Eldon Lee Bleak was born January 3, 1946, in Klamath Falls, Klamath County, Oregon, the son of Ethel Quibell Luderman (1906-1986) and Elmer LeRoy Bleak (1905-1966).
Eldon graduated from Klamath Union High School in 1964.
After college, he entered United States Air Force on Nov 8, 1968.
Norman Malayney, 12th TFW historian, provided the following information on his first SEA tour:
After training, Eldon flew his first SEA combat tour as a GIB with the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron 'Warhawks', 12th Tactical Fighter Wing, Phu Cat Air Base, South Vietnam in 1970/71.
On January 16, 1971, Cobra 03/04 - Capt. David R. Hedditch/Lt. Eldon L. Bleak, Capt. Eugene Pearson/Lt. Stephen Richards – scrambled to a known enemy location. Their BDA was 50 KBA, three storage buildings destroyed four structures destroyed and six structures damaged. On July 4, 1971, two Cobra aircrews consisting of Maj. Marty Stires/Lt. Steve Richards, Capt. T.C. Skanchy/Lt. Eldon L. Bleak in support of 1st/5 Mch Division at 300/12/103, the flight hit a rocket launch site and destroyed two bunkers. On August 10, 1971, Cobra 72/73 Col. Ellis Stanley/Lt. Eldon L. Bleak, and Capt Bill Boisture/Capt Bert Slusher, worked with Helix 27 and destroyed four structures and had two secondary explosions.
Eldon was then assigned to the 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron 'Chiefs', at Seymour Johnson, North Carolina flying the F-4E ‘Phantom II'.
In July 1972, the squadron was sent TDY to the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing 'Wolf Pack' at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. Part way through his tour he became a Wolf FAC.
On October 27, 1972 Captain Blaine Jones, Aircraft Commander, and Captain Eldon Lee Bleak, Weapons System Officer, departed Ubon in F-4E, sn 69-7273, under the call sign of Wolf 01.
Jim Shaw relates their shoot down later that day 'J. D. Allen and I were leading a 2-ship north of Bat Lake when Blaine (Papa Wolf) & Eldon rolled in to mark a target for us. They took 1 or 2 rounds of 23mm in the belly on pullout and headed feet wet. We immediately initiated a SAR. They initially had a little fire, but that went out and we thought they might make it to Da Nang. We sent No 2 home and joined up to escort them south. We were several miles feet wet, talking to the Jolly's who were headed our way, and approaching the DMZ when Wolf 01's gear came down. We thought he was going to do a controllability check, but in fact he had just run out of hydraulics. The bird began to roll left and both ejected. We spotted two good chutes. Blaine came up on his survival radio with 'Wolf 01's got a good chute, but my back's all fucked up.' We followed them down to the water and continued to command the SAR until the Sandys were within sight. Then, short on gas, we headed back to Ubon. They were both back at Ubon in a day or two.'
Eldon and Somporn Leekul, a girl he met in Thailand, were married on Dec 29, 1972 in Washington County, Oregon. They had two children, a son and a daughter.
Eldon departed from the Air Force on Dec 1, 1973, with the rank of Captain.
Eldon graduated from Klamath Union High School in 1964.
After college, he entered United States Air Force on Nov 8, 1968.
Norman Malayney, 12th TFW historian, provided the following information on his first SEA tour:
After training, Eldon flew his first SEA combat tour as a GIB with the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron 'Warhawks', 12th Tactical Fighter Wing, Phu Cat Air Base, South Vietnam in 1970/71.
On January 16, 1971, Cobra 03/04 - Capt. David R. Hedditch/Lt. Eldon L. Bleak, Capt. Eugene Pearson/Lt. Stephen Richards – scrambled to a known enemy location. Their BDA was 50 KBA, three storage buildings destroyed four structures destroyed and six structures damaged. On July 4, 1971, two Cobra aircrews consisting of Maj. Marty Stires/Lt. Steve Richards, Capt. T.C. Skanchy/Lt. Eldon L. Bleak in support of 1st/5 Mch Division at 300/12/103, the flight hit a rocket launch site and destroyed two bunkers. On August 10, 1971, Cobra 72/73 Col. Ellis Stanley/Lt. Eldon L. Bleak, and Capt Bill Boisture/Capt Bert Slusher, worked with Helix 27 and destroyed four structures and had two secondary explosions.
Eldon was then assigned to the 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron 'Chiefs', at Seymour Johnson, North Carolina flying the F-4E ‘Phantom II'.
In July 1972, the squadron was sent TDY to the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing 'Wolf Pack' at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. Part way through his tour he became a Wolf FAC.
On October 27, 1972 Captain Blaine Jones, Aircraft Commander, and Captain Eldon Lee Bleak, Weapons System Officer, departed Ubon in F-4E, sn 69-7273, under the call sign of Wolf 01.
Jim Shaw relates their shoot down later that day 'J. D. Allen and I were leading a 2-ship north of Bat Lake when Blaine (Papa Wolf) & Eldon rolled in to mark a target for us. They took 1 or 2 rounds of 23mm in the belly on pullout and headed feet wet. We immediately initiated a SAR. They initially had a little fire, but that went out and we thought they might make it to Da Nang. We sent No 2 home and joined up to escort them south. We were several miles feet wet, talking to the Jolly's who were headed our way, and approaching the DMZ when Wolf 01's gear came down. We thought he was going to do a controllability check, but in fact he had just run out of hydraulics. The bird began to roll left and both ejected. We spotted two good chutes. Blaine came up on his survival radio with 'Wolf 01's got a good chute, but my back's all fucked up.' We followed them down to the water and continued to command the SAR until the Sandys were within sight. Then, short on gas, we headed back to Ubon. They were both back at Ubon in a day or two.'
Eldon and Somporn Leekul, a girl he met in Thailand, were married on Dec 29, 1972 in Washington County, Oregon. They had two children, a son and a daughter.
Eldon departed from the Air Force on Dec 1, 1973, with the rank of Captain.
Eldon Lee Bleak was born January 3, 1946, in Klamath Falls, Klamath County, Oregon, the son of Ethel Quibell Luderman (1906-1986) and Elmer LeRoy Bleak (1905-1966).
Eldon graduated from Klamath Union High School in 1964.
After college, he entered United States Air Force on Nov 8, 1968.
Norman Malayney, 12th TFW historian, provided the following information on his first SEA tour:
After training, Eldon flew his first SEA combat tour as a GIB with the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron 'Warhawks', 12th Tactical Fighter Wing, Phu Cat Air Base, South Vietnam in 1970/71.
On January 16, 1971, Cobra 03/04 - Capt. David R. Hedditch/Lt. Eldon L. Bleak, Capt. Eugene Pearson/Lt. Stephen Richards – scrambled to a known enemy location. Their BDA was 50 KBA, three storage buildings destroyed four structures destroyed and six structures damaged. On July 4, 1971, two Cobra aircrews consisting of Maj. Marty Stires/Lt. Steve Richards, Capt. T.C. Skanchy/Lt. Eldon L. Bleak in support of 1st/5 Mch Division at 300/12/103, the flight hit a rocket launch site and destroyed two bunkers. On August 10, 1971, Cobra 72/73 Col. Ellis Stanley/Lt. Eldon L. Bleak, and Capt Bill Boisture/Capt Bert Slusher, worked with Helix 27 and destroyed four structures and had two secondary explosions.
Eldon was then assigned to the 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron 'Chiefs', at Seymour Johnson, North Carolina flying the F-4E ‘Phantom II'.
In July 1972, the squadron was sent TDY to the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing 'Wolf Pack' at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. Part way through his tour he became a Wolf FAC.
On October 27, 1972 Captain Blaine Jones, Aircraft Commander, and Captain Eldon Lee Bleak, Weapons System Officer, departed Ubon in F-4E, sn 69-7273, under the call sign of Wolf 01.
Jim Shaw relates their shoot down later that day 'J. D. Allen and I were leading a 2-ship north of Bat Lake when Blaine (Papa Wolf) & Eldon rolled in to mark a target for us. They took 1 or 2 rounds of 23mm in the belly on pullout and headed feet wet. We immediately initiated a SAR. They initially had a little fire, but that went out and we thought they might make it to Da Nang. We sent No 2 home and joined up to escort them south. We were several miles feet wet, talking to the Jolly's who were headed our way, and approaching the DMZ when Wolf 01's gear came down. We thought he was going to do a controllability check, but in fact he had just run out of hydraulics. The bird began to roll left and both ejected. We spotted two good chutes. Blaine came up on his survival radio with 'Wolf 01's got a good chute, but my back's all fucked up.' We followed them down to the water and continued to command the SAR until the Sandys were within sight. Then, short on gas, we headed back to Ubon. They were both back at Ubon in a day or two.'
Eldon and Somporn Leekul, a girl he met in Thailand, were married on Dec 29, 1972 in Washington County, Oregon. They had two children, a son and a daughter.
Eldon departed from the Air Force on Dec 1, 1973, with the rank of Captain.
Eldon graduated from Klamath Union High School in 1964.
After college, he entered United States Air Force on Nov 8, 1968.
Norman Malayney, 12th TFW historian, provided the following information on his first SEA tour:
After training, Eldon flew his first SEA combat tour as a GIB with the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron 'Warhawks', 12th Tactical Fighter Wing, Phu Cat Air Base, South Vietnam in 1970/71.
On January 16, 1971, Cobra 03/04 - Capt. David R. Hedditch/Lt. Eldon L. Bleak, Capt. Eugene Pearson/Lt. Stephen Richards – scrambled to a known enemy location. Their BDA was 50 KBA, three storage buildings destroyed four structures destroyed and six structures damaged. On July 4, 1971, two Cobra aircrews consisting of Maj. Marty Stires/Lt. Steve Richards, Capt. T.C. Skanchy/Lt. Eldon L. Bleak in support of 1st/5 Mch Division at 300/12/103, the flight hit a rocket launch site and destroyed two bunkers. On August 10, 1971, Cobra 72/73 Col. Ellis Stanley/Lt. Eldon L. Bleak, and Capt Bill Boisture/Capt Bert Slusher, worked with Helix 27 and destroyed four structures and had two secondary explosions.
Eldon was then assigned to the 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron 'Chiefs', at Seymour Johnson, North Carolina flying the F-4E ‘Phantom II'.
In July 1972, the squadron was sent TDY to the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing 'Wolf Pack' at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. Part way through his tour he became a Wolf FAC.
On October 27, 1972 Captain Blaine Jones, Aircraft Commander, and Captain Eldon Lee Bleak, Weapons System Officer, departed Ubon in F-4E, sn 69-7273, under the call sign of Wolf 01.
Jim Shaw relates their shoot down later that day 'J. D. Allen and I were leading a 2-ship north of Bat Lake when Blaine (Papa Wolf) & Eldon rolled in to mark a target for us. They took 1 or 2 rounds of 23mm in the belly on pullout and headed feet wet. We immediately initiated a SAR. They initially had a little fire, but that went out and we thought they might make it to Da Nang. We sent No 2 home and joined up to escort them south. We were several miles feet wet, talking to the Jolly's who were headed our way, and approaching the DMZ when Wolf 01's gear came down. We thought he was going to do a controllability check, but in fact he had just run out of hydraulics. The bird began to roll left and both ejected. We spotted two good chutes. Blaine came up on his survival radio with 'Wolf 01's got a good chute, but my back's all fucked up.' We followed them down to the water and continued to command the SAR until the Sandys were within sight. Then, short on gas, we headed back to Ubon. They were both back at Ubon in a day or two.'
Eldon and Somporn Leekul, a girl he met in Thailand, were married on Dec 29, 1972 in Washington County, Oregon. They had two children, a son and a daughter.
Eldon departed from the Air Force on Dec 1, 1973, with the rank of Captain.
