347 TFW PARTICIPATION IN DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM, JAN-DEC 91, VOLUME 1

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Since these missions took place at night, secondary explosions provided the primary indication of a hit on the target. The other method of confirmation involved outside agency assets, i.e., satellites, etc. In this case, outside agencies confirmed the destruction of the SCUD site which Capts Bishop and Harris attacked. (33)

THE FIRST ATTACK AGAINST THE NUCLEAR RESEARCH FACILITY

(U) The 69th flew conventional bombing missions as well as SCUD hunting missions on 19 January 1991. At 1445 (L) on 19 January 1991, the squadron sent twelve aircraft to attack a nuclear research facility approximately 15 miles southeast of Baghdad. The 69th made up only a fraction of the 60 plane package. Capt Poppleton described the triple-A defenses as "Heavy". "You could see things blowing up at your altitude about twenty miles away. I thought "Gosh I don't want to go there."(34) Again, the fighter-bombers fought their way through and hit the target, but not without cost. The 69th itself continued to lead a charmed life and did not lose anyone, but both the 401 TFW and the 363 TFW lost aircraft on that particular mission. (35) Capt Poppleton related that:

"I heard the guy eject over the radio, and that as pretty alarming. I heard 'Hey, y APU (auxiliary power unit) is running and my oil pressure is zero,' (a clear indication of a sick airplane)" ...then he said, 'Sloane 01...... is out of here.' Then I heard one of the guys over the radio say 'Good Luck.' I thought, 'I hope he gets picked up, but he didn't....he did get repatriated.'" (36)

(U) The "SCUDBUSTERS" of the 69 TFS continued to stand alert at King Fahd AB on 20 January 1991. That night "Rex" flight (Major Mike Cook, lLt Brandon Seat, Lt Col Harry Davis, lLt Daniel McMackin) received notification to scramble to attack a SCUD site Rex 1-4 took off, attacked a FROG (Soviet built Surface-to-Surface Missile) site, refueled