Kemmerer, Donald Richard
Air Force Major
Donald Richard Kemmerer from Quakertown, Pennsylvania, Bucks county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: August 6, 1967
Death details: On August 6, 1967, an F-4C Phantom II (tail number 64-0752) with two crew members took part in a two-aircraft combat mission over North Vietnam. While attacking an enemy target, this Phantom was hit by ground fire and reported a fire warning light. As the wingman aircraft aborted its pass on the target, the Phantom’s pilot called, “I have both fire warning lights; am punching out.” The crew of the other aircraft then observed the Phantom enter a vertical dive with fire coming from both tailpipes, and impact the water with no explosion. The wingman circled the crash site but no beeper signals were detected and no parachutes sighted, and further search efforts were unable to locate the aircraft or its crew.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency