May 29, 1943 – April 15, 1969
Mech
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June 3, 1944 – April 15, 1969
EW Operator (EWOP)
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May 15, 1933 – April 15, 1969
Airborne Electronics Supervisor (AES)
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December. 21, 1942 – April 15, 1969
Flight Engineer
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July 8, 1945 – April 15, 1969
CTR3 Gary Ray DuCharme – [Editor’s note: Have yet to determine what branch he was but I suspect he was a CTR. Normally each crew carried 2-3 CTR, primarily responsible for copying communications from radar tracking sites.] [Update: Confirmed as a CTR, per post by CTR1 Michael Ruth – 4/12/2017]
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March 2, 1931 – April 15, 1969
Evaluator
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November 18, 1943 – April 15, 1969
Evaluator
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October 4, 1948 – April 15, 1969
Radar Operator
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August 8, 1937 – April 15, 1969
Flight Engineer
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February 2, 1946 – April 15, 1969
EW Operator (EWOP)
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March 15, 1947 – April 15, 1969
Crew Leader
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October 9, 1942 – April 15, 1969
SSGT Hugh Michael Lynch, USMC – Korean linguist (and Russian). Probably Morse qualified as well since USMC routinely sent collectors to R-branch school before language school. Also flew in Da Nang in early 1968, earning two Air Medals during a four month det.
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1934 – April 15, 1969
Flight Engineer
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May 30, 1944 – April 15, 1969
Radar Operator
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June 4, 1944 – April 15, 1969
CTR3 John Alexander Miller III – Assigned to 5th Div at Kamiseya (The Fleet Support Division that supplied personnel to VQ-1 and ships such as the Pueblo). Retired Commander Cody Hanna (then a CTI2 Russian linguist also assigned to 5th Division) was a close friend and remembered him as follows:
“CTR3 John Miller was the one I knew best. John had his wife and daughter “Andy” at Kamiseya with him. John had done more than his share and was an extremely dedicated sailor. More than that he was one of the finest men I have ever had the privilege to serve with. His enlistment was due to expire within a few months and I recall suggesting to him on several occasions that he had done more than his share and should turn over the flight duties to a new hand and enjoy his remaining days in Japan but he was far too dedicated to consider that.”
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April 10, 1935 – April 15, 1969
Electronic Warfare Aircraft Commander (EWAC)
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January 16, 1942 – April 15, 1969
Copilot
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August 24, 1942 – April 15, 1969
CTI1 John Howard Potts – Korean linguist. John’s first enlistment was in the USAF, and he received his initial training in Korean at Yale University courtesy of the Air Force. After reenlisting in the Navy John did tours in Okinawa (Joint Sobe Processing Center) and Naval Communications Station Philippines (San Miguel). During the latter tour, John spent considerable time in Da Nang, earning 10 Air Medals. He had recently been reassigned to Kamiseya when the shootdown occurred.
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? – April 15, 1969
Plane Captain
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September 11, 1939 – April 15, 1969
CTIC Frederick Arthur Randall – Russian linguist and Morse Code operator (R-brancher). Retired Commander (then CTI2) Cody Hanna remembered him as a dedicated career man, married but with no children. (His wife heard of the shootdown via the American radio station in Japan (the Far East Network) before the notification team was able to contact her). Since the flight was essentially a bennie flight with a mission enroute, Chief Randall bumped CTI2 Hanna, who was originally scheduled to take the flight.
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August 28, 1941 – April 15, 1969
Copilot
(Body Recovered)
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May 4, 1937 – April 15, 1969
Radar Operator
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February 9, 1943 – April 15, 1969
Senior Evaluator (SEVAL)
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? – April 15, 1969
CTIC Richard Earl “Snuffy” Smith – from Naval Security Group Activity at Hakata, Japan (near Fukuoka).
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? – April 15, 1969
CTI3 Philip David Sundby – Korean linguist assigned to Naval Security Group Activity Hakata.
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1938 – April 15, 1969
EW Operator (EWOP)
(Body Recovered)
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December 31, 1942 – April 15, 1969
Navigator
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December 27, 1938 – April 15, 1969
LT Robert Frank Taylor – Communications Evaluator (COMEVAL). Graduated from the Defense Language Institute (Russian) in 1967; Building 616 at DLI is named in his honor. At the dedication ceremony, his fellow DLI classmate CAPT John Moore, USN, remembered him as “…a great source of inspiration to me and our fellow classmates. He always saw the brighter side, was always positive and humorous, and convinced us all that we would succeed. In addition to flying out of Atsugi, he also flew in Da Nang, earning an Air Medal.
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July 6, 1946 – April 15, 1969
CTO2 Steven Joseph Tesmer – Secure Teletype Communicator. Steve flew in Da Nang as well, earning an Air Medal.
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December 22, 1946 – April 15, 1969
Radio Operator
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March 30, 1943 – April 15, 1969
Navigator
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15 April 2019 at 19:28
I was stationed at Kamiseya
at that time, attached to Navcomsta Radio ..very sad days..
RM3 Mark Gill..
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16 April 2019 at 17:05
In the past, I have refrained from adding any comments. It is very difficult for me to review the photos attached. I was in charge of the flight section within the 5th Division at Kamiseya at the time. Basically, all these fine CTs worked for me in the flying sense.
Kamiseya was scheduled for an IG that week and Lcdr Paul Curtis, 5th Division Head, asked me to find a replacement for me as COMEVAL on this flight. I had gone through flight school, having earned my wings in May 1964. These flights were known as TASEX missions and had been flown routinely for a long time. I had always been the COMEVAL on these missions; however, this time Lcdr Curtis asked me to stay behind to answer “flight related questions” from the IG. One of my best friends, and a fellow DLI graduate, Bob Taylor had just returned from a TAD assignment to Danang and was still on R&R. I went to his house out on the economy that weekend to ask him to take my place. I spoke to his wife, Eileen, as Bob wasn’t home. I asked her to ask Bob and would assume he would step up as usual. I never saw or talked with Bob before this I’ll-fated mission.
It was a difficult time for the entire command as we tried to come to grips with this tragedy. It is still a difficulty thinking or discussing this event and subsequent airborne missions to locate any possible survivors. Those of us who flew that mission knew there was nil chance of surviving a ditch into the Sea of Japan without a poopy suit, which we did not wear. My heart and prayers still go out to all those fine men that lost their lives that day.
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