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Jaws of the Dragon by Stan Stokes. - Cranston Military Prints

Jaws of the Dragon by Stan Stokes.


Jaws of the Dragon by Stan Stokes.

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 in1972.
Item Code : STK0047GSJaws of the Dragon by Stan Stokes. - Editions AvailableExtra....

A photograph of an edition of the print :

DESCRIPTIONSIZESIGNATURESOFFERSPRICEPURCHASINGPACKS
Signed limited edition of 4750 prints. Print size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm) Artist : Stan Stokes£15 Off!
Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!		Now : £35.00

Quantity:
225 prints from the signed limited edition of 4750 prints, with signature of Stan Stokes and pilot, and a remarque.Image size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm)
Cherry, Fred V

Died : 2016
Col Fred V Cherry USAF (deceased)
Born in Suffolk, Virginia in 1928, Fred Cherry graduated from Virginia Union University (Biology Major) in 1951. He entered the USAF in 1951 and went through basic airman training at Sampson Air Force Base in Ithaca, New York. In October of that year he commenced pilot training at Malden, Missouri with later studies at Dennison/Sherman, Texas. At Webb AF13 in Texas he successfully completed Jet Fighter Pilot training and was commissioned at Second Lieutenant in October of 1952. Ten more weeks of
Signature Value : £50
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
+ Artist : Stan Stokes

Signature(s) value alone : £50		£20 Off!Now : £120.00

Quantity:
Limited edition of 100 giclee art prints. Size 21 inches x 14 inches (53cm x 36cm)Artist : Stan Stokes£150.00

Quantity:
Prints from the 225 prints from the signed limited edition of 4750 prints, with signature of Stan Stokes and pilot. Image size 16 inches x 11.5 inches (41cm x 30cm)
Cherry, Fred V

Died : 2016
Col Fred V Cherry USAF (deceased)
Born in Suffolk, Virginia in 1928, Fred Cherry graduated from Virginia Union University (Biology Major) in 1951. He entered the USAF in 1951 and went through basic airman training at Sampson Air Force Base in Ithaca, New York. In October of that year he commenced pilot training at Malden, Missouri with later studies at Dennison/Sherman, Texas. At Webb AF13 in Texas he successfully completed Jet Fighter Pilot training and was commissioned at Second Lieutenant in October of 1952. Ten more weeks of
Signature Value : £50
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PROFILE
 
+ Artist : Stan Stokes

Signature(s) value alone : £50		£20 Off!
Add any two items on this offer to your basket, and the lower priced item will be half price in the checkout!		Now : £100.00

Quantity:
Limited edition of 100 giclee canvas prints. Size 27 inches x 18 inches (69cm x 46cm)none£294.00

Quantity:


Some other related items available from this site.

A trio of Bell Huey UH-1s deliver ARVN Rangers to a drop zone in the central Highlands of Vietnam during 1970. The ubiquitous Huey saw action in an enormous variety of roles, Vietnam being the first true helicopter war, and it will perhaps be remembered by many a grateful GI for its (and its crews) part in many hundreds of daring rescues amid the unyielding and unfamiliar terrain of south east Asia.

DZ 9.00am by Ivan Berryman. 		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.

Reunion Over Hanoi by Philip West.		 USS Independence launches multiple aircraft, RA5C Vigilante from the waist cat, and a Crusader from the bow while deployed in the Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam.

USS Independence by Randall Wilson.		USS Long Beach became the first ship to ever shoot down aircraft using missiles. She is seen firing two Talos Missiles that downed two MIGs at a range of 80 miles in May 1968.

Birds Away by Randall Wilson
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 Fred V Cherry USAF (deceased)
Died : 2016
*Signature Value : £50

Editions signed :

225 prints from the signed limited edition of 4750 prints, with signature of Stan Stokes and pilot, and a remarque.
Prints from the 225 prints from the signed limited edition of 4750 prints, with signature of Stan Stokes and pilot.


Cherry, Fred V
(Col Fred V Cherry USAF (deceased))

Born in Suffolk, Virginia in 1928, Fred Cherry graduated from Virginia Union University (Biology Major) in 1951. He entered the USAF in 1951 and went through basic airman training at Sampson Air Force Base in Ithaca, New York. In October of that year he commenced pilot training at Malden, Missouri with later studies at Dennison/Sherman, Texas. At Webb AF13 in Texas he successfully completed Jet Fighter Pilot training and was commissioned at Second Lieutenant in October of 1952. Ten more weeks of intensive combat training ensued, after which Cherry was assigned to the 3 1 01h Fighter Bomber Squadron of the 58 th Fighter Bomber Group. He flew more than fifty combat sorties over North Korea piloting F84Gs prior to the end of hostilities in 1953. From early 1954 until August of 1958 Cherry served stateside with a number of units including the 407 th Strategic Fighter Squadron (F-84s) and the 506 h Tactical Fighter Wing (F- 1 00s.) After a short tour to Germany, Fred returned home as a full time combat crew training inspector at Luke AFB. He then served a two-year tour in Japan with the 35h Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 8h Tactical Fighter Wing where he flew F-100s. As the War in Vietnam escalated, Cherry was assigned to the 35 th Tactical Fighter Squadron, where he flew 52 combat missions while piloting the F-105D. On his last mission over North Vietnam he was shot down on October 22, 1965. He was immediately captured after surviving ejection from his F-105. He remained a prisoner of war in North Vietnam from October 1965 until February of 1973. With the end of hostilities and the return of our POWs, Fred Cherry returned to the States. He attended the National War College in 1973-74, and the Defense Intelligence School the year after. He was assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency from June 1974 until September 1981. Following his retirement from the Air Force, Fred has had an active civilian professional career. He served as the Director of Technical Support Services for E.H. White & Co. in Washington, DC from 1982-87, and as Marketing Manager for Data Transformation Corp. after 1987. Fred Cherry's 30plus military awards and decorations include the Air Force Cross, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts, the Air Force Commendation, the Meritorious Service Award, two President Unit Citations, and a Distinguished Unit Citation. Col. Cherry was commissioned by President Ronald Reagan to serve on the Korean War Veteran's Memorial Advisory Board. He also received the Award for Outstanding Service to the Military Community from the Tuskegee Ainnen. Cherry has been an active member of the Kiwanis International as well as the Masonic Lodge. He resides in the Washington, DC area and is currently President and CEO of Cherry Engineering Support Services. Inc. The Cherry's are blessed with six children, and eleven grandchildren. He died on 16th February 2016.
Aircraft Related to This Print
Thunderchief

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