On October 13, 1972, tension hummed through the cockpit of an F-4 Phantom. High above the dense clouds near North Vietnam's Kep airfield, pilot Lieutenant Colonel Curtis Westphal, with hands firmly gripping the joystick, and his Weapon Systems Officer Captain Jeffrey S. Feinstein, eyes locked onto his radar, were completely absorbed by their tasks.

The calm of the flight was abruptly shattered by a sudden crackling voice over the radio announcing that enemy MiGs were airborne and closing in. In mere seconds, they sprang into action, swiftly heading towards the impending engagement.

Feinstein's pulse quickened; he understood that these were not just any adversaries, but the key to his potential ascension as an ace—a larger-than-life milestone attainable only by the very elite in their field. Above all, he felt the weight of responsibility to protect his comrades. With the enemy drawing nearer, the pursuit began—a daring engagement with missiles poised and ready for action.

After closing to just one mile, Captain Feinstein established visual contact with one of the two MiG-21s. Three AIM-7s then streaked through the sky, with Feinstein watching with his heart racing, hoping that at least one missile would find its mark…

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