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Shareware Supreme Volume 6 #1
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009
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1990-04-14
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53 lines
GRAVES, RICHARD CAMPBELL
Name: Richard Campbell Graves
Rank/Branch: O1/US Navy Reserves
Unit: Attack Squadron 215, USS BON HOMME RICHARD (CVA-31)
Date of Birth: 05 August 1944 (Richmond VA)
Home City of Record: Sunderland MA
Date of Loss: 25 May 1967
Country of Loss: North Vietnam/Over Water
Loss Coordinates: 185359N 1054200E
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 5
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: A1H
Other Personnel In Incident: (None missing)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 April 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:
SYNOPSIS: Ensign Richard C. Graves was a pilot assigned to Attack Squadron 215
onboard the aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31). On May 25, 1967, he
launched in his A1H Skyraider on an armed coastal reconnaissance mission over
North Vietnam. Ensign Graves was the wingman for Lt. O'Rourke on this mission.
The flight was to seek out and destroy enemy water-borne logistics traffic.
The lead aircraft started an attack run on a small cargo boat with Ensign Graves
immediately behind him. Graves fired rockets on and around the craft, then
pulled out of the run in a normal manner. As the aircraft approached a wings
level, climging position, the left wing started to drop and continued to lose
altitude until it made contact with the water. The aircraft exploded on impact
and burst into flames.
Under the circumstances, Ensign Graves was unable to exit the plane. An
immediate search and rescue effort was started with the assistance of other A1
aircraft and a rescue helicopter in the area. During the search, they were taken
under fire from three anti-aircraft batteries located on the coast about a mile
from the crash scene. It is probable that Graves' aircraft was hit by these
batteries during the pull-out from his rocket attack.
Ensign Richard Graves is listed with honor among the missing because no remains
were found. His case seems quite clear. For others who are listed missing,
resolution is not as simple. Many were known to have survived their loss
incident. Quite a few were in radio contact with search teams and describing an
advancing enemy. Some were photographed or recorded in captivity. Others simply
vanished without a trace.
Reports continue to mount that we abandoned hundreds of Americans to the enemy
when we left Southeast Asia. While Graves may not be among them, one can imagine
his proud willingness to fly one more mission to help bring them home.