F-4E Phantom (67-0304) Tags

Developed by McDonnell, F-4 Phantom was an iconic fighter serving as the backbone of US air power in 1960s. Struggles in close- range dogfights with MiGs in Southeast Asia led to the creation of the advanced variant F-4E that featured an M61 cannon in the nose, upgraded avionics and also enhanced engines.

These tags were cut from F-4E serial number 67-0304, one of the Phantoms that saw combat over North Vietnam with the 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron. What makes it special was, the 0304 part of the first batch of F-4Es deployed to the Republic of Vietnam in April 1969.

In November 1969, during a mission over North Vietnam, the 67-0304 was hit by a surface-to-air missile. Even though the crew managed to bring it back to a small forward base, the damage was so extensive that the aircraft had to be shipped back to the US for major repairs.

In 2017, FIGHTERTAGS discovered the 67-0304 in a Turkish scrapyard, recovered hundreds of its parts, a few of which turned into tag for this release. Several tags were cut from repair patches riveted on the airbrake, which is believed to be one of the damaged parts during combat in the Vietnam War.