Dan Heller 
Name: Donald Patrick Frye
Memorials: Find a Grave 1 2 3 Vietnam Wall Wall of Faces
Rank/Branch: Ensign/USN
Unit: Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 2 (HS-2) USS Constellation (CVA-64)
Date of Birth: 23 September 1943
Home of Record: Los Angeles CA
Date of Loss: 19 July 1967
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 203057N 1054859E (WH814646)
Status in 1973: Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: SH-3A “Sea King” BuNo. 151538
Other Personnel In Incident: Dennis W. Peterson (missing), William B. Jackson, Donald P. McGrane (remains recovered)
REMARKS: CRSH-N SURV OBS-FBIS SEZ DED-J
SYNOPSIS: The SH3A Sea King Helicopter was the US Navy’s version of the US Air Force’s HH-3E Jolly Green Giant helicopter that was specifically outfitted for the search and rescue mission. Sea King squadrons were carrier-based in the Gulf of Tonkin and because they were equipped with an aerial refueling capability, they had the range necessary to fly missions deep into North Vietnam.
On 18 July 1967, then Lt. Cmdr. Richard D. Hartman, pilot of an A-4E Skyhawk launched from the deck of the USS Oriskany as the section leader on a major air wing strike against the Co Trail railroad bridge. As the section of aircraft was inbound to the target, the North Vietnamese fired multiple surface-to-air (SAM) missiles at the flight.
At 0900 hours, Lt. Cmdr. Hartman was in the process of recovering from the second of two successive SAM missile evasive tactics performed by the strike group when his Skyhawk was struck by enemy anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) fire. His aircraft was on fire and Lt. Cmdr. Hartman was observed ejecting just as the aircraft broke into to sections. Lt. Hartman’s wingman was also hit by AAA fire. Further, he safely ejected and was later rescued.
Richard Hartman’s parachute was fully deployed and was followed to the ground by other pilots who saw him safely land on karst peak in a rugged and forested area located 5 miles west of Phu Ly and 33 miles due south of Hanoi, Hoa Binh Province, North Vietnam. The area provided excellent cover and was not easily accessible by foot. Further, these factors would allow Lt. Cmdr. Hartman the opportunity to escape and evade enemy forces.
Immediately other Skyhawk pilots in the flight initiated a visual and electronic search of the area in which both pilots were owned. Voice contact with rapidly established with both men and Richard Hartman stated that he was uninjured. Meanwhile the Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center (ABCCC) responsible for all air operations in this sector notified the USS Oriskany of the situation and ordered a formal search and rescue (SAR) operation be launched. Several attempts to recover Lt. Cmdr. Hartman were made the day of loss; however, all were unsuccessful due to intense enemy small arms fire emanating from the area.
The SAR operation was suspended on 18 July due to darkness. Throughout the night the area was heavily bombarded by jet and propeller driven aircraft to keep the North Vietnamese away from Richard Hartman’s location. At first light on the morning of 19 July, the bomb suppression operation was suspended.
At 0640 hours, a well armed SH-3A Sea King rescue helicopter crewed by Lt. Dennis W. Peterson, pilot; Ensign Donald P. Frye, co-pilot; AX2 William B. Jackson and AX2 Donald P. McGrane, door gunners; that launched from the USS Constellation to recover the downed pilot arrived on station. Voice contact was immediately reestablished with Lt. Cmdr. Hartman. He reported the enemy had not located him and reported his exact location.
The on scene commander marked Richard Hartman’s location with smoke and the downed pilot lit a signal flare to assist in identifying his exact position. Lt Peterson stated he had Lt. Hartman in sight and was going in for the pickup. The Sea King approached Richard Hartman’s position from an altitude of 1000 to 1500 feet. As it passed directly over a concealed 37mm anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) gun emplacement that had not been damaged during the night’s bombing, enemy gunners opened fire repeatedly striking the now vulnerable helicopter.
At the same time escort aircraft watched as Lt. Peterson tried to take evasive action, but was hit repeatedly and flew directly into the ground and burst into flames at an estimated speed of 100 knots. Unfortunately no one was seen to exit the aircraft before or after the crash. The wreckage was located in a small open valley on the edge of a forested area on the east side of the Song Bot River and south of Highway 21 approximately 6 miles southwest of Richard Hartman’s position. In spite of continuing intense enemy ground fire, three aircraft conducted individual visual searches of the wreckage, but saw no signs of life in or around the burning hulk. Those aircrews’ also reported that under the circumstances, there was no possibility of survival for Dennis Peterson, Donald Frye, William Jackson and Donald McGrane. At the time all aircraft were called off, all four men were declared Killed in Action/Body Not Recovered.
On the morning of 20 July, voice contact was once again established with Richard Hartman. He appeared to be in good spirits, but reported he was getting thirsty. He was informed that a survival kit would be dropped to him that night and to aid the airdrop, he was to turn on his flashlight when directed to do so. Lt. Cmdr. Hartman acknowledged the instructions. Survival kits containing provisions for 10 days and a radio were dropped as planned that night.
The following morning, 21 July, SAR aircraft attempted to establish radio contact with Richard Hartman, but were unable to do so. Likewise there were no visual sightings of him after 20 July 1967 and Naval intelligence believed he had been captured during the night. At the time the formal search effort was terminated. Richard Hartman was reported as a Prisoner of War.
After the Paris Peace Accords were signed and went into affect, the North Vietnamese returned the remains of some of the Prisoners of War who died in captivity under their control. On 6 March 1974, as part of that exchange of remains, the North Vietnamese returned a container with remains reportedly belonging to Lt. Cmdr. Hartman. The remains were transported to the Central Identification Laboratory in U-Tapao, Thailand for examination and identification. The examination was completed on 17 April 1974 and they were positively identified as belonging to Richard Hartman. Shortly thereafter these remains were returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
On 14 October 1982, the Vietnamese unexpectedly turned over four boxes containing remains they associated with each one of the Sea King’s missing crewmen. These containers were transported to the Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii (CIL-HI) for examination. The lab’s forensic experts determined that only three sets of skeletal remains were present and that the box bearing Lt. Peterson’s name actually contained additional portions of two of the other crewmen.
On 26 October 1982, the remains of Donald Frye, Donald McGrane and William Jackson positively identified. And like Richard Hartman, each man’s remains were returned to his family for burial with fully military honors.
Beginning in November 1993, several joint Vietnamese/American teams under the auspices of the Joint Task Force for Full Accounting (JTFFA) have investigated the case of Dennis Peterson. They have interviewed witnesses and followed any number of leads.
In March 1994, two sites were identified where burial urns possibly containing portions of Lt. Peterson’s remains were located. These sites were approximately 90 meters apart and both were excavated by another joint team. Two urns were found at each site which correlated with information provided by local residents who stated that “an American had been buried in two ceramic burial containers with the upper body in one and the lower in the other.” Approximately 253 identifiable bone fragments and 16 complete teeth were recovered. In addition to the human remains, 3 piece of flight suit consistent with that worn by Navy and Marine Corps aircrews were recovered. These remains were repatriated to US control on 12 April 1994. However, upon examination CIL-HI personnel determined these remains did not belong to Dennis Peterson.
In September 2000, two more possible crash site locations in the same general area of loss near Ba Sao Village were excavated. The secondary site yielded some aircraft wreckage while the primary site yielded wreckage and possible human remains including bone fragments and teeth as well as personal affects, two dogtags and life support material. The skeletal and dental remains were repatriated to CIL-HI on 3 October 2000 where they continue to undergo review.
While the remains of Richard Hartman, Donald Frye, Donald McGrane and William Jackson have been returned to their families, friends and the country, only questions remain for Dennis Peterson. If he died with his crew, he has the right to have his remain returned to his family, friends and country if at all humanly possible. Above all else, Dennis Peterson has the right not to be forgotten by the nation for which he gave his life.
For other Americans who remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, their fate could be quite different. Since the end of the Vietnam War, over 21,000 reports of American prisoners, missing and otherwise unaccounted for have been received by our government. Many of these reports document LIVE American Prisoners of War remaining captive throughout Southeast Asia TODAY.
Pilots and aircrews in Vietnam were called upon to fly in many dangerous circumstances, and they were prepared to be wounded, killed or captured. It probably never occurred to them that they could be abandoned by the country they so proudly served.
