tail number 64-0511

Harworth, Elroy Edwin
Air Force sms

Elroy Edwin Harworth, age 24, from Elizabeth, Minnesota, Otter Tail county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: October 22, 1966
Death details: On October 22, 1986, the Central Identification Lab-Hawaii (CILHI, now DPAA) identified the remains of Senior Master Sergeant Elroy Edwin Harworth, missing from the Vietnam War.

Senior Master Sergeant Harworth, who joined the U.S. Air Force from Minnesota, served with the 61st Troop Carrier Squadron. On May 31, 1966, SMSgt Harworth served as a loadmaster aboard a C-130 Hercules (tail number 64-0511) that departed Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, on a classified bombing mission using special weapons against the Thanh Hoa Bridge in North Vietnam. During the bombing run, the Hercules was shot down and SMSgt Harworth was killed. Hostile presence in the area prevented immediate recovery efforts. In 1986, the Vietnamese government repatriated remains that were later identified as those of SMSgt Harworth.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Shingledecker, Armond D.
Air Force Captain

Armond D. Shingledecker from Lima, Ohio, Allen county. Their last known residence was in Lima.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: May 31, 1966
Death details: On April 3, 1998, Joint Task Force-Full Accounting (JTF-FA, now DPAA) identified the remains of Captain Armon D. Shingledecker, missing from the Vietnam War.

Captain Shingledecker, who joined the U.S. Air Force from Ohio, served with the 61st Troop Carrier Squadron. On May 31, 1966, Capt Shingledecker was the navigator aboard a C-130 Hercules (tail number 64-0511) that departed Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, on a classified bombing mission using special weapons against the Thanh Hoa Bridge in North Vietnam. During the bombing run, the Hercules was shot down and Capt Shingledecker was killed. Hostile presence in the area prevented immediate recovery efforts. In 1986, the Vietnamese government repatriated remains which were later identified as those of Capt Shingledecker.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Zook, Harold Jacob
Air Force Lieutenant Colonel

Harold Jacob Zook from New Holland, Pennsylvania, Lancaster county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: May 31, 1966
Death details: On October 22, 1986, the Central Identification Lab-Hawaii (CILHI, now DPAA) identified the remains of Lieutenant Colonel Harold Jacob Zook, missing from the Vietnam War.

Lieutenant Colonel Zook, who joined the U.S. Air Force from South Dakota, served with the 61st Troop Carrier Squadron. On May 31, 1966, Lt Col Zook served as the copilot on board a C-130 Hercules (tail number 64-0511). The Hercules departed from Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam on a classified bombing mission using special weapons against the Thanh Hoa Bridge in North Vietnam. During the bombing run, the Hercules was shot down and Lt Col Zook was killed. Hostile presence in the area prevented immediate recovery efforts. In 1986, the Vietnamese government repatriated remains which were later identified as those of Lt Col Zook.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Stickney, Phillip Joseph
Air Force sms

Phillip Joseph Stickney from Manchester, New Hampshire, Hillsborough county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: May 31, 1966
Death details: On January 8, 2004, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC, now DPAA) identified the remains of Senior Master Sergeant Phillip Joseph Stickney, missing from the Vietnam War.

Senior Master Sergeant Stickney, who joined the U.S. Air Force from New Hampshire, served with the 61st Troop Carrier Squadron. On May 31, 1966, SMSgt Stickney served as a loadmaster aboard a C-130 Hercules (tail number 64-0511) that departed Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, on a classified bombing mission using special weapons against the Thanh Hoa Bridge in North Vietnam. During the bombing run, the Hercules was shot down and SMSgt Stickney was killed. Hostile presence in the area prevented immediate recovery efforts. In 1998, the Vietnamese government repatriated remains which were later identified as those of SMSgt Stickney.
Cemetery: Memorialized in Nashville National

Source: National Archives, grave marker, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Case, Thomas Franklin
Air Force Colonel

Thomas Franklin Case from Thomson, Georgia, McDuffie county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Tuesday, May 31, 1966

Death details: On February 19, 1987, the Central Identification Lab-Hawaii (CILHI, now DPAA) identified the remains of Colonel Thomas Franklin Case, missing from the Vietnam War.

Colonel Case, who joined the U.S. Air Force from Georgia, served with the 61st Troop Carrier Squadron. On May 31, 1966, Col Case piloted a C-130 Hercules (tail number 64-0511) departing from Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, on a classified bombing mission using special weapons against the Thanh Hoa Bridge in North Vietnam. During the bombing run, the Hercules was shot down and Col Case was killed. Hostile presence in the area prevented immediate recovery efforts. In 1986, the Vietnamese government repatriated remains which were later identified as those of Colonel Case.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

McDonald, Emmett Raymond
Air Force Major

Emmett Raymond McDonald from Bellevue, Washington, King county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Tuesday, May 31, 1966
Death details:  On May 31, 1966, a C-130 Hercules (tail number 64-0511, call sign “Radium 1”) with a crew of eight departed Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, on a classified mission over North Vietnam. No radio communications were expected. When the aircraft failed to return to base, search and rescue efforts were initiated, but were unsuccessful. Several days later, the North Vietnamese announced that they had shot down a C-130, and that they had recovered and buried several bodies. The aircraft is believed to have been shot down in Tranh Hoa Province.

Captain Emmett Raymond McDonald, who joined the U.S. Air Force from Washington, served with the 61st Troop Carrier Squadron. He was the navigator aboard the C-130 when it disappeared, and his remains were not recovered. Following the incident, the Air Force promoted Capt McDonald to the rank of Major (Maj). Today, Major McDonald is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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