12th Personnel Losses
Last Updated: 26 February 2020
Last Updated: 26 February 2020
This accounting is based on information obtained from many sources. It
may be incomplete and contain errors. We urge anyone with
related information to update us.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington DC honors the fallen of the Vietnam War. For additional information about the individuals below,
you may look up the individuals on "The Virtual Wall" and
also at "Faces of Freedom" and also at "Wall of Faces"
Additional information about those who are or had been classified as MIA may be available at:
The POW Network
Additional information about those buried at Arlington National Cemetery may be available at:
Arlington National Cemetery
Additional information provided by 12th member, Russ Goodenough:
Updated Information on 12th TFW Deaths
22 May 1963
Name / Grade / Squadron............Meath, Paul L./ Captain /559
TFS
Place.............................................Florida
Aircraft.........................................F-84F
Killed
in crash. Aircraft in trail formation - struck by drop tank lost by lead
aircraft
04 Jun 1963
Name / Grade / Squadron............Gibson, Richard / Major / 558 TFS
Place.............................................Tampa
Bay
Aircraft.........................................F-84F
Killed in
ejection - bailed out too low following engine failure on final
24 May 1965
Name / Grade / Squadron.............Morrow, Lawrence E. / Captain/ 558 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron..............Lusby, Quentin Jr / First Lieutenant / 558 TFS
Place ..............................................Off
Okinawa
Aircraft............................................F-4C 63-7466
Aircraft
disappeared over water during night training.
17 July 1965
Name / Grade / Squadron.............McClelland, Harold M. / Colonel/ 12 TFW
Place ..............................................MacDill AFB
Aircraft............................................N/A
Suffocation
04 Oct 1965
Name / Grade / Squadron...........Musgrove, John D. / Captain
/ 557 TFS
Place............................................5 miles from An
Khe
Aircraft........................................UH-1D
KIA - FAC on
loan to First Cavalry. Crash due to ground fire
25 Oct 1965
Name / Grade / Squadron...........Harlan, Robert H. II / First Lieutenant / 559 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron...........Dyer, Delmar R., Jr / Captain / 559 TFS
Place............................................Near Naha AB, Okinawa
Aircraft........................................F-4C 64-0709
While TDY to Naha AB, a night intercept mission was being conducted when at 1900 radar controllers lost contact with the aircraft 50 miles WSW of Naha.
Although a thorough search operation was conducted for many days, no traces of the aircraft or crew were ever located.
07 Dec 1965
Name / Grade / Squadron...........Sala, James D. / Captain / 557 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron...........Wranosky, Robert W. / Captain / 557 TFS
Place.............................................Pleiku Province
Aircraft.........................................F-4C 64-0723
KIA - CAS mission - rolled in to target and never pulled out. Suspected groundfire
17 Dec 1965
Name / Grade / Squadron..........Cestaric, Joseph A. / Master Sergeant / 12 CES
Name / Grade / Squadron..........Chappell, John M. / Technical Sergeant / 12 CES
Name / Grade / Squadron...........Sloan, Thomas N. / Technical Sergeant / 12 CES
Name / Grade / Squadron...........Hinson, Ralph L. / Staff Sergeant / 12 Supply
Name / Grade / Squadron...........Meade, Johnson A. / Airman First Class / 12 CES
Place............................................Ninh Thuan Province
Aircraft......................................... AC-47D Gunship crash
27 Jan 1966
Name / Grade / Squadron............Gay, Gary P. / Airman First Class / 12 APS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Fields, Robert III / Airman Second Class / 377 APS
Place.............................................Cam Ranh Bay
Aircraft.........................................N/A
Motor vehicle crash
4 March 1966
Name / Grade / Squadron...........Conlon, John Francis III / First Lieutenant / 557 TFS
Place............................................So. of Qui Nhon
Aircraft........................................O-1E
F-4 pilot was flying an orientation mission with a forward air controller. Cause of crash is unknown. For additional information, see: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jfconlon3.htm
26 May 1966
Name / Grade / Squadron...........Griffey, Terrance H. / First Lieutenant / 391 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron...........Glandon, Gary A. / First Lieutenant / 391 TFS
Place............................................So. of Qui Nhon
Aircraft........................................F-4C 64-0722
Armed recce hit by groundfire. Both ejected - died while MIA
02 June 1966
Name / Grade / Squadron...........Rosato, Joseph F. / Captain
/ 558 TFS
Place............................................Kontum Province
near Dak To Special Forces
camp
Aircraft........................................F-4C 64-0687
KIA -
Hit by groundfire on weapons delivery run; unable to eject due to front seat damage. Crewmember Lt. Chuck Ogle ejected and
rescued.
17 June 1966
Name / Grade / Squadron............Gravitte, Connie M. / Captain / 391 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron...........McCall, Claiborne P / First Lieutenant / 391 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Adams, Oley N. / Staff Sergeant / 12 AEMS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Cairns, Robert A. / Staff Sergeant / 51ST FLD MAINT SQDN
Name / Grade / Squadron............Hess, Gene C. / Staff Sergeant / 51ST FLD MAINT SQDN
Name / Grade / Squadron............Washburn, Larry E. / Airman First Class / 51ST FLD MAINT SQD
Place.............................................South China Sea off
Nha Trang
Aircraft.........................................C-130 (Navy)
Flying as passengers. Aircraft exploded - cause unknown. Died while MIA
08 Aug 1966
Name / Grade / Squadron............Walling, Charles M. / Captain / 557 TFS
Name / Grade Squadron..............Kommendant, Aado / First Lieutenant / 557 TFS
Place.............................................30 miles NE Saigon
Aircraft.........................................F-4C 64-0687
During CAS mission took groundfire. Both ejected.
03 Sep 1966
Name / Grade / Squadron............Heathcote, Clifford S. / Captain / 557 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Simmons, William P. / Captain / 557 TFS
Place.............................................So. of Cam Ranh Bay
Aircraft.........................................F-4C 64-0771
Formation broke for weather and 0771 never arrived at Cam Ranh Bay. Wreckage eventually found - cause of crash unknown
17 Sep 1966
Name / Grade / Squadron............Rocky, Robert E. / Captain
/ 558 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Surwald, Michael E. / First
Lieutenant / 558 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............McCann, Edward D. /
Captain / 558 TFS
Place.............................................2 miles
No. of Cam Ranh Bay
Aircraft.........................................F-4Cs
63-7509 & 64-0716
KIA - Mid-air collision at night. Hung ordinance
detonated. Capt Browning sole survivor
11 Nov 1966
Name / Grade / Squadron............Butt, Richard L. / First Lieutenant / 559 TFS
Place.............................................Route pack 1
Aircraft.........................................F-4C 63-7616 (Wild Weasel IV)
Died while POW
06 Dec 1966
Name / Grade / Squadron............Greco, Lee A. / Major / 559
TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Troyer, John M. / First Lieutenant /
559 TFS
Place.............................................Ninh Thuan
Province
Aircraft.........................................F-4C 63-7521
Hit mountain during CAS strike
26 Feb 1967
Name / Grade / Squadron............Sterling, Richard J. / Staff Sergeant / 12TH CBT SPT GROUP
Place.............................................Khanh Hoa Province, South Vietnam
Aircraft.........................................N/A
Non-hostile, died of illness or injury
01 Apr 1967
Name / Grade / Squadron............Jourdenais, George H. / Captain / 557 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Stanley, Robert W. / First Lieutenant / 557 TFS
Place............................................Quang Nam Province
Aircraft........................................F-4C 64-8746
Crashed on CAS mission.
12 Jun 1967
Name / Grade / Squadron............LaPierre, Edward A. / Captain / 558 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Silver, Lawrence J. / First Lieutenant / 558
TFS
Place.............................................Kien Hoa
Province
Aircraft.........................................F-4C 64-0662
CAS mission hit by groundfire
17 Jun 1967
Name / Grade / Squadron............Keicker, Paul F. / Lieutenant Colonel / 12th USAF Hospital
Name / Grade / Squadron.............Ebbinga, Herman G. / Captain / 559 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Jones, James R. / Captain / 12TH CBT SPT GROUP
Name / Grade / Squadron............Pazdan, Dennis S. / First Lieutenant / 559 TFS
Place.............................................An Khe
Aircraft..........................................C-130B 60-0293
Transport crashed and burned after over-running runway
12 Jul 1967
Name / Grade / Squadron------------Rainwater, James A. Jr /
Major / 391
TFS
Place...............................................1109N/10639E
Aircraft...........................................F-4C
64-0718
CAS mission hit by groundfire. Didn't survive ejection. Lt.
Plank was rescued.
30 Jul 1967
Name / Grade / Squadron............Allen, Thomas R. / Captain
/ 559 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Packard, Ronald L. / First
Lieutenant / 559
TFS
Place.............................................1708N/10652E - Route
Pack 1
Aircraft.........................................F-4C 64-0693
Died while MIA
03 Aug 1967
Name / Grade / Squadron...........De Bock, John A. / Major /
558 TFS
Place.............................................Cam Ranh
Bay
Aircraft.........................................F-4C 64-0719
Takeoff aborted-crashed onto approach lighting array
26 Aug 1967
Name / Grade / Squadron............Kilcullen, Thomas M. /
First Lieutenant / 559 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Fuller, William
O. / Captain / 559
TFS
Place.............................................1711N/10651E - Route
Pack 1
Aircraft.........................................F-4C 64-0692
Armed recce hit by AAA. Both ejected - died while MIA
05 Sep 1967
Name / Grade / Squadron............Raymond, Paul D. / First Lieutenant / 557 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Downing, Donald W. / Captain / 557 TFS
Place.............................................1715N/10648E - Route Pack 1
Aircraft.........................................F-4C 63-7547
Armed recce hit by groundfire.
08 Oct 1967
Name / Grade / Squadron............Wieland, David E. / First Lieutenant / 557 TFS
Place.............................................Binh Dinh Province
Aircraft.........................................F-4C 63-7499
Killed in ejection following flame-out
12 Oct 1967
Name / Grade / Squadron............Hardy, John K. Jr / First Lieutenant / 557 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Derrickson, Thomas G. / Captain / 557 TFS
Place.............................................1716N/10641E - Route Pack 1
Aircraft.........................................F-4C 64-0710
Armed recce hit by groundfire - ejected.
27 Oct 1967
Name / Grade / Squadron............Anderson, Henry Jr / Technical Sergeant / 12TH USAF HOSPITAL
Place.............................................Cam Ranh Bay
Aircraft.........................................N/A
Medical
08 Nov 1967
Name / Grade / Squadron............Brooks, John W. / Sergeant / 12TH CBT SPT GROUP
Place.............................................Cam Ranh Bay
Aircraft.........................................N/A
Medical
19 Nov 1967
Name / Grade / Squadron............Nelson, Charles C. / First
Lieutenant / 559
TFS
Place.............................................1509N/10753E - East of
Dak To
Aircraft.........................................F-4C 64-0696
CAS night mission hit by ground fire - no eject.
Crewmember Marenka, rescued
29 Nov 1967
Name / Grade / Squadron............Jones, Louis F. / Major / 558TFS
Place.............................................1640N/10608E - Laos
Aircraft.........................................F-4C 64-0701
Hit by groundfire - ejected. Crewmember Lemoine survived.
13 Dec 1967
Name / Grade / Squadron............Bennett, Robert E. III/First
Lieutenant / 558
TFS
Place.............................................1001N/10617E - Vinh
Binh Province
Aircraft.........................................F-4C
64-0774
Died while MIA - CAS mission hit by groundfire - parachuted into river.
Pilot Sakahara rescued.
16 Dec 1967
Name / Grade / Squadron............Wilkinson, William G. / Chief Warrant Officer / 12 TFW
Place.............................................Cam Ranh Bay
Aircraft.........................................N/A
Medical
17 Dec 1967
Name / Grade / Squadron............Smith, Myron F. / First
Lieutenant / 559
TFS
Place.............................................DMZ
Aircraft.........................................F-4C
64-0782
KIA - Armed recce hit by groundfire. Did not survive ejection.
22 Mar 1968
Name / Grade / Squadron............Lyon, Donovan L. / Major / 559 TFS
Place.............................................Laos
Aircraft.........................................F-4C 64-0830
Died while MIA - Hit by groundfire. Ejection doubted. Pilot Ted Guy captured by
North Vietnamese troops
15 May 1968
Name / Grade / Squadron.............Milligan, Randall G. /
Airman First Class / 12
SP
Place..............................................Cam Ranh
Bay
Aircraft.............................................N/A
Medical
01 Jun 1968
Name / Grade / Squadron............Ciarfeo, Glenn T. / Major /
391 TFS
Place.............................................1250N/10842E -
Khanh Hoa Province
Aircraft..........................................F-4C
64-0779
KIA - Crewmember Rhodes rescued
05 Jul 1968
Name / Grade / Squadron............Silver, Edward D. / Major / 391 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Lawrence, Bruce E. / First Lieutenant / 557 TFS
Place.............................................1713N/10628E - Hi Le Ferry
Aircraft.........................................F-4C 63-7713
Armed recce - ejected
18 Aug 1968
Name / Grade / Squadron............Schwagel, Kenneth F. / Airman First Class / 12th Field Maintenance Squadron
Place..............................................Cam Ranh Bay
Aircraft..........................................N/A
Medical
01 Sep 1968
Name / Grade / Squadron............Riggle, Robert F. / Staff Sergeant / 12TH SERVICE SQDN
Place.............................................Cam Ranh Bay
Aircraft.........................................N/A
Medical
25 Oct 1968
Name / Grade / Squadron............Witkop, Michael E. / First Lieutenant / 558 TFS
Place.............................................1159N/10914E
Aircraft.........................................F-4C 63-7444
Killed in accidental ejection on the ground. Scrambled off the alert pad - took runway and closed canopies. Apparently sand got caught in the cockpit pressure relief valve and the cockpit over pressurized. Before L/C Gene Levy, front seater could pull the pressure dump valve, Mike tried to open the canopy normally. The pressure was so great that the canopy popped off the aircraft and came down on the banana links and fired his ejection seat through the canopy.
13 Nov 1968
Name / Grade / Squadron............Santos, Jose C. / First
Lieutenant / 559 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Buchanan, Joseph W. /
Major / 559
TFS
Place.............................................1143N/10682E - Tay Ninh
Province ?
Aircraft.........................................F-4C
64-0800
KIA - CAS mission hit by groundfire
7 Dec 1968
Name / Grade / Squadron............HARRISON, HERMAN C. Jr. / Sergeant / 12TH USAF HOSPITAL
Place.............................................Khanh Hoa Province, South Vietnam
Aircraft.........................................N/A
Non-hostile, Drowned or suffocated
14 Jan 1969
Name. / Grade / Squadron...........Moran, Michael T. / Airman First Class / 12 CES
Place.............................................Cam Ranh Bay
Aircraft.........................................N/A
Killed in electrical transmission line accident
27 Jan 1969
Name / Grade / Squadron............Cameron, Robert J. / Major
/ 559 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Burge, Thomas G. / Captain / 559
TFS
Place.............................................Cam Ranh
Bay
Aircraft.........................................F-4C 63-7441
KIA -
hit barrier housing on take-off
28 Feb 1969
Name. / Grade / Squadron...........BLANKENSHIP, DONALD L. / Sergeant / 12TH USAF HOSPITAL
Place.............................................Khanh Hoa Province, South Vietnam
Aircraft.........................................N/A
Non-hostile, Ground casualty
08 May 1969
Name / Grade / Squadron............Brashear, William J. /
Major / 559 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Mundt, Henry G. / First
Lieutenant / 559
TFS
Place.............................................Laos
Aircraft.........................................F-4C
64-0805
Died while MIA - Armed recce hit by groundfire
5 Aug 1969
Name / Grade / Squadron.............Sweet, John H. / First
Lieutenant / 558 TFS
Place..............................................At or
near Cam Ranh
Bay
Aircraft.............................................Unknown
Died
aboard helicopter - while flying with 21 TASS FAC
02 Oct 1969
Name / Grade / Squadron............Quinn, John A. / Captain /
559
TFS
Place.............................................1110N/10805E
Aircraft.........................................F-4C
63-7708
KIA - Acft exploded on pull-off. Crewmember Rider ejected and was
rescued.
21 Oct 1969
Name / Grade / Squadron.............Espenshied, John L. / Major /
HQ
Place...............................................Unknown
Aircraft...........................................O-2
Disappeared
while flying with 21 TASS FAC. Listed as MIA until remains repatriated in
1989
04 Nov 1969
Name / Grade / Squadron............Adams, Stanley L. / Captain / 557 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Smith, William D. / Captain / 557 TFS
Place.............................................1011N/10605E - Phong Dinh Province
Aircraft..........................................F-4C 63-7528
KIA - Aircraft impacted ground on first pass immediatly after release - groundfire suspected. No ejection
05 Nov 1969
Name / Grade / Squadron............Carter, Fred J. / First Lieutenant / 559 TFS
Name Grade / Squadron..............Greer, Wade A. / Captain / 559 TFS
Place.............................................Cam Ranh
Bay
Aircraft.........................................F-4C 63-7604
During the landing approach to Cam Ranh, the F-4 disappeared. The wreckage eventually was located and the remains recovered.
20 Nov 1969
Name / Grade / Squadron............Dickey, Alan E. / Sergeant
/ 412MMS
Place.............................................Cam Ranh
Bay
Aircraft..........................................N/A
Killed in
accidental ordinance detonation
01 Dec 1969
Name / Grade / Squadron............Siebert, Frederick W. / Captain / 559 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Hayes, Patrick J. /
Captain / 559
TFS
Place.............................................1217N/10719E - Quang
Duc Province
Aircraft.........................................F-4C
63-7438
KIA - Aircraft seen turning final about 2000 meters short of target
between 1000 and 2000 AGL. Aircraft exploded - groundfire suspected
05 Dec 1969
Name / Grade / Squadron............Danielson, Benjamin F. /
Captain / 558 TFS
Place.............................................Near Ban
Phannop, Laos
Aircraft.........................................F-4C
63-7444
Died while MIA - Aircraft hit on pull off. Pitched up after double flameout.
Both crewmembers ejected successfully. Crewmember Lt. Bergeron rescued
22 Dec 1969
Name / Grade / Squadron............Moore, James C ./ Senior Master Sergeant / HQ SQDN
Place.............................................Cam Ranh Bay
Aircraft..........................................N/A
Killed in motor vehicle accident
26 Dec 1969
Name / Grade / Squadron............Holley, Glynn B. / Airman
First Class / 12 AP K9
Place.............................................Cam
Ranh
Bay
Aircraft.........................................N/A
Non-Hostile
18 Feb 1970
Name / Grade / Squadron............Daffron, Thomas C. / Captain / 557 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Morley, Charles F. / First Lieutenant / 557 TFS
Place.............................................1706N/10557E - Laos
Aircraft.........................................F-4C 63-7671
Aircraft observed rolling in on target at night. FAC observed crash east of
target after release. Suspected 37mm groundfire
17 April 1970
Name / Grade / Squadron............Rexroad, Loel F. / Major
/ 480 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Smith, Robert W. / First
Lieutenant / 480 TFS
Place.............................................Binh
Dinh Province
Aircraft.........................................F-4D
66-7598
KIA - Scrambled CAS mission hit by ground fire
13 May 1970
Name / Grade / Squadron............Trent, Alan R. / Captain /
480 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Huberth, Eric J./ First Lieutenant
/ 480
TFS
Place.............................................Cambodia
Aircraft.........................................F-4D
65-0607
Died while MIA - Hit by groundfire - ejected.
27 May 1970
Name / Grade / Squadron............Keller, George R. / Captain / 480 TFS
Name / Grade / Squadron............Lee, Glenn H. / First Lieutenant / 480 TFS
Place.............................................Cambodia
Aircraft.........................................F-4D 66-0275
Hit by ground fire, died while MIA
3 July 1970
Name. / Grade / Squadron...........ANDERSON, DOUGLAS R. / Technical Sergeant / 12TH USAF HOSPITAL
Place.............................................Khanh Hoa Province, South Vietnam
Aircraft.........................................N/A
Non-hostile, Ground casualty, Heart attack
2 Nov 1970
Name. / Grade / Squadron...........ADAMS, ERHARD J. / Sergeant / 12TH SEC POLICE SQDN
Place.............................................Khanh Hoa Province, South Vietnam
Aircraft.........................................N/A
Non-hostile, Ground casualty, Heart attack
2 Feb 1971
Name. / Grade / Squadron...........TAYLOR, ROBERT E. / Staff Sergeant / 12TH SEC POLICE SQDN
Place.............................................Binh Dinh Province, South Vietnam
Aircraft.........................................N/A
Non-hostile, Ground casualty, Heart attack
11 Feb 1971
Name / Grade / Squadron.............Eisenbeisz, Robert A. / First
Lieutenant / 389TFS
Place..............................................Quang
Tri
Province
Aircraft..........................................F-4D 66-7473
KIA - CAS mission hit by ground fire. Pilot, Capt M.W. Ford ejected and rescued.
12 Feb 1971
Name / Grade / Squadron............Davis, Aaron Jr. / Airman
First Class / 12 SP
Name / Grade / Squadron............Wissig, Edward S. Jr.
/ Staff Sergeant / 12
SP
Place.............................................Phu
Cat
Aircraft.........................................N/A
KIA - ground
combat
1 Mar 1971
Name / Grade / Squadron............Gantz, Karl R. / Airman First Class / 412TH MM SQDN
Place.............................................Phu Cat
Aircraft.........................................N/A
Killed in SUU-23 ground firing
