Graf, John George
Navy Lieutenant commander

John George Graf, age 22, from Glendale, California, Los Angeles county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Saturday, November 15, 1969
Death details: On November 15, 1969, an OV-1C Mohawk (tail number 12690) carrying two crew members took off on a visual reconnaissance mission within the Third Coastal Zone in South Vietnam. During the mission, this aircraft was hit by enemy ground fire and was observed to go into a steep dive while trailing black smoke. The two crew members were able to bail out and land in the vicinity of (GC) XR 735 689. One crew member survived the incident and later reported that when he and the other crew member landed they were immediately captured by the enemy. They were marched to and held at “Camp Alpha” and then on January 8, 1970, moved to “Camp Bravo” from which this crew member escaped later that month.

Lieutenant Commander John George Graf entered the U.S. Navy from California and was a member of the Naval Advisory Group. He was the tactical observer aboard this Mohawk when it was shot down, and ejected from the aircraft prior to its crash. He was captured following the incident and remains unaccounted for. After the incident, the Navy posthumously promoted LCDR Graf to the rank of Commander (CDR). Today, Commander Graf 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