Bear Taylor 
WHEN NAVAL AVIATION ROARED… TALES OF THE BRAVE AND BOLD… TALE #22
COMMEMORATING THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE VIETNAM WAR (1961-1973) and honoring the extraordinary bravery and competence of the Naval Aviators, Naval Flight Officers, and aircrewmen who carried the war into the heartland of our enemy during Operation Rolling Thunder (1965-1968)…
GOOD MORNING. Faithful Scribe has yet another story of courage and sacrifice to share. WHEN NAVAL AVIATION ROARED… Tale #22… “World Famous” VAP-61
In October 1968 CNO Admiral Thomas H. Moorer presented the NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION to Heavy Photographic Squadron 61 (VAP-61) for its outstanding performance during the period of 1 June 1964 and 1 June 1968. The citation read, “During operations in Southeast Asia, while operating continuously night and day from numerous aircraft carrier decks and foreign airfields… VAP-61 obtained vital strategic and tactical (photographic) intelligence in support of naval and military operations in and over North Vietnam.” During the period the RA-3B squadron lost 5 aircraft. Ten of the fifteen warriors involved in these combat losses remain unaccounted for today. Presumed dead, bodies not recovered. Left behind. This is a little of their story and a remembrance of their service and sacrifice…
NOT TO BE FORGOTTEN. On the night of 13 June 1966 LCDR John Turner GLANVILLE, LTJG George Gregory GIERAK and Chief Petty Officer Bennie Richard LAMBTON launched from the deck of USS HANCOCK with fighter escorts (for protection against enemy MiGs) to conduct a photo mission deep into North Vietnam. As the “Vapper” Skywarrior approached the coast-in point 40 miles south of Vinh LCDR GLANVILLE called the commencement of his photo intelligence run and descended to the low altitude required for the mission. Enemy antiaircraft fire immediately took the unarmed RA-3B under attack. The fighter escorts observed 37mm tracers followed by a bright orange flash near the mouth of the Gia Hoi River about 63 miles north of Dong Hoi in Ha Tinh Province, and were unable to establish contact with the VAP-61 aircraft after that. No chutes were observed or emergency beepers heard. A SAR effort continued into the next day but failed to locate either wreckage or the three downed aviators. They were consequently listed as missing in action. On 16 June 1966 a Chinese broadcast was intercepted that described the shootdown and crash of a Navy photo recon aircraft near Ha Tinh. The bodies of these three gallant warriors were never recovered and they are listed as “presumed dead, body not recovered.” Their cases remain “Active Pursuit” by DPAA. They are remembered here 54 years after their final flight…
DEJA VU. On the night of 25 August 1967 VAP-61 RA-3B “Quiz Show 09” took off from Danang to conduct a photo reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam south of Vinh. COMMANDER Edward James JACOBS, LTJG James John ZAVOCKY and Petty officer Second Class Ronald Allen BOIS-CLAIRE were observed to enter the area of their assigned mission south of Vinh but radar contact was lost shortly thereafter. An extensive SAR was conducted over land and sea but no trace of the aircraft or the three men was found. They were declared missing in action and subsequently declared “killed in action, body not recovered.” They rest where they fell fifty-three years ago. They are remembered with respect and admiration here…
THE DEATH OF A HERO. On 14 October 1967, LCDR Robert Reddington VAUGHAN, LTJG M.M. MOSHER and Petty Officer Second Class James G. SHAW departed Cubi Point, P.I. to execute a daytime photo reconnaissance over the coast of North Vietnam between Vinh and Thanh Hoa in a VAP-61 “Quiz Show” RA-3B. When the aircraft was 15 miles south of Thanh Hoa they encountered intense and accurate ground fire that penetrated the fuselage and set the aircraft ablaze. LCDR VAUGHAN immediately turned eastward toward the sea and climbed to 5,000-feet. As the aircraft gained “feet wet” over the Gulf of Tonkin, LCDR VAUGHAN ordered LTJG MOSHER and PO SHAW to bail out. Unfortunately, before he could exit the aircraft through the chute behind the cockpit, the aircraft exploded killing LCDR VAUGHAN. His body was never recovered. Both LTJG MOSHER and PO SHAW were rescued by a Navy UH-2A Seasprite of HC-7 (Det 104) crewed by the brave: LT Lee C. LAX, LTJG Terry L. SMITH, PO2 Roger L. CLEMONS and PO3 John G. HULTZ. The rescue was made amid intense enemy automatic and small arms fire from both the beach and small boats in the area off Thanh Hoa. LCDR VAUGHAN rests in peace where he fell after giving his two compatriots a chance to survive, as was his duty, honorably done…
“IT IS WITH UTMOST REGRET THAT I MUST INFORM YOU…“… During the early morning hours of New Year’s Day, 1968, an RA-3B Skywarrior of VAP-61, launched from NAS Cubi Point, P.I., was subsequently hit by ground fire while conducting a night photo reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. The pilot turned his damaged aircraft seaward and made it out about 30 miles offshore before the aircraft crashed. Despite extensive searches, the three crewmen–LCDR James R. DENNISON, pilot, LTJG Terrence H. HANLEY, navigator, and PO1 Henry H. HERRIN–were not found. They are presumed killed in action/bodies not recovered…
On 4 January 1968, Vice Admiral B.J. SEMMES, Chief of Naval Personnel sent a Western Union telegram to the parents and wives of the missing warriors. The letter LCDR DENNISON’s parents received is quoted in full here as a matter of interest to all of us whose wives and folks never received such a telegram: “It is with utmost regret that a report just received states that search and rescue operations with a force consisting of surface units, helicopters and other aircraft has failed to locate any trace of your son. Although hope for your son’s survival cannot be encouraged, he will continue in a missing in action status pending receipt and review of a full report on the circumstances surrounding his disappearance. You may be certain that you will be informed of any information received regarding your son or any action taken relative to his status. My thoughts and prayers are with you in this distressing time.”…
DETAILED REPORT OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE DISAPPEARANCE OF LCDR JAMES R. DENNISON… Faithful Scribe attaches the full report on the loss of Quiz Show 910 on New Year’s Day 1968 at the following link: (This is a five-star read)…
https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/frd/pwmia/234/73657.pdf
END NOTE #1. A few comments on the dangerous mission assigned the VAP-61 World Famous “Zappers”. During my two combat tours flying A-4s from and to USS ENTERPRISE with the VA-113 “Stingers,” I flew more than 40 night strikes over North Vietnam (or was diverted to a Milky radar drop on or near the DMZ when weather covered North Vietnam) between December 1966 and July 1968. The VAP mission so well described in the full report of the “Quiz Time 910” report, also led to Black Bart missions where the RA-3B would call suspicious targets as they flew their routes gathering IR photo intelligence. I flew two missions with Black Bart calling truck targets on Routes 1 and 15 coming south out of Vinh for A-4 guys circling off shore Vinh who were prepared to drop flares and bombs as directed by the VAP-61 crews. On one mission the VAP-61 put me over a set of trucks made visible for a diving attack by my MK-24 flares. Two trucks were left in flames and a subsequent cycle of ENTERPRISE A-4Cs used the location to nail a few more. On the other Black Bart led attack the truck target call resulted in no trucks under my flares, but presented a small bridge that made it a worthwhile trip across the beach. I had and retain the highest respect and admiration of the VAP-61 aviators who flew big, unarmed photo aircraft at night at low altitude precisely where the enemy was well prepared to take aim. As I orbited near the coast line waiting for a target call, the position of Black Bart was easy to track by the muzzle flashes and tracer ammo lighting the sky along Highway 1 between Vinh and Ha Tinh. Lots of guts and not much glory–see End Note #2…
END NOTE #2. Bits of Ribbon. On 4 January 1968 LCDR DENNISON was recommended for a posthumous Legion of Merit by the CO of VAH-61 for his final mission, which was his 35th night photo recce/intelligence run over North Vietnam, and his year in combat as the leader of VAP-61 detachments operating from several carriers and foreign bases. The LOM recommendation came back from the Chief of Naval Operations as a Navy Commendation Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device… Skinflint!….
(Webmaster note: I cover these and other Skywarrrior losses in chapter five of my book Across the Wing)
NEXT POST. Tale #23. LCDR Ken JURGENSEN, VA-94, leads a flock of USS HANCOCK bombers on a strike on the rail yards at Phu Ly, North Vietnam on 1 June 1967…
Lest we forget…. Bear
I was unaware of the RA-3B… knew of the A-3 and EA-3 “Whale.” Why use a slow, not very agile twin-engined bomber for unarmed recce when there were much faster [RA-5C] or faster and more agile [RF-8] carrier-based recce acft? Risking and sometimes losing brave men while having better equipment available for them to use is maddening!