0492 over Quan Loi                                The Birddog in Combat
The L-19 and O-1 versions of the Birddog earned it's medals fighting in the Korean Way and the Vietnam War.  The "Dawg" fought well as it served in a number of now famous combat aviation units.  For the most part there were no Birddog units in Korea, just brave individual pilots that flew recon, directed artillery and put in air strikes from the great and classic WWII fighter/bombers.  In Vietnam the Birddog served in RACs (Recon Airplane Company) and SALs (Surveillance Airplane Light) many of which are now common names and numbers to those that preserve the Birddog's history.  Many considered the L-19/O-1 to be the most dangerous airplane in the air.  It could stay up for almost four hours and in the process rain artillery on the enemy from as many guns as the fighting commanders would permit.  I personally have seen the artillery from all the gun units of an infantry division artillery and those of two attached artillery groups fire on one target for six hours.  A B-52 strike is only a fraction of this firepower.  This page is dedicated to those who served in these great units, for every time the "Dawg" brought a pilot back safely, but especially to those who paid the ultimate price for our country while serving in these units. 

                                                            "THE TOUGHEST DOG IN THE FIGHT"