F-105D-31-RE 'Pussy Galore'

The F-105 Thunderchief curiously started its life in Republic Aviation's little pet project to replace the aging RF-84F Thunderflash. The intended purpose of the new fighter would be to deliver a single nuclear warhead in a low altitude supersonic intrusion mission. Although the US Air Force was enthusiastic at first, they eventually canceled the order for at least a hundred aircraft, citing the rapidly approaching end of the Korean War. However, testing continued throughout the years until finally, the USAF ordered a batch of F-105B fighter-bombers in March of 1956.

On May 27th 1957, the USAF accepted the first production variant dubbed the F-105B. The first squadron to receive the aircraft was the Tactical Air Command's 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, although the squadron did not become fully operational until 1959. In 1964, the F-105B variants were given to USAF's Air National Guard, as the troops in frontline combat in Vietnam now had the definitive F-105D with all-weather capabilities.

This particular aircraft, F-105D serial number 62-4357, was flown by Capt. Vic "Clipper 2" Vizcarra of the 80th Tactical Fighter Squadron. One day, Capt. Vizcarra decided to paint a naked lady onto the nose of the aircraft, specifically on the slot for the aerial refueling probe. As such, this aircraft became an attraction amongst the KC-135 tanker crew, with them even starting to dub this aircraft the "Pussy Galore."

Even though Capt. Vizcarra painted the nose art and was the one to carry the Pussy Galore name, 62-4357 was not always his aircraft. Because he was constantly relegated to different squadrons, he also had to fly different aircraft. One such example was the 62-4364 he flew during his time with the 354th TFS, adorned in two-tone jungle camouflage. He also painted a very similar nose art, and tanker crewmen would very soon dub this aircraft the "Pussy Galore II." However, his place in the spotlight would prove to be short-lived, as his commanding officer ordered Capt. Vizcarra to take down his nose art rather quickly.

And as for 62-4357? It was flown by Major John Francis O'Grady of the 357th TFS. On April 10th 1967, Maj. O'Grady took off from Takhli Air Force Base in Thailand to conduct bombing runs over Mu Gia Pass, North Vietnam. However, his aircraft was struck by AAA fire, with Maj. O'Grady and 62-4357 subsequently crashed. His remains were never found and declared as MIA until 2012. Recently, reports indicate that a gravesite near Y Leng, Vietnam, may contain the remains of Maj. O'Grady.

Maj. O'Grady's daughter, Patricia O'Grady, was taken by the locals to the spot where he was buried; inside a bomb crater and below a starfruit tree. Plans to unearth Maj. O'Grady's remains were underway, but Ms. O'Grady left before the excavation was complete. Little did she know, the Vietnamese authorities took custody of his remains, and they were reluctant to