1967-08-13 First loss

August 1967

Back on the line after some R&R in Cubi Point, Philipines. 

While we were off the line in Cubi, we heard the unfortunate news about the Forrestal fire.  Liberty was immediately cancelled and we were quickly headed back to Yankee station.  During the trip we rendezvoused with Forrestal.  It was not a pretty site which we looked on somberly.

Once back on station, Operations recommenced with a vengeance.  We were conducting alpha strikes into heavily defended Route Packages 6A (Hanoi) and 6B(Haiphong) on a routine basis.  As usual, the Vigilantes were tasked with providing instant bomb damage assessment.   Depending on how effective the flak suppression and bombing accuracy had been, the difficulty of this task could range from worrisome to terrifying.  It tended to be the latter during this line period.  One flight we counted 17 individual SAM missiles launched against us.

On days we weren't flying, we junior officers rotated through the post of Squadron Duty Officer or SDO.  SDO desk was in the Ready Room, and consisted mainly of answering the phone and 19MC (Intercom among ready rooms and other aviation spaces), updating status board as flights took off or returned, and the like.  Not too stressing an occupation.   A contemporaneous position was Operational Duty Officer, or ODO, held by an aviation qualified officer.  Duties here included briefing flight crews on upcoming flights and, more importantly, man Primary Flight Control (or Pri-Fli) during recovery to assist the Air Boss with aircraft specific information in the  event of an emergency.

In any case, I was the SDO/ODO on this day, which had been unexceptional so far, though the Air Wing was mounting an Alpha Strike into Route Package 6, near the Hai Duong area, between Hanoi and Haiphong. As usual , the Speartips were responsible for conducting  instant bomb damage assessment following the strike itself.  The wait for their return was on.  

Phone rang, and I answered, "Heavy Twelve, Ens Anderson speaking sir."  The caller replied, "This is CDR --;  I hate to be the one to tell you, but Speartip 124 is down."  I thanked him for the information and hung up.  My initial reaction was bewilderment,  thinking the message was that the aircraft was "down" for maintenance, in common parlance.  I recovered and told the Assistant SDO the news.  A nearby officer overhead and ran to the wardroom to get the CO.  Then the full implications of the event became apparent.

Link to description of event:   670813- RA-5C to AAA; crew captured

The navigator on this flight was my roommate, Wayne Goodermote.  We didn't have time to get well acquainted because of my late arrival on board, but he was a good roommate.  One of the most difficult tasks I had to carry out was on inventory of his personal effects, performed with the assistance of another officer. The idea is to preclude any private or insensitive materials leading to unnecessary heartbreak on the relations back home.  We didn't find any, but it's still a good practice.

Wayne did return after roughly 5-1/2 years in the Hanoi Hilton, and I was able to meet him at a Vigilante reunion in Sanford.  He and pilot Leo Hyatt are memorialized in a plaque at the RA-5C display at Sanford airport.

Next: Summer of 1967