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1989-12-01
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63 lines
BROWN, THOMAS EDWARD
Name: Thomas Edward Brown
Rank/Branch: O2/US Navy
Unit: Fighter Squadron 211, USS HANCOCK (CVA-19)
Date of Birth: 21 September 1941
Home City of Record: Danville IL
Date of Loss: 29 April 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 204458N 1070757E (YH220957)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 3
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F8E
Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: The Vought F-8 "Crusader" represented half or more of the carrier
fighters in the Tonkin Gulf in the first four years of the Vietnam war. The
Crusader sometimes played the role of decoy in battles against SAMs (surface
to air missiles), tricking the radar controlled SAM battery to follow the F8
and allow following fighter/bombers to reach their targets. On these type
missions the F8 carried no external armament, to attain better maneuverability
and airspeed.
The F8 also did much work in Vietnam in the ground attack role, and were used
in the myriad attacks against strategic targets in North Vietnam (Rolling
Thunder).
The Crusader was also a MiG fighter, either escorting strike and reconnaissance
aircraft or patrolling sectors in hope of engaging MiGs enroute to intercepting
U.S. formations. The Crusader was credited with nearly 53% of all MiG kills
during the war. From 1964 to 1973, 83 Crusaders were either lost or destroyed
by enemy fire. Another 109 aircraft needed major rebuilding.
On April 29, 1966 LtJG Thomas E. Brown launched from the aircraft carrier USS
Hancock in his F8E Crusader fighter aircraft with others from his squadron on a
strike mission against targets in North Vietnam. Lt. Brown's aircraft was
engaged in a strafing run on a surface vessel when his aircraft was seen to
collide with a karst rock jutting out of the water 300 yards past the target.
No ejection was seen by the wingman. Brown and the rest of the flight were
striking in the vicinity of Haiphong Harbor, near the coastal city of Pho Cat
Ba in North Vietnam.
LtJG Brown was classified Killed/Body Not Recovered. The Defense Intelligence
Agency further expanded the KIA/BNR classification to include an enemy
knowledge ranking of 3. Category 3 indicates "doubtful knowledge" and includes
personnel whose loss incident is such that it is doubtful that the enemy wound
have knowledge of the specific individuals (e.g. aircrews lost over water or
remote areas).
Brown's name is carried on the rolls of the missing because his body was not
found to be returned home. His family can be as certain as it is possible to be
that he died a swift death on April 29, 1966. Other families of the missing,
however cannot be so consoled. They are taunted by nearly 10,000 reports
received which have convinced many authorities that hundreds of Americans
remain alive in enemy hands in Southeast Asia. Brown may not be among those
said to be alive, but what would he think of our efforts to bring these
American fighting men home?
Prepared by Homecoming II Project 01 December 1989