The crew of Spectre 17 was reunited with their aircraft to commemorate the 50th anniversary of its combat damage by a 57mm round during Operation Commando Hunt in Vietnam.
Aircrew from the AC-130A Gunship, call sign “Spectre 17,” assigned to the 16th Special Operations Squadron, pose for a photo next to the retired aircraft inside the Hurlburt Field Memorial Air Park March 3, 2022, at Hurlburt Field, Florida. On March 4, 1972, Spectre 17 was hit by a 57 mm round as the crew supported Operation Commando Hunt, a campaign of the Vietnam War. To commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the event, the crew reunited to revisit the aircraft and share stories from the famed flight. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jonathan Valdes Montijo)
The blast from the 57mm round tore a three-foot hole in the weapons control booth which nearly suck retired Col. Gary Chandler out of the aircraft.
Luckily, the gunship managed to make a safe landing at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base.
