European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 23, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Ewe a in 11 a rns a a to visible Symbol of each aircraft s Success Erebia zoned on the plane As Well As noted in its records. A. Quot its a visual representation of Hill said a. V. A. A a. A for 1st it David Quot Abby Quot a the taste of. Victory Quot was t great but it could have tasted. Like ammonia and i still would have drunk he Wint referring to a bottle of russian Chupil pagne that had sat unopened at the 525th Tae fighter so also known As the bulldog since the 1970s. A it opened by the first bulldog that kills a said the sticker posted on the bottle by the Champagne s donor. A a Quot. The Squadron had taken the Champagne with it to Turkey where drinking is Legal Lor the War a a just in a a a a a a. A a Sveden did no to Register the Squadron s first kill but he made during the same encounter in which capt. Dave a spy Row Prather logged the first. Prather shared the bubbly with Sveden who had to engage in a dogfight to gel his plane. Now there a a new bottle of Champagne wailing bulldog Pilot. This time its French made mod amp. Chandon a Dom Perignon. The message on the front reads a to the next bulldog to kill a Mig Mirage from Quot i can to say it was fun flying in Iraq a Sveden said Quot but i can to say i would have traded places in with the War was Over and a temporary cease fire had been called when Hehemann and Dietz each As it a kill or was t in although Pitburg a Germany. Ami Eglin a fit fla., Cadi claims 17 Quot kills Quot from the persian Gulf War the air Force officially lists Only 52 total As far As the air Force is concerned a Quot kill Quot Means that lust an enemy aircraft crashed and second a . Pilot was responsible Tor forcing the aircraft Down. It the 52 kills the air Force has acknowledged on its official list Pitburg and a Glin both arc credited with 15 apiece. However a . Central Conul air forces air to air Board has confirmed the remaining two kills claimed by Pitburg. Including the March 22 incident involving 1st , Robert Hehemann according to a . Air forces in Europe background paper. The paper reports that the results Are not official because . Gen. Charles a. Homer. Central air forces commander has not yet signed a confirmation message. An aircraft engagement review Hoard studies incidents of downed enemy aircraft to determine if they also should be classified As official kills. The business of confirming kills taken on new facets As a result of. The Gulf crisis. Some airborne run ins resulting in ii Civ air Eratt crashes such As Hencmann s encounter with the iraqi Pilot who hailed out of his plane base presented the Board with Siena Lions that done to necessarily meet the traditional rules of air to air combat. 1 a another instance that caused lure than n few people to scratch their Heads involved an air Force aircraft knocking an enemy helicopter out of the sky by dropping a 2. H a Pou Iid bomb on top of it. A a in be got More Gray hairs from that kill list than anything Dur Itig. The War a an air Force. Source said. Arrington doff. A staff writer picked up his third kill m the persian Gulf. Quot we were in the right place at the right time Quot Hehemann said with a shrug. There was the Pilot w to jumped out of his pc-9 with the camouflage paint Job. But the Pilot of a soviet made Soukhoi fitter aircraft that also was in the area had t thought As far ahead As the pc-9 flier. Dietz Chen urn s patrolling partner. Took out the fitter w Ith a Wel aimed missile. For diet memories of his successes also bring to mind less comforting thoughts of a Friend assigned to an a-10 Thunderbolt ii unit. Quot i had a buddy who got shot Dow n. Every time 1 think about this a he said referring to the three planes he shot Down Quot have to think Aboul Bun it first it. Robert Hehemann left and capt. Tom Dietz each downed three iraqi aircraft during the Gulf War bringing bit urge a total to 17.june 23, 1931 sunday Page 5
