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60,000 Sorties, 18 Pilots Lost, 1 War Forgotten: The Bearcat in Vietnam

Deployed by France during the Indochina War, the Grumman F8F Bearcat flew more than 60,000 missions in brutal conditions.
Aviation Republic on MSN

6 Bearcats, 22,800 Steel Plates, 1 Lost War: The Final Stand at Dien Bien Phu

Six Grumman F8F Bearcats were deployed to defend Dien Bien Phu, striking from a newly built airstrip of 22,800 steel plates.