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Date: 21 March 1968
Aircraft type: F-4D Phantom
Serial Number: 66-8767
Military Unit: 390 TFS, 366 TFW
Service: USAF
Home Base: Da Nang
Name(s):
1Lt Peter Dean Hesford (KIA)
1Lt Aubrey Eugene Stowers (KIA)

A flight of two Phantoms on a night strike mission over southern Laos spotted three trucks making their way along Route 918 near Ban Kapay. The Phantoms rolled in to the attack but the second aircraft (call sign Gunfighter) of the flight was hit by 37mm AAA and crashed into the side of a mountain. No ejections were seen and nothing was heard by the FAC who stayed in the area for over two hours, so it was presumed that the crew died in the aircraft. Peter Hesford’s brother spent some time in Laos trying to find out more about the incident and at one stage was told by a high-ranking Pathet Lao that Peter was alive. However, neither of the crew has yet been recovered.

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