Midweek Sortie 01: Starting off with a Thud

A deep dive into the F-105 Thunderchief, the jet that hit hard, flew fast, and made legends in the skies over Vietnam.

“The Thud never promised to bring you home—but if you treated her right, she’d fight like hell to get you there.”
— Common saying among F-105 pilots during the Vietnam War

Ready Room

Valued reader, let me take you back to a humid morning over Southeast Asia, the kind where the air hangs heavy and the sky feels closer than it should. A lone fighter streaks low across the treetops—big, fast, unapologetically loud. It wasn’t graceful like a Phantom or sleek like a Viper. But when it thundered past, you could feel it in your chest. That was the Republic F-105 Thunderchief, a machine built to deliver one massive punch, and one whose pilots earned a reputation for courage under the harshest conditions imaginable.

For our very first Midweek Sortie, we’re kicking things off—quite literally—with a Thud. Today we’re diving into the F-105’s origins, its brutal missions over North Vietnam, and the pilots who flew one of the most dangerous combat roles of the war. It’s a story of power, sacrifice, and a jet that proved far more capable than anyone expected.

Strap in. Issue 01 starts now.