Phantom & Tomcat

The recent thread about the F-14 got me wondering something. I’ve noticed a huge amount of magazines covering the retirement of the Tomcat with long articles and tons of great photos and interviews and stuff. I’ve enjoyed reading a lot of it because I think the Tomcat is an awesome plane, but amongst it all I got to wondering……was there a lot of fanfare when the F-4 Phantom was retired from U.S. service in the 1996? I don’t seem to remember as many magazine articles and whatnot going on, but then again that was 10 years ago and I didn’t read as many aviation magazines as I do now.

For those that read as much then as now do you remember the same hoopla? Was the F-4 given a proper send off in the way that the Tomcat has been?

If not, is there a specific reason? I may be biased, but I’d say the F-4 had a larger impact on American military aviation than the F-14. Before the Tomcat fans jump all over me, I don’t mean to belittle what the F-14 and the men who flew and maintained her accomplished at all, so please just hear me out….

Just think about it though….the F-4 was the backbone of the three U.S. military services that fly fighter airplanes from the 1960’s until the early 1980’s, and served in other important roles with the USAF and USMC into the early (USMC) and mid-90’s (USAF). F-4’s with the star and bars painted on them fought in Vietnam, Gulf War, and saw combat in Bosnia just about until the retirement date in mid-1996.

The F-4 made the term multi-role fighter a household name and I dare say was a big influence in the design of the various teen fighters, with those jets correcting the Phantom’s deficiencies and reusing its strengths.

Any thoughts on the matter? Did I just not read enough back then or is the F-14 a more beloved airplane than the F-4?

Thanks to any and all who provide their insight…..