| Date: 11 June 1968 |
| Aircraft type: A-7A Corsair |
| Serial Number: 153265 |
| Military Unit: VA-86 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS America |
| Name(s): |
| Lt Cdr Randolph Wright Ford (POW (died)) |
| The Corsair had more advanced avionics than the Skyhawk and was better suited to night operations, although it was not in the same class as the Intruder. On the night of the 10th a section of Corsairs flew a road reconnaissance mission along the main coastal road, 30 miles southeast of Vinh. Lt Cdr Ford (call sign Sidewinder 404) dropped a flare for his wingman to see if there was any traffic on the road. Moments later the wingman saw a huge fireball on the ground and then heard Lt Cdr Ford’s voice on his survival radio. The pilot was descending in his parachute but had a broken right arm and other injuries. There was no indication as to the cause of the loss. Information was later received that Lt Cdr Ford had died of his wounds a few days after capture.
HC-7 Rescue Attempt 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 attempt associated with this fixed wing loss can be accessed by clicking on this link. |
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