| Date: 11 March 1967 |
| Aircraft type: A-4E Skyhawk |
| Serial Number: 151108 |
| Military Unit: VA-192 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Ticonderoga |
| Name(s): |
| Cdr Ernest Melvin Moore (POW) |
| The Iron Hand flight of VA-192 was tasked to look for a SAM site near Hanoi. The site was eventually discovered to be a SAM support site, probably where missiles were stored and assembled before distribution to various batteries, and was located at Lang Cam near Hai Duong, 25 miles east of Hanoi. Cdr Moore had flown over 90 missions over Vietnam and had led many Iron Hand missions during his time as executive officer with VA-192. As the flight approached the target at 14,000 feet Cdr Moore was just a few seconds late in starting his evasive manoeuvres and an SA-2 detonated close to his aircraft (call sign Jury 209), peppering it with shrapnel. The aircraft’s fuel tanks were holed and the fuel caught fire forcing Cdr Moore to eject near the target. Cdr Moore was captured immediately and joined many of his colleagues as a POW until he was released on 4 March 1973. |
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