Dan Heller 
Name: Samuel Chapman Maxwell
Memorials: Find a Grave 1 2 Vietnam Wall Wall of Faces
Rank/Branch: Colonel/USAF
Unit: 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron 355th Tactical Fighter Wing Takhli Airbase Thailand
Date of Birth: 24 July 1927
Home of Record: Omaha NE
Date of Loss: 12 September 1968
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 175200N 1062300E (XE480772)
Status in 1973: Missing In Action
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F-105D “Thunderchief” Serial No. 59-1762
Other Personnel In Incident: None
REMARKS: None
SYNOPSIS: The principle Air Force tactical strike aircraft during the Vietnam War was the Republic F-105 Thunderchief, nicknamed a “Thud.” It was the first supersonic tactical fighter-bomber designed from scratch and the largest single-seat, single-engine combat aircraft in history. Easily recognized by its large bomb bay and unique swept-forward engine inlets located in the wing roots, it was mass-produced after the Korean War. The first Thud to exceed the speed of sound did so on 22 October 1955 in spite of its underpowered Pratt & Whitney J57 stop-gap engine. Production of the F-105 finished in 1965 with the tandem-seat F model, which was designed as a Wild Weasel Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) attack aircraft. The F-105 served throughout Southeast Asia, particularly during Rolling Thunder operations.
On 12 September 1968, then Major Samuel C. “Sam” Maxwell was the pilot of the lead aircraft, call sign “Wolf 03,” in a flight of 4 that was conducting a late afternoon/early evening strike mission in that region of North Vietnam identified as “Tally Ho” – the southernmost region of North Vietnam bordered on the south by the DMZ, on the north by an imaginary line 30 miles north of the DMZ, on the east by the coastline and on the west by Laotian border.
After arriving in the target area, Capt. Maxwell checked in with the Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center (ABCCC) that was controlling all air operations in the region. The ABCCC provided Wolf flight with current weather and mission data before handing the flight over to the Forward Air Controller (FAC) who would direct their strike mission. At 1731 hours, Wolf flight was directed to attack a line of small boats sailing on the Song Ron River 15 miles south of Mui Ron Ma. Major Maxwell initiated his strafing run on the boats and was seen firing at the target when his aircraft was hit by intense and accurate ground fire. Other flight members also saw the Thunderchief hit the ground and explode on impact. However, in the chaos of battle and the impending darkness, the other pilots did not see if Sam Maxwell had been able to eject from his crippled aircraft.
The Thunderchief crashed into jungle foothills 2 miles east of the Song Ron River, 8 miles west of the coastline, 15 miles south of Mui Ron Ma and 31 miles northwest of the major port city of Dong Hoi. A visual and electronic search and rescue (SAR) mission was immediately launched, but found no trace of the downed pilot. At the time the search effort was terminated, Sam Maxwell was declared Missing in Action.
In 1992, a National Security Agency (NSA) correlation study of all communist radio intercepts pertaining to missing Americans, which was presented to the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs in a classified format, was finally declassified and made public. According to this document, 3 North Vietnamese radio messages were intercepted and correlated to this incident. The NSA synopsis states: “Note: crashed during strafing run against boats on river. Reported the shootdown of two pilots. Unidentified collateral quoted in report comments section; ‘An American F-105D aircraft, piloted by one man, crashed and exploded in Quang Binh Province at 1752N 10623E. No parachute or beeper signal was noted.’
On 31 July 1989, the Vietnamese returned remains that reported to be Major Maxwell’s without explanation. They were transported to the Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii (CIL-HI) for examination. On 25 October 1989 they were positively identified as Sam Maxwell. Shortly thereafter they were returned to his family for burial with full military honors. While the fate of Sam Maxwell is finally resolved and his family and friends have the peace of mind of knowing where their loved one now lies, there are no definitive answers to the questions of when and how he actually died. For other Americans who remain unaccounted for, there remain only unanswered questions.
Since the end of the Vietnam War well over 21,000 reports of American prisoners, missing and otherwise unaccounted for have been received by our government. Many of these reports document LIVE America Prisoners of War remaining captive throughout Southeast Asia TODAY.
Pilots 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.
