SYNOPSIS:On November 10,1967,Lt.Col.Kelly F.Cook,pilot,and 1Lt.
James A.Crew,bombadier/navigator were the crew of one F4C in a flight of two
which departed Da Nang Airbase,South Vietnam on an operational mission.The
crew of the second aircraft was the pilot,Maj.James S.Morgan,and the
rear-seater,1Lt.Charles J.Huneycutt.
Both F4's were tracked to their target area of Dong Hoa in North
Vietnam,but because of incliment weather,were directed to an alternate target
nearby.Positive radar and radio contact was maintained with the aircrafts until
the point when their bombing dives were to begin.All contact was then lost.
Electronic searches were negative.Ground search was not conducted since
the incident occurred over heavily defended territory about 14 miles
southeast of Dong Hoi on the coast of North Vietnam.All four men aboard were
classified Missing in Action.
A North Vietnamese general was quoted in an article saying a women's
militia shot down two F4C recon planes that same day and captured "both bandits"
alive.As four,not two,individuals are concerned in this incident,it is
unclear which of the four the article could relate to.However,according to a
1974 publication from a POW organization named FACK,the Defense Department
acknowledged at one time that James A.Crew was,indeed,a prisoner of war.
His status was hot,however,changed from Missing in Action.According to a
1974 list published by the National League of Families,Charles J.Huneycutt
survived his loss incident.
In the Peace agreements signed in Paris in 1973,the Vietnamese pledged
to release all American prisoners of war and account for the missing.They
have done neither.The U.S.Government has named the return and full
accounting of Americans "highest national priority",yet has dealt with the issue with
less than high priority.
In 1988,the Vietnamese "discovered" and returned to U.S. control the
remains of 1Lt. Charles J. Huneycutt,Jr.The other three pilots lost on November
10,1967 remain missing,and the Vietnamese deny knowledge of their fates.For 21
years,Huneycutt was a Prisoner of War - whether he was alive or dead.
Since the war ended,nearly 10,000 reports relating to Americans missing
in Southeast Asia have been received by the U.S.Many authorities are
convinced that there are still hundreds of Americans alive,held captive.
Cook,Crew,and Morgan could be among them.They and the others who remain missing
deserve the full effort of their country to bring them home.
Kelly F. Cook was an instructor at the U.S. Air Force Academy prior to
volunteering for Vietnam service.
James A.Crew graduated from the U.S.Air Force Academy in 1965.
James S.Morgan's wife,Eleanor died of cancer in 1985,not knowing the
fate of her husband.
