| Date: 1 November 1965 |
| Aircraft type: RF-101C Voodoo |
| Serial Number: 56-0174 |
| Military Unit: 15 TRS, 18 TFW on TDY |
| Service: USAF |
| Home Base: Udorn |
| Name(s): |
| Capt Norman T Huggins (Survived) |
| The month started badly with three aircraft lost on the first day. The first to fall was a reconnaissance Voodoo that failed to return from a SAM site search mission to North Vietnam. Capt Huggins was flying low over the island of Dao Cat Ba, the largest of the islands off the coast near Haiphong, when his aircraft (call sign Sword 9) was hit by ground fire. The Voodoo caught fire but Capt Huggins managed to fly over 25 miles in an easterly direction before he was forced to eject. He came down close to a small island and swam ashore only to return to the sea when villagers shot at him. A flight of four Navy Skyraiders arrived and fired at the boats that had set out to capture the pilot. One of the Skyraiders sank a sampan that was heading for Capt Huggins. An Albatross amphibian, piloted by Capt David Westenbarger, landed on the choppy seas and taxied up to Capt Huggins. The Albatross crew shot at North Vietnamese swimmers who were approaching the Voodoo pilot, meanwhile the parajumper, A1C J E Pleiman, dived in and brought Capt Huggins safely on board. |
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