Cranston Military Prints .com Home Page
Customer Helpline (UK) : 01436 820269
Subscribe to our Newsletter!

You currently have no items in your basket

Payment Options Display
Buy with confidence and security!
Publishing historical art since 1985

Navigation Menus
Military
Art Index 		Aviation
Art Index 		Naval
Art Index 		Artists
Index
Product Search         
Aviation
History Archive 		Naval
History Archive
HALF PRICE AND FREE PRINT SPECIAL OFFERS
ALWAYS GREAT OFFERS :
20% FURTHER PRICE REDUCTIONS ON HUNDREDS OF LIMITED EDITION ART PRINTS
BUY ONE GET ONE HALF PRICE ON THOUSANDS OF PAINTINGS AND PRINTS
FOR MORE OFFERS SIGN UP TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Reunion Over Hanoi by Philip West. - Cranston Military Prints

Reunion Over Hanoi by Philip West.


Reunion Over Hanoi by Philip West.

Col. Ken Cordier and Col. Bob Buckey were classmates in high school and college in Akron, Ohio. After college, they both became USAF fighter pilots, and although the two school chums never served together, their careers took separate yet parallel paths - until December 1966. On 2nd December 1966, then Cap. Ken Cordier and his back-seat pilot 1st Lt Mike Lane, were flying with the 559th TFS out of Cam Ranh Bay when they were shot down and captured 85 miles NW of Hanoi. They were to languish in North Vietnamese prisons for the next six years, first listed as MIA, then years later as POWs. Linebacker II was the code-name of the bombing offensive designed to force the North Vietnamese to agree to a ceasefire and peace accord. It was during the Linebacker II bombing campaign of December 1972 that then Maj. Bob Buckey and his back-seater, Capt Dan Tibbets, flew over Hanoi with the 555 TFS out of Udorn, Thailand. Their mission was to provide MIG-CAP for the B-52 bombers which were delivering punishing blows to the communist regimes capital city. On the ground, Ken was unaware that his old friend was a part of that campaign which would result in gaining his and the other POWs freedom after enduring long years of torture and deprivation. Bob, on the other hand, had known for years that Ken was a POW. So, every time he flew Downtown, Bob thought about Ken down there locked up in the infamous Hanoi Hilton and wondered when they would meet again. The bombing campaign had the desired effect and the North Vietnamese signed the Paris Peace Accords in January 1973. Shortly thereafter, Operation Homecoming brought the POWs home to family, friends and freedom. Six months after his release, at a class reunion in Akron, Ken and Bob met and had a great time comparing war stories and resuming their old friendship. The image shows Maj. Bob Buckey as he pulls his F-4E Phantom II away from the Hanoi Hilton.
Item Code : DHM0630APReunion Over Hanoi by Philip West. - Editions AvailableExtra....

A photograph of damage on the remaining prints :

DESCRIPTIONSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSPRICEPURCHASINGPACKS
Signed limited edition of 750 prints. Image size 25 inches x 16 inches (64cm x 41cm)
Cordier, Ken
Col. Ken Cordier
Ken Cordier was born in 1937 in Canton, Ohio. He was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Akron on July 16, 1960, and was trained as a Minuteman Missile Launch Officer in 1961, later serving as an instructor in the course before entering Undergraduate Pilot Training in January 1963. Lt Cordier was awarded his pilot wings on December 19, 1964, and then completed F-4 Phantom II Combat Crew Training. He then flew F-4s with the 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron at MacDil
Signature Value : £25
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

Lane, Mike
Col. Mike Lane
Mike Lane was born in 1941 in New Haven, Connecticut. He was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC Program at the University of Notre Dame on February 1, 1964, and went on active duty beginning June 6, 1964. Lt Lane completed Undergraduate Pilot Training and was awarded his pilot wings at Laughlin AFB, Texas, on April 23, 1965, and after completing Survival School at Stead AFB, Nevada, and F-4 Phantom II Combat Crew Training at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, he was then assigned flying F-4C Phant
Signature Value : £35
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

Buckey, Bob
Died : 2020
Col. Bob Buckey (deceased)
Colonel Bob Buckey received his wings in 1960 and never looked back. He was at the top of his Advanced Interceptor training class, which earned him the opportunity to be a fighter pilot. He flew combat air control off the coast of Havana, Cuba, during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 and was sent to Korea in 1969 in response to the Pueblo Crisis to fly the F-4 Phantom, which he considered his favorite. From Korea he became commander of a detachment in Taiwan, but he continued to volunteer to go
Signature Value : £45
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
Tibbets, Dan
NO
PHOTO
AVAILABLE
WSO LtC. Dan Tibbets
Signature Value : £30
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

+ Artist : Philip West

Signature(s) value alone : £135		£30 Off!
Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!		Now : £170.00

Quantity:
Limited edition of 75 artist proofs. Image size 25 inches x 16 inches (64cm x 41cm)
Cordier, Ken
Col. Ken Cordier
Ken Cordier was born in 1937 in Canton, Ohio. He was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Akron on July 16, 1960, and was trained as a Minuteman Missile Launch Officer in 1961, later serving as an instructor in the course before entering Undergraduate Pilot Training in January 1963. Lt Cordier was awarded his pilot wings on December 19, 1964, and then completed F-4 Phantom II Combat Crew Training. He then flew F-4s with the 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron at MacDil
Signature Value : £25
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

Lane, Mike
Col. Mike Lane
Mike Lane was born in 1941 in New Haven, Connecticut. He was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC Program at the University of Notre Dame on February 1, 1964, and went on active duty beginning June 6, 1964. Lt Lane completed Undergraduate Pilot Training and was awarded his pilot wings at Laughlin AFB, Texas, on April 23, 1965, and after completing Survival School at Stead AFB, Nevada, and F-4 Phantom II Combat Crew Training at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, he was then assigned flying F-4C Phant
Signature Value : £35
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

Buckey, Bob
Died : 2020
Col. Bob Buckey (deceased)
Colonel Bob Buckey received his wings in 1960 and never looked back. He was at the top of his Advanced Interceptor training class, which earned him the opportunity to be a fighter pilot. He flew combat air control off the coast of Havana, Cuba, during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 and was sent to Korea in 1969 in response to the Pueblo Crisis to fly the F-4 Phantom, which he considered his favorite. From Korea he became commander of a detachment in Taiwan, but he continued to volunteer to go
Signature Value : £45
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
Tibbets, Dan
NO
PHOTO
AVAILABLE
WSO LtC. Dan Tibbets
Signature Value : £30
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE

+ Artist : Philip West

Signature(s) value alone : £135		£50 Off!
Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!		Now : £210.00

Quantity:


Some other related items available from this site.

The McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk was designed by Ed Heinemann as a successor to the Skyraider attack bomber. The prototype aircraft first flew in 1954. The diminutive Skyhawk was only 42 feet in length, with a carrier friendly wingspan of 27 feet. The Skyhawk was capable of speeds close to 700 MPH, and was produced in several variants through 1979. The Skyhawk was utilized extensively in Vietnam for ground attack and support. As depicted in Stan Stokes painting entitled Fallen Eagle, the A-4 of a young Navy aviator, Everett Alvarez, has just taken off from the USS Constellation at 2:30 PM on August 5, 1964. Alvarez, a native of Salinas California, had attended the University of Santa Clara before joining the Navy. It was a day that Alvarez would not soon forget. About midnight that day the destroyers USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy were under attack from North Vietnamese patrol boats in international waters sixty miles off the coast of North Vietnam. Alvarez unit, the VA-144 Roadrunners, had been scrambled to assist the destroyers, but terrible weather conditions prevented any action. Washington decided to retaliate against these attacks by authorizing the first bombardment of North Vietnam on August 5, 1964. On that day twenty-two aircraft from the USS Ticonderoga attacked North Vietnam military targets at 1:15 PM. Only one aircraft was damaged during this first wave, and its pilot successfully made it back to an airfield in South Vietnam. The USS Constellation would provide a second wave involving 10 Skyhawks, 4 Skyraiders, and a single F-4 to provide fighter cover. Alvarez target was the harbor at Hon Gai, where his mission was to destroy any military patrol boats in the harbor. The lumbering Skyraiders were launched early, and Alvarez was the first of the ten Skyhawks off the Constellation. The Skyhawks rendezvoused at 20,000 feet before climbing to 30,000 feet for the seventy-five minute flight to the target area. Alvarez A-4 was equipped with a belly pod of 19 rockets. The Skyhawks streaked in over the harbor at 500 MPH in a shallow dive. Four torpedo boats and a larger coastal patrol ship were in the harbor. Alvarez made two passes over the harbor, and as he was passing over the southern edge of the town he saw a yellow flash to the port side of his windscreen accompanied by a popping sound. Seconds later the A-4 shook violently, and all the warning lights came on. The cockpit began to fill with smoke and the stick froze. With a final radio transmission, Im getting out! Ill see you guys later!, Alvarez pulled his ejection ring. Within seconds he was in the water. Picked-up minutes later by some very nervous fisherman, Everett Alvarez would become the first pilot shot down and captured over North Vietnam. It would be eight-and-one-half years later that Alvarez would be released, having endured hardships which would have broken anyone of less than the highest faith and courage. Everett Alvarez retired from the Navy in 1980, and was later a Deputy Director of the Peace Corps, and Deputy Director of the Veterans Administration.

Fallen Eagle by Stan Stokes. 		USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) refuels an Adams class Destroyer during a dusk operation off the Vietnam coast as a pair of E8 Crusaders are readied for launch on the forward catapults.

USS Kitty Hawk by Ivan Berryman 		The Republic F-105 Thunderchief, or Thud, as it was nicknamed by many of the pilots who flew it, was conceived as a supersonic, low altitude fighter-bomber capable of carrying a nuclear weapon in its internal bomb bay and two more on its wing stations. The F-105 evolved from a proposal made by Republic to the USAF in 1952. A series of delays, cancellations, spec changes, and other problems resulted in a very long gestation period for this aircraft, with initial production models not reaching operational units until 1958. The Thud was a big, powerful aircraft. With a length of 65 feet and a height of 20 feet, the F-105 would typically fly combat missions with a gross weight at takeoff in excess of 50,000 pounds. Although the F-105 was fortunately never utilized for the nuclear mission it was designed for, it did become the primary tactical bomber utilized by the USAF during the Vietnam War. In fact, the Thud flew more than 75% of all the bombing sorties directed at North Vietnam during the War. The Ham Rong Bridge in North Vietnam was a frequent target for F-105s. Ham Rong translates into English as Dragons Jaws, and this very important north-south rail and highway line was a vital supply link in allowing the North Vietnamese to send streams of men and materials south. The Ham Rong Bridge was 546 feet long and was 56 feet wide. It took eight years to build this incredibly sturdy bridge and Ho Chi Minh himself dedicated the bridge in 1964. SAMs and antiaircraft batteries heavily defended it. Living up to its name, the bridge was one of the most punishing targets to attack, and many American aircraft and pilots were lost during the numerous attacks on the Dragons Jaws. From 1965 to 1968 almost seven hundred aircraft had attacked the bridge, hitting it with more than 10,000 tons of high explosives. Despite these attacks, repair crews worked around the clock, and the bridge remained usable. Rockets proved ineffective and only direct hits with large bombs were likely to do any serious damage. Recognizing this, the North Vietnamese knew that American fighter-bombers would have to pass directly over the Dragons Jaws to release their bombs. A wall of antiaircraft fire would be directed directly over the bridge during such attacks, and a horrific toll was exacted on attacking American aircraft. In Stan Stokes painting an F-105 piloted by Fred V. Cherry is depicted during an attack on the Ham Rong Bridge. Col. Cherry was shot down in October of 1965 and remained a POW until 1973. He retired from the Air Force in 1981. The Dragons Jaw stood as a symbol of North Vietnamese resistance until it was finally destroyed by a laser-guided, smart bomb in 1972.

Jaws of the Dragon by Stan Stokes. 		F-4C Phantom II of Colonel Robin Olds of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, January 1967.

Colonel Robin Olds by Ivan Berryman.
Signatures on these products
*The value given for each signature has been calculated by us based on the historical significance and rarity of the signature and is for the unmatted version where available. Values of many pilot signatures have risen in recent years and will likely continue to rise as they become more and more rare.
NameInfo


Col. Ken Cordier
*Signature Value : £25

Editions signed :

Signed limited edition of 750 prints.
Limited edition of 75 artist proofs.


Cordier, Ken
(Col. Ken Cordier)

Ken Cordier was born in 1937 in Canton, Ohio. He was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Akron on July 16, 1960, and was trained as a Minuteman Missile Launch Officer in 1961, later serving as an instructor in the course before entering Undergraduate Pilot Training in January 1963. Lt Cordier was awarded his pilot wings on December 19, 1964, and then completed F-4 Phantom II Combat Crew Training. He then flew F-4s with the 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron at MacDill AFB, Florida, and then flying combat missions in Southeast Asia with the 45th TFS in January 1965 while deployed to Ubon RTAFB, Thailand. Cordier volunteered for another tour in June 1966, this time flying out of Cam Ranh Bay AB in the Republic of Vietnam. On December 2, 1966, while flying his 176th combat mission, Cordier was forced to eject over North Vietnam after his F-4 took a direct hit from a surface-to-air missile. He was immediately captured and spent the next 2,284 days as a Prisoner of War before being released during Operation Homecoming on March 4, 1973. After hospitalization, he attended the Armed Forces Staff College and then requalified to fly jet fighters. From 1979 to 1981, he directed the flying operations at Sembach AB in West Germany, and was then selected to command the reactivation of Wiesbaden AB, also in West Germany. Col Cordier served as Air Attache to the United Kingdom, based at the U.S. Embassy in London, from 1982 until his retirement from the Air Force on January 31, 1985. After his retirement, Ken represented British Aerospace in Washington, D.C., as Director of Military Aircraft. He is a past President of NAM-POWs and the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association. Col Cordier wears Command Pilot Wings as well as the Air Force Missile Badge, and accumulated over 2,000 flying hours in fighter aircraft during his Air Force career.

His Silver Star Citation reads:

Captain Kenneth W. Cordier distinguished himself by gallantry in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force as an F-4C Pilot in Southeast Asia on 11 November 1966. On that date, Captain Cordier was the Mission Commander leading a flight against a target in North Vietnam. His first pass in the target area drew heavy hostile reaction and his wingmen were downed on their initial passes. Completely disregarding his own personal safety, Captain Cordier immediately initiated rescue procedures and delivered his remaining ordnance on the nearby target. Captain Cordier then remained in the area to provide assistance to inbound rescue aircraft until his low fuel state dictated his departure from the area. By his gallantry and devotion to duty, Captain Cordier has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.


Col. Mike Lane
*Signature Value : £35

Editions signed :

Signed limited edition of 750 prints.
Limited edition of 75 artist proofs.


Lane, Mike
(Col. Mike Lane)

Mike Lane was born in 1941 in New Haven, Connecticut. He was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC Program at the University of Notre Dame on February 1, 1964, and went on active duty beginning June 6, 1964. Lt Lane completed Undergraduate Pilot Training and was awarded his pilot wings at Laughlin AFB, Texas, on April 23, 1965, and after completing Survival School at Stead AFB, Nevada, and F-4 Phantom II Combat Crew Training at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, he was then assigned flying F-4C Phantom II fighters with the 91st Tactical Fighter Squadron at RAF Bentwaters, England, from October 1965 to October 1966. He then deployed to Southeast Asia where he flew combat missions with the 559th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing at Cam Ranh Bay AB, South Vietnam, until he was forced to eject over North Vietnam and was taken as a Prisoner of War on December 2, 1966. After spending 2,271 days in captivity, Capt Lane was released during Operation Homecoming on February 18, 1973, and then was briefly hospitalized to recover from his injuries. He next completed an Air Force Institute of Technology assignment at Florida Tech University in Orlando, Florida, followed by service as a System Program Management Officer with the Armament Development and Test Center at Eglin AFB, Florida, from August 1975 to June 1978. His next assignment was as Chief of the Plans and Integration Division with the Air Force Acquisition Logistics Division at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, from June 1979 to June 1981, and then as Director of the KC-10 Program Control, and Deputy Director of Tanker Systems, with the Aeronautical Systems Division, also at Wright-Patterson AFB, from June 1981 to May 1985. Col Lane served as vice commander of the Air Force Human Resources Laboratory at Brooks AFB, Texas, from May 1985 to May 1986, followed by service as Chief of the Operational Training Division with the Air Force Human Resources Laboratory at Williams AFB, Arizona, from May 1986 until his retirement from the Air Force on October 1, 1988.

His Silver Star Citation reads:

For the Period December 1966: This officer distinguished himself by gallantry and intrepidity in action in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force during the above period while a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam. Ignoring international agreements on treatment of prisoners of war, the enemy resorted to mental and physical cruelties to obtain information, confessions and propaganda materials. This American resisted their demands by calling upon his deepest inner strengths in a manner which reflected his devotion to duty and great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.


Col. Bob Buckey (deceased)
Died : 2020
*Signature Value : £45

Editions signed :

Signed limited edition of 750 prints.
Limited edition of 75 artist proofs.


Buckey, Bob
(Col. Bob Buckey (deceased))

Colonel Bob Buckey received his wings in 1960 and never looked back. He was at the top of his Advanced Interceptor training class, which earned him the opportunity to be a fighter pilot. He flew combat air control off the coast of Havana, Cuba, during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 and was sent to Korea in 1969 in response to the Pueblo Crisis to fly the F-4 Phantom, which he considered his favorite. From Korea he became commander of a detachment in Taiwan, but he continued to volunteer to go to Vietnam. In September of 1972, he back-doored his way into combat, getting assigned to Udorn, Thailand. The fighters he flew there were armed with 500-pound bombs. As the war wound down, the restrictions on the pilots increased. The colonel was part of the mission to bomb Hanoi, and the fighters' job was to protect the B52 bombers. That mission lasted 11 days and had many casualties. Buckey completed his combat tour with 142 missions in Southeast Asia. He was assigned to Eglin AFB in Florida as Operations Officer of a tactical fighter squadron, then chief of standardization and evaluation, and chief of wing weapons and tactics. While at Eglin, he was responsible for the development and adoption of integrated combat turn procedures and checklists currently used by all present-day fighters. His next tour of duty was the Pentagon. He was chief of safety, security and inspections for the Air National Guard and was responsible for the operations and training of all Air National Guard fighters, recce, tanker and airlift forces. He was promoted to colonel while at the Pentagon. From the Pentagon, Buckey travelled to Naples, Italy, as chief of evaluations for the NATO southern region working with Italian, Turkish and U.S. fighter units. His final assignment in his Air Force career was with the U.S. Central Command at McDill AFB, and during that tour, he spent much of his time in the Middle East and Persian Gulf. He retired in November of 1989. He died May 20th 2020 aged 82.
WSO LtC. Dan Tibbets
*Signature Value : £30

Editions signed :

Signed limited edition of 750 prints.
Limited edition of 75 artist proofs.


Tibbets, Dan
(WSO LtC. Dan Tibbets)

Aircraft Related to This Print
Phantom

Contact Details
Shipping Info
Terms and Conditions
Cookie Policy
Privacy Policy

Sign Up To Our Newsletter!

Stay up to date with all our latest offers, deals and events as well as new releases and exclusive subscriber content!

This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts.  Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE

Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269.  Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com

Return to Home Page