Feb 13, 2012 - CJAA's guest speaker for the upcoming 2012 Convention is Air Force Brigadier General Dan Cherry (ret).

Gen. Cherry recently returned from Viet Nam where he befriended MiG pilot, Nguyen Hong My, a man who in 1972 was engaged with him in an intense F-4 Phantom and MiG-21 dogfight over North Vietnam.

His new book, My Enemy, My Friend, chronicles the events before and after dogfight and reunion.

Gen. Cherry trained in the F-105 Thunderchief at Nellis Air Force Base (last year's convention site) and flew from Spangdahlem Air Base, West Germany and the Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand, where he flew 100 combat missions over North Vietnam. In August 1967 he became an F-105 instructor pilot and flight examiner at McConnell Air Force Base, KS.

In June 1971 the general returned to Thailand and completed another 185 combat missions flying F-4D Phantoms. During this tour of duty, General Cherry served as flight commander and chief of the "Laredo" F-4 forward air controller program. He also was credited with the destruction of a North Vietnamese MIG-21.

CJAA looks forward to his presentation Saturday evening, March 17!

Have you signed up for the Convention yet?