From The Archives: Air Mobility Concept Tested In Vietnam
Sixty years ago in Aviation Week, editor C.M. “Tony” Plattner, a U.S. Marine Corps reservist, spent two months covering the military’s rapid buildup in the Vietnam War, flying as an observer on nine combat missions.
Returning to the U.S., he wrote a 14-part, 105-page series that ran in the magazine over three months in early 1966.
Plattner’s copious reporting was a damning rebuttal to military leaders’ claim that an end to the war was within reach.
“Without a series of decisive, crippling victories over the Viet Cong, there appears to be no short-term solution,” he wrote.
The Pentagon struck back, with the Marines lowering Plattner’s reserve status and suspending him from flying. It would take years for Plattner to clear his name and have his rank restored.
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See also: First Take, Jan. 12, 2026 | Aviation Week Network
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