March 2, 1931 – April 15, 1969
LT John Dzema was a member of the crew of an EC-121 surveillance aircraft, serving with the U.S. Navy.
On April 14, 1969, while on a surveillance mission over the Sea of Japan in support of the Korean truce, his aircraft was shot down. All 31 crewmen were reported missing.
John was presumed dead on May 2, 1969.
The crew of Deep Sea 129:
ADR2 Louis F. Balderman
AT1 Stephen C. Chartier
AT1 Bernie J. Colgin
ADR1 Ballard F. Conners
CTR3 Gary R. DuCharme
LT John N. Dzema
LT Dennis B. Gleason
ATN3 Gene K. Graham
AEC LaVerne A. Greiner
ATR2 Dennis J. Horrigan
ATN2 Richard H. Kincaid
SSGT Hugh M. Lynch, USMC
ADRC Marshall H. McNamara
ATR2 Timothy H. McNeil
CTR3 John A. Miller
LCDR James H. Overstreet
LT Peter P. Perrottey
CTI1 John H. Potts
AMS3 Richard T. Prindle
CTIC Frederick A. Randall
*LTJG Joseph R. Ribar
AT1 James Leroy Roach
LT John H. Singer
CTIC Richard E. Smith
CTI3 Philip D. Sundby
*AT1 Richard E. Sweeney
LTJG Robert J. Sykora
LT Robert F. Taylor
CTO2 Stephen J. Tesmer
ATN3 David M. Willis
LTJG Norman E. Wilkerson
* Recovered
Station HYPO 
2 March 2020 at 12:33
Don’t forget the one Marine from Kamiseya, SSgt Lynch. Thanks for the reminder. I remember that like it was yesterday and how somber we were at Kamiseya.
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21 February 2021 at 10:01
The EC-121 shootdown… the event cast a long shadow at Kami Seya. As a Russian Linguistic Lieutenant, I arrived a year later at Kami Seya in August 1970, began standing Operations Watch Officer watches, and within weeks there was a nearly similar event over the Sea of Japan. A VQ-1 EP-3 was shadowed by North Korean Migs, raising great alarm, but in the event, nothing happened. My No.2 that night, a crusty old CTR Chief, was animated and all business, and after the senior officers departed and things quieted down we talked… and he told me of that tragedy the previous year. He had been on watch then too and was one of the last men to talk to “Deep Water 21” before it went down. His account reflected the concern and professional/personal feelings of many others as well.
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