| Date: 4 December 1966 |
| Aircraft type: F-105D Thunderchief |
| Serial Number: 62-4331 |
| Military Unit: 421 TFS, 388 TFW |
| Service: USAF |
| Home Base: Korat |
| Name(s): |
| Maj Burriss Nelson Begley (KIA) |
| Maj Begley was flying an F-105D (call sign Flintstone) as part of an Iron Hand flight when he became a MiG victim. The F-105 flight was en route to a target at about 10,000 feet when they were attacked by several MiG-17s at the northern edge of Thud Ridge. The Thunderchief was eventually hit in the tail and caught fire, crashing 25 miles southwest of the Ridge. Maj Begley reported that he was losing power and was heading across the Red River in an attempt to reach Laos or Thailand. A few moments later he reported that he was about to eject. The rest of his flight were fighting the MiGs and did not see what happened to Maj Begley but he is not thought to have ejected from the aircraft. In November 1986 the Vietnamese handed over remains they claimed to be of Maj Begley but it took until 1996 that a positive identification could be made through forensic analysis. |
You may return to your search results, go to the Search Form, or go back to the Home Page.