This Military Service Page was created/owned by
SMSgt John Slusser (WD7F)-Deceased
to remember
Christenson, Howard (Bassman), A1C.
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I and my wife retired from our business in 2006. After retiring we put a 38’ camper on a RV campground lot in northern Minnesota. The name of the town is Battle Lake. It’s a small town with great walleye fishing available. Our campground was small with 23 spots.
All was going well until October of 2018 when my faithful dog Katie of ten years passed away. Sixty days later on January 4, 2019 my wife passed away after a massive stroke. It was not a good winter.
I continue to live in St. Peter, Mn. In the winter and spend my summers at the camper. We’re down to 14 campers in the campground now. All very nice people. We have a good time. The owner doesn’t want to fill all the spots and it confuses us because it’s basically free money. He must have other plans in his head. He also has a great resort.
All four of my sons and their families live within 60 miles of my house so I can see them when I want.
Other than fishing I like feeding the birds and some woodworking.
1965-1967, AIM-9 Sidewinder
From Year 1965
To Year 1967
Personal Memories
Not Specified
Image
AIM-9 Sidewinder Details
Aircraft/Missile Information
USAF adoption
Although originally developed for the USN and a competitor to the USAF AIM-4 Falcon, the Sidewinder was subsequently introduced into USAF service when DoD directed that the F-4 Phantom be adopted by the USAF. The Air Force originally borrowed F-4B model Phantoms, which were equipped with AIM-9B Sidewinders as the short-range armament. The first production USAF Phantoms were the F-4C model, which carried the AIM-9B Sidewinder. The Air Force opted to carry only AIM-4 Falcon on their F-4D model Phantoms introduced to Vietnam service in 1967, but disappointment with combat use of the Falcon led to a crash effort to reconfigure the F-4D for Sidewinder carriage. The USAF nomenclature for the Sidewinder was the GAR-8 (later AIM-9E). During the 1960s the USN and USAF pursued their own separate versions of the Sidewinder, but cost considerations later forced the development of common variants beginning with the AIM-9L.
Specifications Primary Function Air-to-air missile Contractor Naval Weapons Center Power Plant Hercules and Bermite Mk 36 Mod 71, 8 solid-propellant rocket motor Thrust Classified Speed Supersonic Mach 2.5 Range 10 to 18 miles depending on altitude Length 9 feet, 5 inches (2.87 meters) Diameter 5 inches (0.13 meters) Finspan 2 feet, 3/4 inches (0.63 meters) Warhead Annular blast fragmentation warhead 25 lbs high explosive for AIM-9H 20.8 lbs high explosive for AIM-9L/M Launch Weight 190 pounds (85.5 kilograms) Guidance System Solid-state, infrared homing system Introduction Date 1956
