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The Fightin’ Tenth

Doug Watt
@DougWatt
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One of my close friends from my university days has sent out an email to the Jungle. What is the Jungle?

We lived in Holy Cross Hall on the campus of a small Catholic university. Catholic colleges and universities do not have fraternities or sororities, so outside of academic endeavors campus life revolves around what is called Hall Life, your residence on campus.

An example of Hall Life at Notre Dame would be football players and athletes in other sports rooms with non-student athletes for their first three years at ND. There are no athletic dorms at Notre Dame, and my school did not have athletic dorms.

The Jungle was a group of young men who lived in Holy Cross Hall and several young men from a second hall. We were students as the Vietnam War was ending. Most of us were Air Force ROTC cadets, and on Fridays we wore our uniforms to class. Some ROTC cadets from other schools were not allowed to wear their uniforms on their campuses.

Sometime in May 2026 a book titled The Fightin' Tenth will be published. One member of the Jungle flew the F-16 Viper with the Fightin' Tenth in Desert Storm. He sent all of us an email he received from the author.

Excerpts from his email:

Dear Jungle brothers and sisters, I will receive a copy of a book titled, The Fightin’Tenth Book. You can read about the details below. This was the name of the F-16 fighter squadron that I was assigned to while flying combat sorties during DESERT STORM. . It should be an enjoyable read especially since our squadron commander at the time was Lt Col Ed Houle— the best fighter pilot in the USAF. Note he won this award twice, first as an A10 Top Gun instructor pilot at Nellis AFB. The second was as an F-16 TOP GUN instructor at Nellis AFB. An amazing feat! You can imagine then how lucky I was to be assigned to this fighter squadron!The other notable that will be featured in the book will be Maj Bill Andrews who was shot down near the end of the war. His heroic actions after he parachuted into the thick of enemy fire won him the Air Force Cross, the second highest decoration in the US military. Note, BA died of cancer after he retired. As a graduate of the USAFA, the academy cadets were able to place our 10 TFS squadron jet on permanent display at the USAF Academy. On the jet’s canopy rail you will find BA’s name, MAJ Bill Andrews permantly displayed.

The email he received from the author:

Good Morning Sabres! Many of you are already aware, so please forgive the redundant email. Making sure I get the word out to as wide an audience as I can.

I'm pleased to announce that "The Fightin' Tenth: Life in a Cold War & Desert Storm Fighter Squadron" will be in print in May 2026. While I'm the guy who is getting credit, it's a book we all wrote many years ago.

Step inside the hardened aircraft shelters of Hahn Air Base and witness life on the front lines of the Cold War.
In The Fightin’ Tenth, former U.S. Air Force officer Michael Makatura takes you behind the wire of one of NATO’s most elite tactical fighter squadrons—the 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron—during the tense final years of the Cold War and into Operation Desert Storm. From the heart of West Germany to the skies above Iraq, this gripping memoir captures what it meant to stand ready for war at a moment’s notice, fly the iconic F-16 Viper, and live among warriors with a shared sense of purpose and brotherhood.

Part history, part military life, part personal transformation, Makatura’s story is filled with grit, humor, and raw honesty. Whether it’s enduring the mental gauntlet of Officer Training School, landing in Europe as a wide-eyed second lieutenant, or watching seasoned pilots prep for combat in the Middle East, The Fightin’ Tenth brings to life the unique culture, mission, and mindset of an American fighter squadron in an unforgettable era.

This post was promoted to the Main Feed at the recommendation of Ricochet's members.

Discussion (5)

  • Doug Watt@DougWatt

    Captain William Francis Andrews Air Force Cross Citation:

    The President of the United States of America, authorized by Title 10, Section 8742, United States Code, takes pleasure in presenting the Air Force Cross to Captain William Francis Andrews, United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against the armed forces of the Republic of Iraq, while serving as a Pilot with the 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Hahn Air Base, Germany, in action approximately 30 miles northwest of Basra, Iraq, on 27 February 1991, during Operation DESERT STORM. On that date, while leading an F-16 flight against heavily defended armor and mechanized forces, Captain Andrews’ F-16 suffered major damage from enemy air defenses forcing him to eject in enemy territory. While in the parachute descent, he made contact with his flight using his survival radio and, despite being fired upon by enemy forces while in the parachute descent, provided an area description and direction to his flight. After landing, at which point he broke his leg, Captain Andrews made numerous threat calls and directed members of his flight to execute a break turn and to initiate decoy flares in response to surface-to-air missile launches. Shortly thereafter, he was in radio contact with NAIL 51, an OA-10 in the area, and twice directed the pilot to break and expend decoy flares when he saw missile launches. In both cases, the pilots indicated that they would have suffered direct hits from enemy infrared seeking missiles had Captain Andrews not made the threat calls from the ground. Captain Andrews provided the support despite the fact that he had just suffered a broken leg and could not move, was exposed in the open, and was being fired upon by enemy forces. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of the enemy, Captain Andrews reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
  • Steve C.@user_531302

    This is not accurate. My fraternity had 1 chapter at a secular school. All the rest were at Catholic universities.

    Doug Watt (View Post):
    Catholic colleges and universities do not have fraternities or sororities, so outside of academic endeavors campus life revolves around what is called Hall Life, your residence on campus.
  • Doug Watt@DougWatt
    ReplyingtoSteve C.

    Steve C. (View Comment):

    This is not accurate. My fraternity had 1 chapter at a secular school. All the rest were at Catholic universities.

    Doug Watt (View Post):
    Catholic colleges and universities do not have fraternities or sororities, so outside of academic endeavors campus life revolves around what is called Hall Life, your residence on campus.

    There are groups that adopt Greek titles on Catholic campuses. The difference would be do the Catholic administrators on the campuses you mention provide exclusive housing for Greek life members on frat or sorority row and allow them to reject students during rush week for membership? If so, I would love to have the names of those schools that sanction financial support for exclusive Greek housing.

  • Steve C.@user_531302
    ReplyingtoDoug Watt

    Steve C. (View Comment):

    This is not accurate. My fraternity had 1 chapter at a secular school. All the rest were at Catholic universities.

    Doug Watt (View Post):

    Catholic colleges and universities do not have fraternities or sororities, so outside of academic endeavors campus life revolves around what is called Hall Life, your residence on campus.

    Doug Watt (View Comment):

    There are groups that adopt Greek titles on Catholic campuses. The difference would be do the Catholic administrators on the campuses you mention provide exclusive housing for Greek life members on frat or sorority row and allow them to reject students during rush week for membership? If so, I would love to have the names of those schools that sanction financial support for exclusive Greek housing.

    You don’t get to create your own definition of a fraternity. This is the first I’ve heard where exclusive housing is a requirement. And at least in my day, fraternities and sororities exercised the power to limit invitations (bids). Though, truth to tell, back then fraternities and sororities were competing with each other for about 5 or 10% of the student population.

    My university provided the Inter Fraternity and Pan Hellenic Councils with offices in the student center.