U.S. Airplane Shot Down Over A Shau Valley (55-0043)

Incident Overview On a night armed reconnaissance mission, a U.S. military airplane departed Ubon Ratchathani Air Base in Thailand to attack elite North Vietnamese Army (NVA) forces believed to be infiltrating from Laos into South Vietnam along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. ## Attack and Crash While making a second low pass over the target area, the airplane's number 3 engine was struck by a Strela SA-7 missile. The aircraft went out of control and crashed in flames in the A Shau Valley. ## Casualties Twelve crew members were killed in the crash, while three others were rescued. ## Crew Members The crew included: - Cpt Paul Faris Gilbert (killed) - Cpt Robert Allan Wilson (killed) - Cpt Gordon Bocher - Maj Gerald Francis Ayres (killed) - Maj Robert Herman Harrison (killed) - Cpt Mark Giles Danielson (killed) - 2nd Lt Robert Reid - M/Sgt Jacob Edward Mercer (killed) - T/Sgt Richard Milton Cole (killed) - S/Sgt Donald Herman Klinke (killed) - S/Sgt Larry Jerome Newman (killed) - S/Sgt Richard E. Nyhof (killed) - S/Sgt Leon Andrew Hunt (killed) - S/Sgt Stanley Lawrence Lehrke (killed) - S/Sgt William P. Patterson