2 0 ▁December ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁During ▁its ▁time ▁in ▁South ▁Vietnam , ▁the ▁ 7 1 st ▁got ▁away ▁cheap ly ▁for ▁having ▁flow n ▁more ▁than ▁ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁hours ▁in ▁six ▁months ▁in ▁a ▁combat ▁zone . ▁It ▁lost ▁no ▁aircraft , ▁and ▁only ▁six ▁received ▁any ▁kind ▁of ▁battle ▁damage ▁in ▁the ▁air . ▁The ▁most ▁serious ▁incident ▁involved ▁an ▁aircraft ▁struck ▁by ▁about ▁twenty ▁six ▁r ounds ▁of ▁ 1 2 . 7 - mm ▁fire ▁which ▁put ▁ 1 9 ▁holes ▁in ▁the ▁a ft ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁fus el age ▁and ▁caused ▁minor ▁la cer ations ▁in ▁the ▁neck ▁and ▁back ▁of ▁a ▁gun ner . ▁This ▁active ▁force ▁man ▁was ▁augment ing ▁the ▁basic ▁reserve ▁crew ; ▁never theless ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁combat ▁cas ual ty ▁ab o ard ▁an ▁Air ▁Force ▁reserve ▁aircraft ▁since ▁the ▁ 4 5 2 d ▁Bomb ard ment ▁Wing ▁was ▁rel ieved ▁at ▁P us an ▁East ▁( K - 9 ) ▁Air ▁Base , ▁South ▁Korea , ▁on ▁ 7 ▁May ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁during ▁the ▁Korean ▁War . ▁ ▁The ▁squad ron ▁was ▁rel ieved ▁from ▁active ▁service ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁Bak al ar ▁Air ▁Force ▁Base ▁on ▁ 1 8 ▁June ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁It ▁was ▁in activ ated ▁on ▁ 1 ▁October ▁ 1 9 7 3 . ▁ ▁South west ▁Asia ▁It ▁was ▁again ▁called ▁to ▁active ▁duty ▁status ▁on ▁ 1