Re: Napalm

[<DGill11331@aol.com>]

In a message dated 6/6/2001 12:23:27 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
Jwscpd8@aol.com writes:


> Napalm was used by the Air Force as well as the Marines.  The Marines flying 
> Corsairs only supported my unit one time, which was one time two many, as 
> they dropped the napalm on us.


       Please, don't forget the Navy also used napalm and like the Marines 
they also flew Corsairs, Sky-raiders, Panthers and Banshees in close ground 
support. Unlike the Air Force and Navy planes, Marine planes were normally 
dedicated to Marine units. Did you have your air-panels out?  When Marine 
planes are in close ground support of a Marine unit, they are in radio 
contact with the Marine unit they are supporting.  Marine planes normally 
don't dive on a ground support target (not to be confused targets of 
opportunity) unless they are called in from an observer in the ground unit. 
Unless the target was clearly identified, normally they made a pass over the 
target before they commenced firing. How do you know the Corsairs (F4Us) were 
Marine and not Navy?  
       On two separate occasions my unit was under attack by our own Marine 
planes. This happened because another Marine unit mistakenly confused us with 
North Koreans and called the strike on us. Because we were in direct contact 
with the planes the strikes were quickly called off, i.e., before the third 
plane opened fire. The planes were not armed with napalm on either attack. 
This may have been due to the fact that the planes had used up their napalm 
on a previous target, or they simply weren't armed with them on that flight.