About this episode

Gene Hambleton recounts his dramatic rescue during the Vietnam War after being shot down behind enemy lines.

On Easter Sunday, April 2, 1972, two EB-66 aircraft, call signs Bat 21 and Bat 22 were flying pathfinder escort for three B-52s, which were assigned to bomb the two primary access routes to the Ho Chi Minh Trail through Laos. Gene Hambleton, a navigator aboard Bat 21, was shot down behind North Vietnamese lines. His rescue became known as the largest, longest, and most complex search-and-rescue operation during the Vietnam War. In this episode, Gene Hambleton recounts his dramatic story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Guest: Gene Hambleton

Topics covered

• Vietnam War
• search and rescue
• military history
• aviation
• personal stories

Keywords

• Vietnam War
• Gene Hambleton
• search and rescue
• Bat 21
• military history

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Bat 21, Bat 22, B-52s

Places: North Vietnamese, Ho Chi Minh Trail, Laos

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