| Date: 15 January 1967 |
| Aircraft type: A-4E Skyhawk |
| Serial Number: 151168 |
| Military Unit: VA-23 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS Coral Sea |
| Name(s): |
| Lt(jg) Daniel Hagan Moran (KIA) |
| During a strike on railway sidings at Qui Vinh about 10 miles southwest of Van Yen, one of VA-23’s A-4s was hit and damaged by AAA. A wingman saw that Lt Moran’s aircraft (call sign Law Case 346) had a large hole in the starboard nose under the cockpit. Lt Moran was seen to move in his cockpit but he made no reply to radio or hand signals. Accompanied by another A-4, Lt Moran flew out to sea on an erratic course with the aircraft rolling and pitching continuously. Lt Moran must have been conscious at this time as he ejected close to a SAR destroyer but he was found to be dead when he was pulled out of the water. He had probably been mortally wounded by the explosion of a 37 or 57mm anti-aircraft shell. This was the last aircraft lost by the Coral Sea before it departed at the end of the month at the completion of its second tour. The ship had spent a total of 109 days on the line and had lost 16 aircraft in combat and another three in accidents during that time. |
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