| Date: 15 February 1968 |
| Aircraft type: AC-47D Gunship I |
| Serial Number: 43-49859 |
| Military Unit: 14 ACS, 14 ACW |
| Service: USAF |
| Home Base: Nha Trang detached to Phan Rang |
| Name(s): |
| Lt Col Karl Merritt Waldron, Jr. (KIA) |
| Capt Edward Beeding Quill, Jr. (KIA) |
| Capt Thomas Joseph Margle (KIA) |
| SSgt Warren Mitchell Dixon (KIA) |
| SSgt Robert Kiyoshi Kawamura (KIA) |
| SSgt Roger Gail Lee (KIA) |
| Sgt James Harvey Bennett (KIA) |
| Sgt Brent John Tosh (KIA) |
| On the night of the 14th a Spooky gunship (call sign Spooky 6) from Phan Rang was shot down just five miles south of the air base during a close air support mission. All eight crewmembers were killed when the aircraft crashed in flames. This was the only confirmed loss suffered by the short-lived 14th ACS. The Squadron was activated on 25 October 1967 but did not become operational until 15 January 1968 and was redesignated as the 3rd ACS on 1 May 1968. During World War Two Lt Col Waldron had flown the P-51 Mustang with the 487th Fighter Squadron of the 352nd Fighter Group and was credited with shooting down a Me262 jet and two FW190s.
Our thanks to The Coffelt Group for their research that discovered that in addition to the 8 USAF aircrew killed, Corporal Russell Jay FAUSER, Jr., USMC, died of wounds he sustained in the incident. "Cpl FAUSER was assigned to the 1st ANGLICO Spot Team at Phan Rang and was aboard as an observer. We have a note indicating he survived the crash and died at the 377th USAF Dispensary at Phan Rang. That info comes from his death certificate which we were allowed to review (but not photograph or duplicate) in the Naval Hospital Great Lakes archives." In addition, see the article at this link. |
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