Spectres Lost in South East Asia

24 May 1969
ACFT 629 
Viet Nam Memorial Panel 24 W

 

Ssgt Cecil Taylor, FE, KIA

Ssgt Jack Troglen, IO, KIA

22 APR 1970
ACFT 625
Viet Nam Memorial Panel 11 W

At approximately 0150 hours, a number of enemy 37mm anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) shells burst around the aircraft. The gunship immediately initiated an attack against the AAA position. At 0159 hours, while in its fourth pass over the target and at an altitude of nearly 7,500 feet, the gunship was struck in the left lower rear section of the fuselage near the tail. Major Brooks radioed, "I've been hit, babe." No further transmissions were heard from the crew while the aircraft was still airborne.
Only known survivor is Gene Fields, AG...

The crash site is located inside the red circle Pictured Below

29 MAR 1972
ACFT 044
Viet Nam Memorial Panel 2 W

ARLINGTON MASS BURIAL FOR 
MARCH 29, 1972 CRASH

The Interment Service for the group remains of the crew of AC-130, REFNO 1807 was held June 17th 2010 at Arlington National Cemetary, Arlington Va. The group remains for the crew included SMSgt Simmons, Lt Col Castillo, Lt Col Brauner, Lt Col Ramsower II, Lt Col Stephenson, Maj Young, Maj Miller, Capt. Halpin, Capt. Wanzell III, CMSgt Pearce, SMSgt Caniford, SMSgt Smith, MSgt Paulson, and MSgt Todd.

As the laboratory could not associate these remains specifically to any one individual, the USAF Mortuary Affairs Division will coordinate the group service to be conducted at The Arlington national Cemetery. The service included full military honors, caisson, The Air Force Band, color guard, casket bearers, firing detail, Taps and a flyover. Arlington, DC Photo of 044 Crew Grave Marker Courtesy of Henry (Hank) Rother, Maj USAF Ret (SPECTRE BC - EWO)

The crash site is located inside the red circle

18 JUNE 1972
ACFT 043
Viet Nam Memorial Panel 1 W

At 2355 hours, Spectre 11 was making its second attack pass over the target area when it received a direct hit in the number 3 engine by a Soviet manufactured Strella SA-7 missile. Capt. Gilbert rang the egress bell, but a small explosion occurred and the right wing separated from the aircraft. At approximately the same time, a large explosion occurred blowing three crewmen - Capt. Bocher, 2nd Lt. Reid and SSgt. Patterson - clear of the aircraft. Personnel in three escorting F-4's observed the gunship in flames and missing what appeared to be the tail and right wing before it crashed and exploded again in the rugged jungle covered mountains west of the 
A Shau Valley. 


The crash site is located inside the red circle

21 DEC 1972
ACFT 490
Viet Nam Memorial Panel 1 W

During the flight to the target, Spectre 17 inexplicably broke altitude descending to a lower level according to crewmen aboard other gunships taking part in the same mission, and was hit by enemy ground fire. After evaluating the amount of battle damage sustained by Thor, the decision was made to attempt to return to base. After 10 minutes of stable, level flight, fuel accumulated ankle deep in the cargo area igniting an explosion that severely damaged the aircraft, but did not cause it to disintegrate. According to reports provided by other aircrews who monitored radio communications between the crew of Spectre 17, along with communications between aircraft, none of the 16 crewmen were injured by the ground fire that initially damaged the gunship. The crewmen were preparing for a possible bailout by putting on their parachutes, and those men not necessary for flying it were moving to the rear of the aircraft. The jump bell was heard over the headsets of those monitoring communications between the aircraft 5 to 10 seconds before Spectre 17 exploded. Further, once the men hit the ground, many emergency beepers were heard "going off all over the place."

TSgt. Richard Williams parachuted just before the explosion and A1C Carl E. Stevens did the same immediately afterward. Both men evaded enemy patrols and were rescued hours later. Other than A1C Stevens and TSgt. Williams who were rescued, no other crewmen could be located.

Actual Survivor TSgt Williams Account of the incident:

I APPRECIATE YOUR REMEMBERING OF SPECTRE 17 BUT I WOULD LIKE TO CLEAR UP SOME MIS INFORMATION. AS THE ONLY LIVING MEMBER OF THAT CREW IT IS STILL VIVID IN MY MIND. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT I WAS WORKING THE 40S WITH REED, FENTER ON THE 20S AND ELLIOT IN THE WINDOW. I DON'T THINK WE GOT HALF AN ORBIT IN WITH THE 20S ON THE LINE WHEN WE WERE HIT. AFTER HEARING WE WERE RTB, WE CLEANED UP THE 40S AND I WALKED UP TO THE AREA WHERE WE WERE HIT AND OBSERVED A HOLE ABOUT THE SIZE OF A SMALL COFFEE CAN AND FUEL WAS POURING OUT OF IT, IT WAS WHERE THE WING JOINS THE FUSELAGE ABOUT EVEN WITH THE TOP OF THE BOOTH. FUEL WAS FLOWING TO THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT. I THEN WALKED BACK AND LOOKED IN THE BOOTH AND ALL WERE AT THEIR STATIONS LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED. I THEN JOINED MAJOR MEDER, WHO WAS ON AN ORIENTATION FLIGHT AND DID NOT HAVE A SEAT IN THE BOOTH, BOTH I.O.s AND GUNNER REED WHO WERE ON THE RAMP. THE BACK OF THE A/C WAS SATURATED WITH FUEL, NOT ANKLE DEEP BUT MAYBE SOLE DEEP. ALL THIS TIME THE COCKPIT CREW WAS TRYING TO GET THE FUEL STOPPED WITH NO SUCCESS. I THEN POSITIONED MYSELF AT THE TOP OF THE RAMP LOOKING FORWARD AND SOON AFTER SOMEONE IN THE COCKPIT CALLED FOR THE A/C MANUALS WHICH I BELIEVE WERE IN THE BOOTH AND WINNINGHAM VOLUNTEERED TO GET THEM TO THE FRONT. MINUTES LATER THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION, THE A/C VEERED HARD LEFT AND THE CARGO COMPARTMENT WAS FILLED WITH FLAMES. I FLUNG MYSELF BACKWARDS AND WENT OUT IN A BALL OF FIRE. STEVENS SAID THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO HIM. AT NO TIME DID I HEAR ANY BAIL OUT BELL NOR  WAS ANYONE TOLD TO HEAD FOR THE REAR OF THE A/C. WE WERE ON THE RAMP TO GET OUT OF THE FUEL. RIGHT AFTER I GOT A GOOD CHUTE THERE WAS A BRIGHT FLASH UNDER ME WHERE THE A/C IMPACTED AND SECONDS LATER I FELT THE CONCUSSION. I LANDED ABOUT 2 HUNDRED METERS FROM THE CRASH SITE MY CHUTE IN A TREE MY FEET ONLY INCHES FROM THE GROUND. I E&ED A SHORT DISTANCE AND WAS PICKED UP 2 AND A HALF HOURS LATER BY JOLLY GREEN. SSGT. JACK STEPHENS  WAS THE P.J. CARL STEVENS WAS PICKED UP NEARBY NOT LONG AFTER. BY THE WAY HE WAS AN A1C NOT A TECH.

I HAVE THE TAPE RECORDING FROM SPECTRE 07 WHO WERE COMING TO ESCORT US BACK AND WHO WAS THE ONSCENE COMMANDER AND ALTHOUGH THEY WERE 50 MILES FROM US SAW WHAT THEY AT FIRST THOUGHT WAS A FLARE FALLING TO THE GROUND BUT IN REALITY WAS A/C 490  DON'T KNOW WHY THERE WERE SO MANY UN TRUTHS THAT CAME OUT ABOUT THIS INCIDENT, YOU OUGHT TO SEE WHAT'S ON SOME OF THE WEB SITES BUT IT WAS 38 YEARS AGO AND I STOPPED TRYING TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT. UNTIL TODAY.            -WILLIE  LEAD GUNNER CREW 10



The crash site is located inside the red circle (UNDER CONSTRUCTION>>>>)

AWESOME ARTICLES BELOW...CLICK TO READ!

R.I.P. SPECTRES

We need your consent to load the translations

We use a third-party service to translate the website content that may collect data about your activity. Please review the details in the privacy policy and accept the service to view the translations.