NASMYTH, JOHN HEBER JR.

Name: John Heber Nasmyth, Jr.
Rank/Branch: O2/US Air Force
Unit:
Date of Birth:
Home City of Record: San Gabriel CA
Date of Loss: 04 September 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 213516N 1054229E (WJ733872)
Status (in 1973): Released POW
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4C

Other Personnel in Incident: Raymond P. Salzarulo, Jr. (missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 July 1990 from one or more of the
following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with
POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews.

REMARKS: 730218 RELSD BY DRV

SYNOPSIS: The Phantom, used by Air Force, Marine and Navy air wings, served a
multitude of functions including fighter-bomber and interceptor, photo and
electronic surveillance. The two man aircraft was extremely fast (Mach 2), and
had a long range (900 - 2300 miles, depending on stores and mission type). The
F4 was also extremely maneuverable and handled well at low and high altitudes.
The F4 was selected for a number of state-of-the-art electronics conversions,
which improved radar intercept and computer bombing capabilities enormously.
Most pilots considered it one of the "hottest" planes around.

A Phantom flight crew comprised of 1LT John H. Nasmyth, Jr., pilot, and 1LT
Raymond P. Salzarulo, Jr., Bombardier/Navigator, was dispatched on a mission
over North Vietnam on September 4, 1966. As the aircraft was over Bac Thai
Province, about 10 miles southwest of the city of Thai Nguyen, it was shot down.

1LT Nasmyth was captured by the Vietnamese and spent the next six and a half
years as a "guest" in prison systems in and around Hanoi. He was released in
February 1973 in Operation Homecoming.

The Vietnamese told Nasmyth that his backseater was dead, and his body had been
in the crashed aircraft. Yet, since September 1966, the Vietnamese have denied
any knowledge of the fate of Ray Salzarulo.

Since the war ended, nearly 10,000 reports relating to Americans missing,
prisoner or unaccounted for in Southeast Asia have been received by the U.S.
Government. Many authorities who have examined this largely classified
information are convinced that hundreds of Americans are still held captive
today. These reports are the source of serious distress to many returned
American prisoners. They had a code that no one could honorably return unless
all of the prisoners returned. Not only that code of honor, but the honor of our
country is at stake as long as even one man remains unjustly held. It's time we
brought our men home.

Raymond Paul Salzarulo, Jr. graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1964.
He was promoted to the rank of Captain during the period he was listed Missing
in Action.

John H. Nasmyth, Jr. was promoted to the rank of Captain during the period he
was a Prisoner of War.