WILMINGTON, N.C. — A special veteran is celebrating a very special milestone.
Allen Lamb was one of the original Wild Weasels and conducted a successful SAM kill during the Vietnam War
He turned 90 years old this week
He has survived ejection from a plane at a supersonic speed, shrapnel, COVID-19 complications, as well as a brain bleed
Allen Lamb has lived an incredible life and a wild one at that. He’s a veteran of the United States Air Force and one of the original Wild Weasels. He, along with Electronic Warfare Officer Jack Donovan, made the first kill of a Surface to Air Missile (SAM) site during the Vietnam War.
“My proudest moment was that we found out that on the first kill that I ended up killing a Russian general,” Lamb said. “(He) was in charge of setting up the air defense for North Vietnam to help out the North Vietnamese against the Americans.”
The Wild Weasels got the name from their attack and defense tactics that involve going into their prey’s den. They would essentially allow themselves to be shot at to get an exact aim before attacking. They were wild and unafraid to die which gave great results.
While he’s lived a long life, that’s not to say that fate didn’t try to change that. The running joke in his family is that while he may have been a weasel, in some ways he’s more like a cat with nine lives.
“We say that because of course he has gone through the supersonic ejection, and has been in combat multiple times and has actually gotten shrapnel in his body that came through the plane,” said Lamb’s wife, Frances. “And beyond that about six years ago he had a brain bleed and has recovered from that, and actually had a bad reaction to what was going with COVID, and we’re just delighted that we have him and are blessed every day that we have him.”
As he celebrates his life of achievements, he’s happy to be celebrating with the people that he loves.
“We are just so happy that we are all together, even during the time of COVID,” Frances Lamb said. “So that we can celebrate his wonderful life of 90 years.”
And Allen Lamb’s secret for a long and happy life? Be like the weasel and don’t be afraid to die.
Lamb was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Silver Star among many medals in his Air Force pilot career. Lt. Col. Gene McFalls, a friend of Lamb’s, is arranging the Lamb Donovan Award as well as an electronic warfare officer display at the Warner Robins Air Force Base Museum in Georgia.
If you would like to learn more about Allen Lamb and the Wild Weasels, you can check out this article for information.