From a Ravens Perch: A Bird's View of Cold War reconnaissance

The author served on an aerial reconnaissance crew in the Strategic Air Command from 1963 through 1970. Their missions, known colloquially as “ferret” sorties, were flown around the periphery of the Communist Block countries. The early part of the period the author discusses was in the years immediately following the Cuban Missile Crisis, a time of heightened tension between the Soviet Union and the United States. Their missions were frequently routine in nature, often interesting but occasionally tragic. This is the story of life as a reconnaissance air crew member during that period. It includes descriptions of broader policy perspectives as well as anecdotal incidents. The book targets those with an interest in military affairs but is detailed enough that those with little background in military affairs might be able to put themselves in the shoes of a reconnaissance crew member in the time period. A Raven, in this context, is an Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO). EWOs were the eyes and ears that justified placing a military aircraft and its crew in harm’s way.

John (Jack) Perrizo served on active duty with the United States Air Force from September of 1961 through March of 1970. He remained in the reserves until retirement from the Air Force, as a Lt. Colonel, in March of 1986. His reserve duty was as an Admissions Liaison Officer (Admissions Counselor) for the Air Force Academy and ROTC scholarship programs. He returned to active government service with the Federal Aviation Administration in February of 1975 working as an Air Traffic Control Specialist in the Station Option retiring in October of 2002. During that period he served at eight different locations, two as the facility manager. In October of 2005, the FAA contracted the Station Option part of their operation to the Lockheed-Martin Corporation. Mr. Perrizo served as a training consultant to Lockheed Martin at the Seattle facility from March of 2006 until his final retirement in January of 2010.