| Date: 16 December 1967 |
| Aircraft type: F-4B Phantom |
| Serial Number: 151492 |
| Military Unit: VF-21 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Ranger |
| Name(s): |
| Lt Cdr Diego Edyl "Duke" Hernandez (Survived) |
| Lt(jg) Steven Leroy Vanhorn (Survived) |
| The USS Ranger returned to TF 77 for its third war cruise on 3 December. The ship’s first combat loss occurred during a raid on a road ferry at Kien An, just south of Haiphong. Lt Cdr Hernandez and Lt Vanhorn were flying as part of the flak suppression flight. As the flight was leaving the target area, Lt Hernandez’s aircraft (call sign Sundown 101) was hit by AAA causing the flight control system to fail. Controlling the aircraft by rudder alone, Lt Cdr Hernandez steered the aircraft out over the sea and he and his NFO ejected. They were both picked up by a Navy SAR helicopter. Lt Cdr Hernandez ejected from another Phantom over the Gulf of Tonkin on 28 April 1968.
HC-7 Rescue Helicopter Combat Support Squadron SEVEN (HC-7) was established September 1, 1967. While simultaneously providing several fleet support activities in the Gulf of Tonkin, HC-7 assumed the responsibility for North Vietnam naval combat search and rescue. HC-7 prepared for action using UH-2B Kaman Sea Sprite helos inherited from HC-1 and were stationed in detachments aboard small boys, destroyers (DDs) and Guided Missile Frigates (DLGs), patrolling off the coast of North Vietnam primarily for the purpose of Search and Rescue (SAR) duty. The information at the following link was compiled by Ron Milam, the historian for HC-7, from ship's deck logs, official HC-7 Rescue Reports, other official and unofficial documents, interviews with crew members and survivors, and other sources, including the Chris Hobson book upon which this site is based. The details for the rescue associated with this fixed wing loss can be accessed by clicking on this link. |
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