Neth, Fred Albert
Navy Lieutenant commander

Fred Albert Neth, age 31, from Bourbon County Kansas.

Spouse: Peggy G. Neth

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Sunday, January 16, 1966
Death details: Lieutenant Commander Fred Albert Neth entered the U.S. Navy from Kansas and served with Fighter Squadron 124 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hancock (CVA 19). On January 16, 1966, he was the pilot of a single-seat F-8C Crusader (bureau number 147012) making a night landing on the Hancock when the arresting hook failed and the aircraft continued off the flight deck instead of coming to a halt. Although LCDR Neth applied full engine power and attempted to recover, his Crusader struck the water and came to rest upside down. He was not seen to attempt to escape the aircraft before it sank. An extensive search was conducted but could not locate LCDR Neth after the incident. He remains unaccounted for. Today, Lieutenant Commander Neth is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. His name is also inscribed along with all his fallen comrades on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC.

Source: National Archives., Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Salina Journal (1966), Associated Press (1966)