What did pilots in the Vietnam War fear the most: surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), anti-aircraft artillery (AAA), or enemy fighter jets?

Here’s how I ranked the threats, from least to most scary:

**Enemy Fighters:** I wasn’t very worried about enemy fighters. I looked for them but never got close enough to actually fight. Chasing them usually didn’t lead to any battles.

**AAA (Anti-Aircraft Artillery):** AAA was a big threat and shot down many planes, but it didn’t scare me as much as SAMs. I faced it often, so I got used to it. Even though it was dangerous, it felt almost normal, and they usually missed.

**SAMs (Surface-to-Air Missiles):** SAMs were much scarier. They didn’t come up as often as AAA, but when they did, it was serious. The loud alarms and flashing lights made everyone nervous, even if no missile was actually fired. SAMs can track and change direction, unlike the more predictable AAA.

Sometimes I went on missions expecting to see AAA but didn’t, which was a little disappointing. But if I avoided SAMs, I felt a big sense of relief. AAA, even in large numbers, is smaller and easier to predict. In contrast, SAMs are big missiles with a huge smoke trail, flying at you really fast. That was truly frightening.

Did American soldiers have relationships with Vietnamese women during the war?

Some soldiers did have long-term relationships, but most were looking for short-term, casual encounters while they were in Southeast Asia.