| Date: 6 December 1966 |
| Aircraft type: RF-4C Phantom |
| Serial Number: 65-0819 |
| Military Unit: 11 TRS, 432 TRW |
| Service: USAF |
| Home Base: Udorn |
| Name(s): |
| Lt Col Theodore W Dyke (Survived) |
| 1Lt William R Fannemel (Survived) |
| Udorn lost its third reconnaissance aircraft in the space of five days on 6 December. A reconnaissance Phantom (call sign Nelson) was en route to a target in the northwest provinces of North Vietnam when it was hit by automatic weapons fire five miles east of Dien Bien Phu. Lt Col Dyke turned the aircraft around and just made it back across the border into Laos before he and his backseater were forced to eject. Two HH-3E arrived from Udorn and Jolly Green 53 rescued the injured 1Lt Fannemel but then had to withdraw due to ground fire leaving its parajumper, A2C Robert D Bowers, on the ground. Jolly Green 05 then put its parajumper, A2C Franklin D Stevens, on the ground to locate Bowers but then lost an engine when it was also hit by ground fire. After more than an hour spent on the ground the two PJs and Lt Col Dyke were rescued by another pair of HH-3s sent to replace the two original helicopters. |
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