| Date: 5 July 1967 |
| Aircraft type: F-105D Thunderchief |
| Serial Number: 61-0127 |
| Military Unit: 354 TFS, 355 TFW |
| Service: USAF |
| Home Base: Takhli |
| Name(s): |
| Maj Dewey Wayne Waddell (POW) |
| Aircraft type: F-105D Thunderchief |
| Serial Number: 60-0454 |
| Military Unit: 357 TFS, 355 TFW |
| Service: USAF |
| Home Base: Takhli |
| Name(s): |
| Capt William Vandervos Frederick (KIA) |
| The 5th of July was another bad day for the Takhli Wing with the loss of three pilots. Simultaneous raids on the Cao Nung railway bridge and the nearby Vu Chua railway yard northeast of Kep may have been intended to split the attention of the defences. Wolf flight from the 354th TFS lost the first aircraft. Maj Waddell’s aircraft (call sign Wolf) was hit twice by AAA as it was diving on the target at Cao Nung and crashed a few miles to the east. A few minutes later Bear flight from the 357th TFS rolled in to the attack but Capt Frederick’s aircraft (call sign Bear) was hit by anti-aircraft fire as it was pulling out of its dive. He also flew a few miles to the east to eject over high ground where he stood a better chance of being rescued. Although Maj Waddell was captured almost immediately after landing and was eventually released on 4 March 1973, there is no direct evidence that Capt Frederick survived to become a POW, although he was seen on the ground following ejection. His remains were among those handed over by the Vietnamese in the late 1980s and positively identified on 3 January 1990. Wayne Waddell was shot down on his 48th mission. He became active in the NAM-POW organisation, having retired from the Air Force in 1987. |
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