Cargo plane explosion 7 January 1966

Callanan, Richard Joseph
Air Force Captain

Richard Joseph Callanan, age 35, from Contra Costa County Concord, California .

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Friday, January 7, 1966
Death details: On January 7, 1966, a C-130 Hercules (61-0972) with a crew of five took off on a resupply mission to Pleiku, South Vietnam. As the Hercules approached Pleiku, its crew requested landing instructions, but it crashed for unknown reasons before it could land. Witnesses in the tower at Pleiku reported that soon after receiving the landing request from the C-130, they saw two explosions in the distance. Rescue helicopters sent to that area found the C-130’s wreckage in the vicinity of (GC) 49P AR 828 397 where they recovered three sets of remains but were unable to locate the other two crew members. Captain Richard Joseph Callanan, who joined the U.S. Air Force from California, was a member of the 774th Troop Carrier Squadron. He was a crew member aboard the Hercules when it went down on January 7, 1966, and his remains were not recovered from the crash site. He remains unaccounted-for. Today, Captain Callanan is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Dixon, Lee Chris
Air Force Captain

Lee Chris Dixon, age 28, from Glenn County Orland, California .

Parents: L.C. Dixon

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Friday, January 7, 1966
Death details: Died when his cargo plane blew up while preparing to land in Vietnam.

Source: National Archives, Sacramento Bee (1966), Orland Unit Register (1966)

Greenley, Jon Alfred
Air Force 1st lieutenant

Jon Alfred Greenley, age 23, from Cass County North Dakota.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Friday, January 7, 1966
Death details: On January 7, 1966, a C-130 Hercules (61-0972) with a crew of five took off on a resupply mission to Pleiku, South Vietnam. As the Hercules approached Pleiku, its crew requested landing instructions, but it crashed for unknown reasons before it could land. Witnesses in the tower at Pleiku reported that soon after receiving the landing request from the C-130, they saw two explosions in the distance. Rescue helicopters sent to that area found the C-130’s wreckage in the vicinity of (GC) 49P AR 828 397 where they recovered three sets of remains but were unable to locate the other two crew members. First Lieutenant Jon Alfred Greenley, who joined the U.S. Air Force from North Dakota, was a member of the 774th Troop Carrier Squadron. He was a crew member aboard the Hercules when it went down on January 7, 1966, and his remains were not recovered from the crash site. He remains unaccounted-for. Today, First Lieutenant Greenley is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Lute, James Robert
Air Force Staff sergeant

James Robert Lute, age 37, from Hamilton County Montgomery, Ohio .

Spouse: Helen A.
Children: Stepson Richard Buckley

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Friday, January 7, 1966
Death details: Died when his cargo plane blew up while preparing to land in Vietnam.

Source: National Archives, Dayton Daily News (1966)

Valtierra, Juan Borja
Marines Lance corporal

Juan Borja Valtierra, age 22, from Merced County Merced, California .

Spouse: Married

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Wednesday, January 5, 1966
Death details: Died when his cargo plane blew up while preparing to land in Vietnam.

Source: National Archives, Sacramento Bee (1966)

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