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A-4E Skyhawk on Display

Photo of A-4E Skyhawk in Vietnam markings of Lady Jessie on display.
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Caption: The A-4E Skyhawk on display in the museum’s Quarterdeck features two paint schemes, one side honoring Attack Squadron (VA) 163 and the other painted in the markings of Attack Squadron (VA) 164. The VA-163 scheme depicts the airplane flown by then-Lieutenant Commander John S. McCain, III, on the day he was shot down over North Vietnam. The VA-164 paint scheme honors the squadrons “Lady Jessie” airplane, which was named in honor of Mrs. Jessie Beck of Reno, Nevada. Beck provided unwavering support to the members of VA-164 during the Vietnam War through her friendship with one of the squadron’s pilots, Lieutenant Commander Dick Perry, who before joining the Navy worked at a casino owned by her and her husband. Initially, Perry’s assigned aircraft was named “Lady Jessie,” but after he was shot down, the squadron decided to paint the name on the squadron commander’s airplane.
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