▁but ▁they ▁were ▁captured ▁alive ▁and ▁became ▁prisoners ▁of ▁war . ▁Major ▁C . B . ▁Dem ar que ▁and ▁his ▁We ap ons ▁System ▁Officer , ▁First ▁Lieutenant ▁J . M . ▁Piet ▁were ▁res cu ed ▁shortly ▁after ▁they ▁e ject ed ▁from ▁their ▁mal function ed ▁aircraft ▁over ▁Th ai ▁air space . ▁ ▁In ▁contrast ▁to ▁their ▁oppon ents , ▁the ▁action ▁of ▁ 2 3 ▁August ▁gave ▁the ▁North ▁Vietnam ese ▁Air ▁Force ▁their ▁first ▁major ▁victory ▁since ▁Operation ▁B olo . ▁The ▁US AF ' s ▁confirm ation ▁of ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁' F ord ▁ 4 ' ▁to ▁a ▁Mi G ▁aircraft ▁gave ▁N gu yen ▁Van ▁C oc ▁his ▁second ▁air - to - air ▁victory , ▁and ▁he ▁eventually ▁became ▁the ▁leading ▁ace ▁pilot ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁with ▁nine ▁k ills . ▁Ear lier ▁in ▁the ▁eng agement , ▁flight ▁leader ▁N gu yen ▁N hat ▁Ch ieu ▁claimed ▁to ▁have ▁destroyed ▁an ▁F - 1 0 5 ▁with ▁a ▁miss ile , ▁but ▁the ▁US AF ▁have ▁not ▁confirmed ▁his ▁claim . ▁Non eth eless , ▁Ch ieu ▁also ▁became ▁a ▁ranking ▁ace ▁pilot ▁with ▁six ▁k ills ▁attributed ▁to ▁his ▁name . ▁The ▁US AF ▁also ▁claimed ▁one ▁victory ▁against ▁a ▁Mi G - 1 7 ▁f ighter , ▁attributed ▁to ▁First ▁Lieutenant ▁David ▁B . ▁Wald rop , ▁but ▁the ▁claim ▁was ▁not ▁confirmed ▁by ▁the ▁North ▁Vietnam ese ▁because ▁all ▁their ▁Mi G ▁f igh ters ▁returned ▁to ▁base ▁safely