In December 1972, the US military launched Operation Linebacker II, a massive and relentless aerial bombing campaign against North Vietnamese targets in the Hanoi and Haiphong areas. The bombing offensive was spearheaded by the US Air Force’s most versatile warplane — the B-52 Stratofortress. | Coffee or Die

Forty-nine years ago on Dec. 18, 1972, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and U-Tapao Air Base, Thailand, were the staging areas for Operation Linebacker II, an operation that would become one of the most significant events to end the war in Vietnam. Andersen AFB became the site of the largest buildup of airpower in history. More than 12,000 United States Air Force Airmen and approximately 155 B-52 Bombers and KC-135 Tankers filled the entire airfield. During Linebacker II, B-52s flew more than 700