Downing, Donald William
Air Force Lieutenant colonel

Donald William Downing, age 33, from Janesville, Wisconsin, Rock county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Tuesday, September 5, 1967
Death details: On September 5, 1967, an F-4C Phantom II (tail number 63-7547, call sign “Sharkbait 42”) carrying two crew members took off as wingman in a flight of two on a nighttime armed reconnaissance mission against enemy targets in Quang Binh Province, North Vietnam. During the mission, the aircraft was flying in the trailing position when its pilot informed the flight leader that he would follow in an attack run. This was the last radio contact with this aircraft; it occurred in the vicinity of (GC) 48Q YE 021 007. Shortly after turning toward the target, the flight leader observed a large fireball in the air, descending towards the ground. Attempts to contact “Sharkbait 42” by radio failed, and no parachutes were seen or rescue beepers detected. Search efforts failed to locate the aircraft or its two crew members. Captain Donald William Downing entered the U.S. Air Force from Wisconsin and was a member of the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 12th Tactical Fighter Wing. He was the aircraft commander aboard this Phantom when it went down, and he was lost with the aircraft. His remains were not recovered. After the incident, the U.S. Air Force promoted Capt Downing to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (LtCol). Today, Lieutenant Colonel Downing is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency