Salute!
Somehow I get the impression that most of the posters here did not fly a whole lotta combat missions when the other side was really upset and were shooting back. My bio is referenced on the link at my login name.
I gotta tellya that training and practicing really reduces the lump in the throat, but it is still there the first few times you make a pass and the other folks want to kill you! After that it becomes a combination of "do your job" and don't do something stupid.
My ilk had the opportunity to fly hundreds of missions while getting shot at back in the late 60's and early 70's. Down south it was mainly small arms and a 12.7 mm or 23mm now and then. Further north and along the trail it was everything the PACT provided the Vee.
Bottom line was not worrying about it, and for chrissakes do not have a picture of your girlfriend taped the instrument panel!!!!!
Like my CO told us going Downtown during the Christmas Blitz of 72..."Don't worry about dying. Get to the target and for a few seconds going down the chute your ass belongs to Uncle Sam, the Air Force and apple pie. Hit the damned target! If you die then you don't have to worry about anything. If you don't, then you don't have anything to worry about. So don't worry!"
I was only scared the first one or two times I got shot at. After that it was a "contest".
Gums sends...