The 8th Fighter Wing, also known as the Wolf Pack, has an illustrious and storied history. That heritage starts with the historic 8th Fighter Group which was founded in 1923. The Vietnam War brought the birth of the ÒWolf Pack.Ó The newly designated, 8th Tactical Fighter Wing now stationed at Ubon Airfield, Thailand was led by Colonel Robin Olds. He helped make the ÒWolf PackÓ moniker famous during Operation Bolo which eliminated half of the North Vietnamese MiG-21 aircraft inventory. The Wolf Pack continued to make a name for themselves during the Vietnam War as the first to use laser-guided bombs. The ÒDragonÕs Jaw,Ó was a heavily defended bridge and key supply line for the North Vietnamese. The bridge survived hundreds of attacks by U.S. forces for almost 8 years. The Wolf Pack finally crippled the ÒDragonÕs Jaw,Ó for good in 1972 using precision-guided bombs. The Doumer Bridge was another key supply line which survived attacks for almost 6 years. This bridge also eventually fell to the Wolf Pack and its laser-guided bombs. The wingÕs skills were put on display throughout the war. None maybe more so, than during ÒPardoÕs Push.Ó Captain Bob Pardo was on a mission to attack a steel mill in North Vietnam. He and his wingman took heavy anti-aircraft fire severely damaging their F-4 Phantoms. His wingman lost most of his fuel during the attack and could no longer get out of enemy territory and into Laos. Pardo had his wingman lower the tail hook on his F-4 while Pardo positioned his aircraft behind his wingman. He pushed his wingmanÕs F-4, 88 miles until they finally were able to safely eject and then evade capture in Laos. Pardo would be awarded the Silver Star. By the end of the Vietnam War, the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing moved to Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea where it operates to this day. This patch does not come with velcro attached.
