Lonnie Ortega Aviation Art

Frame Size: 19" x 25" ~ autographed in pencil by: Cmdr. Randy "Duke" Cunningham & 

Lt. "Irish" Willie Driscoll. Comes with a COA.

"Showtime 100"

Randy “Duke” Cunningham and William “Willy” Driscoll, were America’s first aces of the Vietnam War. Driscoll, In 1970, he received his Naval Flight Officer wings and was assigned to fly the F-4J Phantom. Just two years later he found himself deployed to Vietnam with VF-96, The Fighting Falcons. On 19 January 1972, Cunningham and Driscoll achieved their first air-to-air victory when they shot down a North Vietnamese MiG-21 during an intense treetop-level dogfight. Their second kill was scored on 8 May when they downed a MiG-17 on their wingman’s tail. Just two days later, they would score what would be the war’s most celebrated aerial victory. On 10 May 1972, during a flak suppression mission over the Hai Duong rail yards, Driscoll’s strike package of 35 Naval aircraft from the aircraft carrier USS Constellation, was attacked by 22 North Vietnamese MiG’s. Cunningham and Driscoll immediately maneuvered their Phantom behind a MiG-17 and fired a Sidewinder heat-seeking missile. The missile impacted the MiG, blew off its tail section, and sent it careening to the ground in flames. Cunningham and Driscoll then executed a steep vertical climb to spoil the attacks of multiple engaging MiG’s. From a position above the fight, Cunningham and Driscoll realized that the other five Phantom crews were badly outnumbered, and in serious trouble. He and Driscoll re-engaged, maneuvered behind a MiG-17 which was about to shoot down one of the Phantoms, and fired another Sidewinder missile. The missile flew up the MiG’s tailpipe, causing the aircraft to explode into a bright red and orange fireball. With all planned ordnance expended, Cunningham and Driscoll’s strike package began their egress back to the ship. It was then that they were engaged by a third MiG-17 which, with its gun ports blazing, zipped past their Phantom in a head-on pass. Cunningham and Driscoll began another steep vertical climb expecting to see the MiG driver run. Instead, the MiG stayed to fight. Approximately two minutes into a grueling dogfight, Cunningham and Driscoll, about to get gunned by the MiG, pulled their power to idle and extended their speed-brake. The unexpected move forced the MiG to overshoot vertically in front of their aircraft. Now in an offensive position, they fired a third Sidewinder, which destroyed the MiG. The MiG pilot was later identified as Colonel Toon, North Vietnam’s leading ace who was credited with 13 American kills. As the Phantom crew pointed their aircraft toward the Constellation, they were hit by a surface-to-air missile. After eventually losing control of their burning aircraft, Cunningham ejected himself and Driscoll over the Gulf of Tonkin. Despite being pursued by enemy PT boats, they were rescued approximately 20 minutes later by Navy helicopters. These events marked Cunningham and Driscoll as the first aces of the Vietnam War, and the first aviators to destroy three MiG’s in one battle. For his heroism and superior airmanship, Cunningham and Driscoll were awarded the Navy Cross. Following his tour in Vietnam, Cunningham and Driscoll served as a Top Gun instructor’s. Cunningham retired from active duty in 1987 and Driscoll retired from duty in 1982.