Prentice, Kenneth Morton
Navy Petty officer 2nd class

Kenneth Morton Prentice from Tacoma, Washington, Pierce county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Thursday, October 2, 1969
Death details: On October 2, 1969, a C-2A Greyhound (bureau number 152796) carrying five crew members and twenty passengers took off on a routine logistics support flight from Cubi Point Naval Station, Republic of the Philippines, to the USS Constellation (CVA 64) in the Gulf of Tonkin. En route, the aircraft was in radio and radar contact with the carrier when it suddenly disappeared from the radar. There were no distress calls or beepers heard. An extensive air and surface search was begun immediately and recovered some personal effects and aircraft debris, but no survivors. Eventually, a crash site was discovered off the coast of North Vietnam, however, no remains were recovered.

Aviation Machinist’s Mate (Jet Engine Mechanic) Second Class Kenneth Morton Prentice entered the U.S. Navy from Washington and was a member of Fighter Squadron 142, embarked aboard the Constellation. He was a passenger aboard this Greyhound when it crashed, and he was lost with the aircraft. His remains were not recovered. Today, Petty Officer Prentice is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual’s case to be in the analytical category of Non-recoverable.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency