Department of Defense

Seven pilots volunteered for 90 day tours of active duty to support and fly for the U.S. Air Force in the Philippines, South Vietnam and Thailand. Lt Col Kurt E. Johnson, Majors Jon G. Parrish, Edward V. Richardson, Gerald K. Sada, and Captains Rexford F. Hitchcock and Marlin L. Little, the participants, all received Air Medals with varying numbers of Oak Leaf Clusters for their part in this program called “Palace Alert.”

– 1969 Annual Report pp. 15

PALACE ALERT

Major Ritchie Kunichika a mild mannered fighter pilot with the 154th Fighter Group at Hickam Air Base. recently returned from a 95-day combat mission in Vietnam – and he can’t wait to go back.

“Yeah, I’d like to go back,” he said recently. ‘We’re over there for a reason. There’s a job to be done. and I’d like to get my two cents in.”

Kunichika, who works full-time with the 154th as a staff officer and jet pilot, returned from Vietnam and the Philippines in January after participating in the volunteer “Palace Alert” program.

As one of two Hawaii Air National Guard pilots attached to the nation-wide Palace Alert group (the other was Captain Rex Hitchcock). Kunichika got a taste of combat action in bombing escort missions out of Da Nang Air Base near the North Vietnam border.

He flew approximately 50 sorties out of the key air strike center.

He didn’t enjoy the weather too much (“without air conditioning it would’ve been miserable”), but he said the beachside base is very attractive.

“The beaches there are beautiful and about ten times as long as here. There are a lot of rice-paddies in the low-lying areas and thick jungle area along the mountain,” he said.

However, he noted once you hop into your aircraft and rise above the beautiful beaches, you quickly realize that a war is going on.

“As soon as you take off from Da Nang, you can see artillery and machine gun fire. The area is infested with Viet Cong. and – both night and day – you can see us rocketing their positions.”

“At night, the machine gun bullets look like red meatballs, because they light up on the pitch black country side,” said Kunichika.

Although he would see morning reports on “perimeter guard” deaths near the air base, he said that his billet area was never threatened by enemy fire.

“The base was shelled ‘in general’, but they (the V.C.) weren’t very accurate. They never got so close that it became uncomfortable. But they did get some perimeter guards (Marines and Air Force personnel) with small arms fire.”

Country-side V.C. may not have been accurate. but according to Kunichika. our heavy bombers were.

“All I can say. is that I sure wouldn’t want to be on the ground when they (the B-52’s) were bombing. They were very accurate.”

He said that most of the bombing missions he accompanied (some were over North Vietnam) directed their 500 and 750 pound bombs at supply trails, roads and stockpiles.

The usual bombing formation, he said, was six bombers and six fighter escorts.

The most worthwhile part of his “Palace Alert” experience, however, Kunichika said, was talking
to the ground troops.

“At Da Nang, you’re in contact with a lot of Marines, so you get to talk to them.

“They all seem to know what they’re doing. And they know that they have a job,” said Kunichika.

Kunichika. who has been flying F-86 and F-102 jets since 1958, lives in Wahiawa with his wife. Hideko, and their two children, Tracy, 6, and Heidi, 2.

– 1969 Spring The Hawaii Guardsman pp. 13

PALACE ALERT was an Air National Guard program to augment USAF air defense units in Southast Asia (suggested by the HANG) and Europe. Combat ready DEUCE pilots from 20 Air Guard units were eligible to volunteer. Majs Jon G. Parrish and Gerald K. Sada were the first two HANG pilots to volunteer for 90 day tours. They went to the Philippines and flew active air defense missions from Da Nang, South Vietnam. They were followed during the fiscal year by Lt Col Kurt E. Johnson, Majs Ritchie K. Kunichika and Edward V. Richardson, and Capts Rexford H. Hitchcock and Marlin L. Little.

– HANG 25 History of Hawaii Air National Guard pp. 53-54

(Fiscal Year 1970) Major Lawrence C. Cabrinha and Capt George E.M. Joy participated in PALACE ALERT-flying air defense missions in Southeast Asia. They were the last two, as the program was terminated.

– HANG 25 History of Hawaii Air National Guard pp. 57

Palace Alert: The Guardians of the Skies

A Tribute to Hawai‘i National Guard Vietnam Veterans – Vietnam Veterans Day honors the sacrifices made by Vietnam veterans and their families, serving as part of a broader national effort to acknowledge the men and women who were denied a proper welcome upon returning home more than four decades ago. The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act officially designates March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day each year. This marks the day in 1973 when the last combat troops were withdrawn from Vietnam, and the final prisoners of war held in North Vietnam returned to the United States. – State of Hawai‘i, Department of Defense Public Affairs Office | Story by Rachel Blaire | Saturday, March 29, 2025

Fifty-seven years ago in the summer of 1968, the United States was deeply involved in the conflict in Southeast Asia. With air defense needs growing across the region, a new initiative known as Palace Alert was launched — an innovative partnership between the Pacific Air Force and the Hawai‘i Air National Guard (HIANG). The goal was clear: augment the U.S. Air Force’s fighter-interceptor forces with highly trained pilots from the Air National Guard, ready to serve in vital roles without a full mobilization of active-duty forces.

The HIANG’s 154th Fighter Group, particularly the 199th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, was uniquely equipped to take on this challenge. Their F-102 Delta Dagger jets were the backbone of air defense in the Pacific, and the pilots were prepared for combat. Palace Alert would see many of them travel to combat zones in Southeast Asia, joining the fight while gaining invaluable combat experience.

The first two volunteers from HIANG were Major Jon G. Parrish and Major Gerald K. Sada, who in July 1969 were deployed to Clark Air Force Base (AFB) in the Philippines. From there, they flew missions out of Da Nang AFB in South Vietnam, engaging in air defense duties over hostile territory.

The mission of these pilots, alongside their colleagues, was to provide vital air superiority, defend U.S. and allied forces, and disrupt the enemy’s supply lines. Their contributions were recognized with Air Medals and Oak Leaf Clusters, a testament to their exceptional service.

As the program grew, Major Ritchie K. Kunichika became one of the next volunteers. Kunichika, a highly skilled fighter pilot with the 154th Fighter Group at Hickam Air Base, flew a 95-day combat tour in Vietnam, and he became one of the program’s standout participants.

“Yeah, I’d like to go back,” Kunichika remarked with determination after returning from his tour. “We’re over there for a reason. There’s a job to be done, and I’d like to get my two cents in.”

His enthusiasm for the mission was palpable, even after seeing the intense nature of combat firsthand. Kunichika, along with Captain Rexford F. Hitchcock, served as two of the Hawai‘i Air National Guard’s pilots attached to the Palace Alert program, flying missions out of Da Nang Air Base, located near the North Vietnam border.

Kunichika flew approximately 50 sorties, many of them as part of bombing escort missions for heavy bombers targeting enemy supply lines. “As soon as you take off, you can see artillery and machine gun fire,” Kunichika recalled.

“The area was infested with Viet Cong, and both night and day, we’d see rockets and small arms fire hitting their positions.”

Though Kunichika was a seasoned pilot, having flown F-86s and F-102s since 1958, his time in Vietnam gave him a new perspective on warfare and the importance of the Palace Alert program. The experience was not just about flying combat missions; it was about contributing to a broader effort.

“We were there to make a difference,” Kunichika said, reflecting on the purpose that drove him and his fellow pilots to volunteer.

By the time the program ended, more than 100 combat-qualified F-102 pilots from across the nation had participated, augmenting the U.S. Air Force’s ability to maintain air superiority in some of the most challenging environments of the Cold War. And for the pilots of the Hawai‘i Air National Guard, their legacy in Palace Alert endures — each flight, each sortie, a small but vital piece in the broader picture of defending freedom and securing the peace.

References: Annual Report Department of Defense State of Hawai‘i Fiscal Year 1969, HANG 25 History of Hawai‘i Air National Guard, the Hawai‘i Guardsman Fall 1968 and the Hawai‘i Guardsman Spring 1969

– 2025 pūpūkahi | volume 55 | No. 01 pp. 8