This article appears in: February Off in the distance came the faint drone of a large propeller-driven aircraft. The sound got steadily louder, when suddenly a curtain of red fire erupted from the sky and rained down on the rice paddies in front of us.
When Puff unleashed that first six-second burst every man knew instantly what it was. The sound was indescribable, a deep guttural roar that anyone who has ever heard and lived, will always remember. Puff the Magic Dragon flew back and forth over the battlefield that night in , dropping huge two million-candle-power parachute flares and occasionally lighting up the sky with his fiery red breath.
The drone of his huge engines faded into the distance and a deathly silence lingered over the battlefield. Nothing moved in the eerie glare of the last flare as it floated slowly to the earth.
The mighty dragon Puff evolved from very humble beginnings. In November , FCs flung more than seven thousand flares over enemy positions. Due to increased night activity by the Viet Cong VC in , it soon became apparent that a better night air effort was necessary. After much deliberation, and because of the diligence and persistence of several young Air Force Officers, the modern concept of the fixed-wing gunship was accepted.
The effectiveness of such a gunship was dependent upon its ability to direct concentrated fire on enemy positions in near proximity to friendly forces. The chosen craft also had to have enough power and cargo space to carry the necessary armament and heavy loads of ordnance.
