Heroic pilot Ngo Duc Mai in the memories of his loved ones.

MiG-17 pilot takes down "MiG-killing expert"

According to historical records of the 923rd Air Defense Regiment, on March 4, 1966, Ngo Duc Mai (from Hung Nguyen Nam commune, Nghe An province) and his comrades launched an attack on enemy aircraft flying into the Yen Bai - Phu Tho railway line. From position number 2, with support from position number 1, he shot down one enemy F-4.

This was the first successful battle for the 923rd Air Regiment, contributing to the tradition of "Once we take off, we win." With this victory, in April 1966, pilot Ngo Duc Mai and five of his comrades had the honor of meeting President Ho Chi Minh and were awarded his badge.

On May 12, 1967, with 10 MiG-17s and 2 MiG-21s sortie, we shot down 5 American aircraft. Notably, the pilot who shot down Colonel Norman Gaddis's plane was Lieutenant Ngo Duc Mai. This American Colonel had 4,300 flight hours, had previously served as Deputy Chief of Operations at the US Air Force Staff, and was sent to Vietnam as Deputy Commander of the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing to study air combat tactics and hunt down MiGs. He was nicknamed "MiG Killer" by his superiors.

American aircraft flew in from the southwest with the intention of attacking targets around Hanoi. The Air Force command decided to have MiG-17s attack first in the inner circle, while MiG-21s would be deployed later, attacking in the outer circle once the American aircraft formations had withdrawn.

A squadron of four MiG-17s, piloted by Cao Thanh Tinh, Le Hai, Ngo Duc Mai, and Hoang Van Ky, received orders to take off from Gia Lam Airfield and fly west to the combat zone at Hoa Lac Airfield. Upon reaching the top of the airfield, they encountered four American F-4s, a formation of F-4s from the 366th Air Wing led by Colonel Gaddis.

American planes continuously launched missiles and fiercely fired at the MiG aircraft. Guided by the auxiliary command post, our MiG squadron split into two groups, fighting tenaciously against the enemy aircraft. Pilots Ngo Duc Mai and Hoang Van Ky engaged in a dogfight with an F-4C emerging from under the clouds; this was the aircraft piloted by Colonel Gaddis. Pilot Ngo Duc Mai fired two bursts of gunfire at Gaddis's F-4, causing the F-4C to burst into flames and crash 20km from Hoa Lac Airfield. Gaddis parachuted out and was captured alive by militiamen.

On June 3, 1967, in an unequal battle against a formation of American F-105s and F-4s over Bac Giang province, Lieutenant Ngo Duc Mai, a pilot, bravely sacrificed his life. His MIG-17 and the body of pilot Ngo Duc Mai were found in Vu Xa commune, Luc Nam district (Bac Giang province) and buried locally. Notably, his family, Mr. Nguyen Van Hanh, took responsibility for maintaining and caring for his grave. In 1995, pilot Ngo Duc Mai was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces.

Hero and martyr Ngo Duc Mai rested at the Martyrs' Cemetery in Vu Xa commune for 58 years, receiving meticulous care from the local government and people. In June 2025, his remains will be brought back by his family and local authorities for burial in his hometown – Thong Tan commune, now Hung Nguyen Nam commune.

Live forever with family and homeland.

At the end of April, we went to Lang Dong hamlet, Hung Nguyen Nam commune, Nghe An province to hear stories about the hero and martyr Ngo Duc Mai (1938 - 1967), who shot down 3 American planes, including the plane of Colonel Norman Gaddis, nicknamed the "MIG killer expert".

The villagers of Dong Village led me to the home of Mr. Ngo Duc Phuong (born in 1957), the youngest brother of the heroic pilot Ngo Duc Mai, who still cherishes memories of his older brother. “My brother Mai was born, raised, and left this very garden. Now our family has built a large house with a proper place of worship to remember his life and sacrifice, so that our descendants will always be proud of him,” Mr. Phuong shared.

Mr. Phuong's parents were Mr. Ngo Quang Thiem and Mrs. Hoang Thi Di (deceased), who had four children (two sons and two daughters). Hero Ngo Duc Mai was the second child, and Mr. Phuong was the youngest. Mr. and Mrs. Ngo Quang Thiem sheltered secret agents during the resistance war against the US, and all four of their children enlisted in the army.

Hero Ngo Duc Mai enlisted in 1955 and was later sent to study at the Chinese Air Force School. Upon returning to Vietnam, from 1965 to 1967 he served as a MIG-17 fighter pilot, platoon leader, Company 2, 923rd Air Force Regiment, achieving many glorious victories.

Mr. Ngo Duc Phuong is 19 years younger than his older brother, Ngo Duc Mai; when his brother died, Mr. Phuong was only 10 years old.

“Whenever Mai came home on leave, he would often bring gifts and cakes for our parents and siblings. I was the youngest, so he favored me and gave me the biggest share of the gifts,” Mr. Phuong confided. The youngest sibling could never forget the day he received the news of his brother's death; his parents were devastated, unable to eat or drink for days, and relatives and neighbors came in large numbers to offer condolences…

Growing up, having the opportunity to read books and newspapers and meet his brother's comrades, Mr. Phuong came to understand more about his brother's achievements and sacrifices: A pilot considered resourceful, courageous, and agile, he made 63 sorties, shot down 3 American planes, and created favorable conditions for his comrades to shoot down many more aircraft.

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In his hometown, a portrait of Hero and Martyr Ngo Duc Mai is prominently displayed in the village's cultural center. A street in Vinh City is named after him, and his grave has been moved back to his mother's hometown to foster a warmer sense of family and closeness with his neighbors after nearly 60 years of separation…”.

Mr. Phan Thanh Ha – Head of Lang Dong Hamlet, Hung Nguyen Nam Commune