Davis, Francis John
Navy lcdr

Francis John Davis, age 33, from Montrose, Iowa, Lee county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: June 14, 1972

Death details: Lieutenant Commander Francis John Davis entered the U.S. Navy from Iowa and was a member of Attack Squadron 37, embarked aboard the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CVA 60). On June 14, 1972, he was the pilot of an A-7A Corsair II (bureau number 153206, call sign “Red Falcon 305”) as the lead in a flight of two on a combat mission over coastal waters near Vinh, North Vietnam. He descended to make a flare run, while his wingman remained high with anti-radiation missiles for protection against enemy surface-to-air missiles (SAM). Lieutenant Commander Davis reported a SAM ahead and to his right, and no further transmissions were received from him. His wingman observed a small and then a large flash from the area where his Corsair disappeared, in the vicinity of (GC) 48Q WF 843 787. Following the flashes, an aerial search was made but saw no parachutes and detected no rescue beepers. LCDR Davis remains unaccounted for. Today, Lieutenant Commander Davis 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