https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/5d3e09b5-49bb-42d9-9486-fbd6e71fbb9d Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCddem5RlB3bQe99wyY49g0g/join Help us preserve, scan and post more rare and endangered films! Join us on Patreon. Visit https://www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Visit our website www.PeriscopeFilm.com This silent reel of gun camera footage shows F-4 Phantom II aircraft engaging North Vietnamese Migs fighters. These are probably from the F-4 flown by Capt. Steve Ritchie, who became an ace as a result of his five kills (see below). The film also includes footage of Capt. Steve Ritchie and Capt. Jeffrey S. Feinstein painting red "kill" stars on the hulls of their plane and standing in front of the 432nd Tactical Fighter Wing signboard. Brigadier General Richard Stephen Ritchie (born June 25, 1942) served as an officer in the United States Air Force and the Colorado Air National Guard, and a general officer in the Air Force Reserve. Ritchie joined Navy Commander Randy Cunningham as the only two pilots (along with three airborne weapon systems officers) among the five American aces during the Vietnam War. Ritchie is a recipient of the Air Force Cross, the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Air Force. A young Lt Ritchie completed Undergraduate Pilot Training, was awarded his pilot wings at Laredo AFB, Texas, in August 1965. This was followed by service as an F-104 Starfighter pilot in Flight Test Operations with Air Force Systems Command at Eglin AFB, Florida, until 1967. After completing F-4 Phantom II Combat Crew Training, Capt Ritchie deployed to Southeast Asia, where he flew 195 combat missions with the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing at Da Nang AB, South Vietnam, between 1968 and 1969. During this time, he flew the first F-4 Fast FAC mission. His next assignment was to F-4 Fighter Weapons School at Nellis AFB, Nevada, followed by service as an instructor at the school until January 1972. He then deployed to Southeast Asia for a second tour, this time flying with the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Udorn Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, from January to September 1972. During this time, Capt Ritchie flew another 144 combat missions, and was credited with the destruction of 5 MIG-21 fighters in aerial combat, making him the only Air Force ace pilot of the Vietnam War, and the last American pilot to become an ace. Motion picture films don't last forever; many have already been lost or destroyed. For almost two decades, we've worked to collect, scan and preserve the world as it was captured on 35mm, 16mm and 8mm movies -- including home movies, industrial films, and other non-fiction. If you have endangered films you'd like to have scanned, or wish to donate celluloid to Periscope Film so that we can share them with the world, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us via the weblink below. This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0YEU8AcFLs Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm) Sat, 13 Jun 2026 13:21:58 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://peertube.dngr.us https://peertube.dngr.us/lazy-static/avatars/41a6fee9-7f57-42d0-a5fc-5db4f1af2e31.png https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/5d3e09b5-49bb-42d9-9486-fbd6e71fbb9d All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://peertube.dngr.us/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.