S. Navy, Marine, Army, and South Vietnamese operations.
The Navy OV-10s flew more than 21,000 sorties between April 1969 and April 1972. In 1970 alone, the squadron expended nearly five-and-a-half million rounds of 7.62 millimeter ammunition, in addition to 75,000 rounds of 20-millimeter ammunition plus thousands of rockets, up to the five-inch diameter Zuni. The speed of the OV-10s made them favorites for helping sailors, marines, and soldiers, in harm's way.
Seven of the OV-10s were lost; six pilots and one observer died in action. On March 31, 1972 VAL-4 flew its last combat mission. The squadron was disestablished in the Philippines in April 1972.
At the time this video was uploaded, the website blackpony.org contained interesting history about VAL-4 and its Broncos.
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Nice to see a mention of the Ponies. I served with VAL-4 in '71-'72. We stood down and were decommissioned in April 1972. Most Navy aircraft were impressive. The Bronco was outstanding.
So glad you found our brief presentation on the Navy OV-10s. Thanks for watching and commenting. We like hearing from veterans of the topics shown in these films.
At the 5:03 mark that barracks building looked just like the one I lived in in 1967-68 just outside of Saigon.
Those little planes were hard charging ponies. Definitely an unheralded page in the history of the Vietnam War.
Good stuff...as always!!!! Thanks Fred!!
My pleasure!!
Thank you for showing these historic pictures, they are of great interest to me. I am currently building the 1/72 scale model of a OV-10A Bronco from the Black Ponies tailnumber 55472.
It is the ICM KIT No:72185, and is is a absolutely fantastic 1/72 scale kit, can highly recommend it if any scalemodelers read this.
Much appreciated 👍👍👍
Lars
I just wish it wasn't so darn expensive for such a small model.
Hi@@Chilly_Billy you have a point, but Top quality in moulding and 4 decal options costs, have you seen the build step video on ICM youtube channel? it is great. This kit reminds me of the best kits Hasegawa used to produce.
My neighbor's son, Charlie Yates, who had just come back from Vietnam, would regale the kids and adults on our block with his stories of flying USAF OV-10 FAC missions.
He always flew with a movie camera (16mm?) and I got to see a couple of unedited reels.
Here is his composition of those reels he posted to UA-cam before he was killed in the crash of his private plane.
The quality is poor at times but still a fantastic historical artifact:
ua-cam.com/video/s0yc81NpY_E/v-deo.htmlfeature=shared
Cal Fire still getting great use from these ships.
I always liked the looks of this aircraft. Didn't the USAF upgrade and at least test some of these aircraft for the war in Iraq?
I think around 2015 some were tried out over there.