Big Spring Vietnam Memorial

Captain Thomas J. Lyman stands proudly in front of his F-4B Phantom II after completing his 300th combat mission with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 (VMFA-323), the “Death Rattlers,” at Marine Air Base Chu Lai, Vietnam.

Three hundred combat sorties in the unforgiving skies of Vietnam was no small feat—it was a testament to both the resilience of the Marines who flew and the deadly missions they endured daily. For pilots like Capt. Lyman, each takeoff meant facing heavy anti-aircraft fire, SAMs, and MiGs, yet he climbed back into the cockpit again and again until this milestone was reached.

This moment, captured at Chu Lai, reflects both pride and exhaustion—the quiet resolve of a Marine aviator who carried the fight to the enemy day after day.

Remember & Honor