| Date: 10 July 1966 |
| Aircraft type: A-4C Skyhawk |
| Serial Number: 147732 |
| Military Unit: VA-153 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Constellation |
| Name(s): |
| Lt Cdr George Henry Wilkins (KIA) |
| A section of Skyhawks from the Constellation taking part in the night interdiction offensive against North Vietnamese road traffic spotted what looked like a convoy north of Vinh. Lt Cdr Wilkins (call sign Power House 304) dropped two flares and radioed that he was going to make a pass under the flares in order to positively identify the potentially lucrative target. Soon afterwards his wingman observed a long trail of fire on the ground and lost radio contact with his leader. Anti-aircraft fire was seen in the area and may have been the cause of the crash or Lt Cdr Wilkins may have flown into the ground under the light of the flares. Lt Cdr Wilkins was officially declared dead by the Navy on 28 June 1974. In 1989 the remains of a number of unidentified US airmen together with crash debris were handed over to the US by the Vietnamese. However, it was not until 1996 that mitochondrial DNA testing confirmed that one set of remains belonged to George Wilkins. |
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