| Date: 2 June 1965 |
| Aircraft type: A-4E Skyhawk |
| Serial Number: 151144 |
| Military Unit: VA-23 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Midway |
| Name(s): |
| Lt(jg) David Marion Christian (KIA) |
| Aircraft type: EA-1F Skyraider |
| Serial Number: 132540 |
| Military Unit: Detachment A, VAW-13 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Midway |
| Name(s): |
| Lt(jg) M D McMican (KIA) |
| Lt(jg) Gerald Michael Romano (KIA) |
| PO3 William Harry Amspacher (KIA) |
| ATN3 Thomas Lee Plants (KIA) |
| During a raid on a radar site a few miles south of Thanh Hoa, an A-4E flown by Lt Christian was hit by AAA when pulling up from its second attack with Zuni rockets. The aircraft (call sign Law Case) caught fire immediately and Lt Christian radioed that his engine had flamed out. It could not be confirmed if Christian ejected from the stricken Skyhawk before it hit the ground. Thirty minutes after the aircraft was lost an EA-1F arrived from the Midway to coordinate a SAR effort for Lt Christian. As the Skyraider (call sign Robinson) was about to cross the coast at low level near Sam Son, east of Thanh Hoa, it was hit by ground fire and crashed. One crewmember is reported as having bailed out while the aircraft was still over the sea but his parachute did not open. An intelligence report suggested that his body was washed ashore a week later. It is possible that this was Thomas Plant, as the remains of the other three occupants were returned to US control in July 1988 and that of Lt Christian was returned in 1986. ATN3 Plant’s remains are also listed by the Department of Defense as having been returned at some date prior to December 1996.
Additional updated information about Lt Christian—and dedicated to those that were lost while attempting his rescue—is available through a website maintained by his cousin, Larry Christian, at this link: http://www.davidchristian.org/. |
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