The HORRORS of the AC-47 Spooky in Vietnam - Why The Enemy Called It "Dragon Fire"

The AC-47 Spooky turned a cargo plane from the nineteen thirties into the most feared weapon in the Vietnam night sky. When darkness belonged to the Viet Cong, Captain Ronald W. Terry mounted three miniguns in a C-47 and proved that sustained fire could replace speed and single-pass power. Eighteen thousand rounds per minute. Five to seven hours of loiter time. The ability to defend isolated outposts all night long.This is the complete story of the gunship that changed close air support doctrine forever — from Captain Terry funding early tests with his personal credit card, to Airman John Levitow's Medal of Honor action aboard Spooky 71, to the Battle of A Shau where Captain Collins and Lieutenant Peterson gave their lives defending their wounded crew.Captured enemy documents contained standing orders: do not attack the dragon. Eighty-six crewmen died proving the concept. But no outpost they defended ever fell.