| Date: 16 February 1972 |
| Aircraft type: F-4D Phantom |
| Serial Number: 66-7601 |
| Military Unit: 25 TFS, 8 TFW |
| Service: USAF |
| Home Base: Ubon |
| Name(s): |
| Capt William R Schwertfeger (POW) |
| 1Lt Ralph W Galati (POW) |
| In readiness for their planned invasion of South Vietnam the North Vietnamese moved a number of SAM batteries into the DMZ. On 17 February one US pilot counted 81 SA-2s fired from within the DMZ zone. On the 16th a flight of Phantoms was taking part in a strike on a target just north of the DMZ when one of the aircraft (call sign Musket) was badly damaged by the nearby explosion of an SA-2 missile. Capt Schwertfeger flew to the coast before he and his WSO ejected. However, they were both captured and became POWs. Both men were released from prison on 28 March 1973 and resumed their Air Force careers. In some documents this crew is listed as being members of the 433rd TFS rather than the 25th and may have been involved in the Wolf fast FAC program. Capt Schwertfeger had flown no less than 350 missions in Southeast Asia having served his first tour as a navigator. 1Lt Galati was on his 69th mission when he was captured. F-4D 66-7601 was a triple MiG-killer having shot down two MiG-17s on 6 November 1967 when flown by Capt D D Simmonds and 1Lt G H McKinney of the 435th TFS and another MiG-17 on 19 December 1967 when flown by Maj J D Moore with 1Lt McKinney again. |
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