| Date: 11 September 1972 |
| Aircraft type: F-4J Phantom |
| Serial Number: 155526 |
| Military Unit: VMFA-333 |
| Service: USMC |
| Home Base: USS America |
| Name(s): |
| Maj Lee T Lasseter (Survived) |
| Capt John D Cummings (Survived) |
| Aircraft type: F-4J Phantom |
| Serial Number: 154784 |
| Military Unit: VMFA-333 |
| Service: USMC |
| Home Base: USS America |
| Name(s): |
| Capt Andrew Scot Dudley (Survived) |
| 1Lt James W Brady (Survived) |
| One of the two Phantom squadrons on board the USS America on its third and final combat cruise was VMFA-333 of the US Marine Corps. This was the only occasion when a Marine Corps Phantom squadron had deployed on board a carrier for duty in the war. On 11 September VMFA-333 provided a CAP flight of two F-4Js for a major strike on the Co Giang SAM assembly depot. During the mission the CAP flight engaged several MiGs and Maj ‘Bear’ Lasseter, the Squadron’s executive officer, and Capt Cummings shot down a MiG-21 and damaged another near Phuc Yen airfield. The air battle had left the pair of F-4s short of fuel and they had to fly directly over Haiphong on their way to the Gulf and a waiting tanker. The air began to fill with SAMs and flak bursts and, despite evasive action, Maj Lasseter’s Phantom (call sign Shamrock 201) was hit by an SA-2 at 15,000 feet damaging the wing and causing the aircraft to burst into flames. Eventually hydraulic failure led to loss of control and the crew ejected over the Gulf about 35 miles southeast of Haiphong, from where they were rescued by an SH-3 of HC-7 operating from the USS England.
Maj Lasseter’s wingman was also hit as he flew over Haiphong on the way out to sea. Capt Dudley’s aircraft (call sign Shamrock 206) was hit by flak in the wing and fuselage causing a massive fuel leak. The engines flamed out from lack of fuel when the aircraft was about 45 miles south of Haiphong and the crew joined their colleagues in the Gulf and were rescued by the SAR destroyer USS Biddle. All four men were returned to the carrier with barely a scratch to celebrate the only all-Marine Corps MiG-kill of the war. Maj Lasseter took command of VMFA-333 on Christmas Eve when Lt Col Cochran was shot down. HC-7 Rescue 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 associated with this fixed wing loss can be accessed by clicking on this link and this link. |
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