POSSIBLE DEATHS OF TWO DOWNED U.S. PILOTS IN THANH HOA PROVINCE, NORTH V IETNAM

Created: 12/5/1972

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

MEMORANDUM

SUBJECT! Possible Death* of Two Downed U. S. Filota in Thanh Hoa Province, North Vietnam, on1

1. At0 hours local time ooe Duy Cblea saw. jeta flying from tha South China Sea toward the Ham Rong Bridge, which la north of the Thanh Koa Provincial capital, Thanh Hoa Province, North Vietnam. Chicn waa four kilometer* north of the bridge and saw the four U. S. jeta bombing it. After the attach, the jeta flew off in the direction of the South China Sea. Five minute*ocal) four more jets attacked the bridge. The second group of jetsarrage of North Vietnamese anti-aircraft fire, and the lead plane was hit and aet afire. The plane fell to the ground aad exploded. No parachutes were observed. /I/

ourci was shown pictures of U. S. aircraft: and identified the plane which was shot down aa

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2> Al0 houre onourcothe crash site of the plane, which waa about four kilometer* southeast of the Ham Rong Bridge. Fragments of the plane and pieces of the bodies of. pilots were scattered all over the area of the crash. People at the site of the wreckage told Sourcethat North Vietnamese publle security agents had removed three legs intact from the cockpit of th* plane wreckage and had taken them away. Th* fourth leg was not found.

J. One week later the North Vietnamese People'a Armyreported that the evidence collected by the North Vietnamese public security agents at the site of the plan* crash indicated that the. pilot*ajoraptain. The newspaper account also mentioned the two pilots' natneo butas unable tu remember them.

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