| Date: 2 February 1971 |
| Aircraft type: F-4D Phantom |
| Serial Number: 66-8777 |
| Military Unit: 25 TFS, 8 TFW |
| Service: USAF |
| Home Base: Ubon |
| Name(s): |
| Lt Col Robert Lauren Standerwick (KIA) |
| Maj Norbert Anthony Gotner (POW) |
| A Phantom (call sign Bigot 2) was dropping sensors over the Ho Ch Minh Trail when it was shot down by AAA near Ban Kantaloung about 10 miles southwest of the Ban Karai Pass. Both the crew ejected and were in voice contact with each other and with other aircraft. A rescue attempt could not be made straight away due to approaching darkness and bad weather. Later Lt Col Standerwick was heard to say that he had been shot and was being surrounded by enemy troops. Both men were listed as missing in action but Maj Gotner had been captured and was sent to the camps in North Vietnam. Like other men captured in Laos and sent to North Vietnam he was kept apart from prisoners captured in North and South Vietnam for much of the time. He was the first airman to arrive in Hanoi as a prisoner since Lt Bedinger in November 1969. Lt Col Standerwick, who had been a SAC pilot flying EC-135 Looking Glass airborne command post aircraft, did not return from Southeast Asia and was declared dead by the USAF on 20 June 1980. At some stage during its time at Ubon 66-8777 was named ‘Miss Magic’. |
You may return to your search results, go to the Search Form, or go back to the Home Page.