Thomas G. Goduto Interview, 20 February 2001
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| TG: | Yeah, there are electronic counter-countermeasures, sure. Our radar was susceptible to jamming and I had to be careful of that, but I would stay away from our radars signal. We would coordinate that during the portion of the flight. And if the signal that was coming in—let's say it would move its frequency and I wasn't alert to that frequency change, then the ground facility is getting usable information on us. So I have to quick counter that. In my job timing was important, I had to get things countered quickly and that was my grading criteria—were my countermeasures effective against it and was the timing quick. It was like dropping a bomb. If we didn't drop the bomb and the bomb didn't hit close to where we intended it to then we fail that attempt. We trained to be able to be effective. | |
| INT: | In your area, how many different types of machines are you working with? | |
| TG: | Just roughly speaking I would say 30 or 35. They would do different things at different frequencies for different uses. I had receivers, transmitters and expendable type things. Then they all had different settings. | |
| INT: | And some of them probably recorded data? | |
| TG: | At that period of time we didn't have a recorder on the airplane. In other words, in reference to what we're gonna talk about, you'd say, 'Gee, did you record anything?' Well, we didn't have recorders then. The airplanes that flew over Viet Nam did have recorders. So anything that was on a radio, said on the intercom or any of the other information that was audio capable to any crewmember was recorded. Well, we didn't have that in the B-52's. We were a one-time mission type-thing. | |
| INT: | Yeah, you weren't supposed to see action, were you? You flew over it. | |
| TG: | We trained the dickens out of those airplanes and us to be ready to do 'em, but we never had to do 'em. | |
| INT: | So this mission you were flying 24th October, standard training mission—let's talk about what you remember of the event on the return to Minot. | |
| TG: | Yeah, you asked about phases of flight before, and it was take-off, climb out, refueling, navigation leg, low level nav bombing, return to base, and then pilot's work. And pilot's work either consisted of instrument work at altitude, or low altitude work around the field to include touch and go's. And I couldn't tell you right now the duration of that sortie. In fact, I could tell you that the end of the sortie was at night—in the middle of the night and so speculating without memory what I did when we were getting |
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