Bo Zarts in Vietnam (ca. 1970)

[ShazzieB]

19. I just googled and found an interesting write up on the RU-8D.

It's on the website of the Combat Air Museum in Topeka, KS, which has one of these planes in their collection. Two photos of the plane are included.

https://www.combatairmuseum.org/aircraft/beechbonanza.html

"This aircraft flew electronic intelligence (ELINT) gathering missions in the skies over South Vietnam and Laos with the US Army 138th Aviation Company/224th Aviation Battalion from the summer of 1966 until 1972. This plane was one of eight RU-8Ds flown by the 138th out of Da Nang, South Vietnam. The mission of the 138th was to provide support to the US Marine Corps in the form of ELINT gathering, intercepting enemy radio transmissions to locate their troop concentrations and movements and locating enemy transmitters. That is why the aircraft is covered with antennas. The planes and pilots were called “spooks,” Vietnam slang for intelligence types."

Thank you for your service, Bo Zarts!