Veterans Day and the Vietnam Era Air Crews of the USS Constellation (CV-64)

Known as "America's Flagship" and one of the fastest ships in the Navy (in spite of her 82,538 ton full load displacement), the USS Constellation (CV-64) was a Kitty Hawk Class Supercarrier whose crews served in some of the most important US military engagements of the Cold War era and the decade that followed. Commissioned on October 27, 1961 and decommissioned on August 6, 2003 the "Connie" (as she was known by her crews) is probably best known for her service during the Vietnam War. The Connie is being towed to the scrapyards as of this post's writing. The picture accompanying this article was taken by NASA, and shows the Connie on its final journey (to Brownsville Texas).

From May 5, 1964 to October 11, 1973 the Connie's air wing racked up 15 aerial victories over North Vietnamese pilots. All of these kills were of Mig-17 and Mig-21 fighters. In turn however the Connie suffered 57 aircraft combat losses; the overwhelming majority of which fell victim to North Vietnamese FLAK or SAM's. On this Veteran's Day the following is in memoriam to those aircrews shot down during the Vietnam conflict. Many of them survived their experience, but unfortunately not all were so lucky:

5 August 1964: A-1H (139760, NK 5??) of VA-145; AAA; North Vietnam; Lt (jg) R. C. Sather, KIA.
5 August 1964: A-4C(149578, NK 411) of VA-144; AAA; North Vietnam; Lt (jg) E. Alvarez, POW.

25 June 1966: A-6A (151816, NL 406) of VA-65; AAA; North Vietnam; Lt R. M. Weber, recovered, and Lt (jg) C. W. Marik, KIA.
27 June 1966: A-4E (152073, NL 507) of VA-155; AAA; North Vietnam; LCdr G. A. Smith, KIA.
1 July 1966: A-4E (150017, NL 511) of VA-155; AAA; North Vietnam; Cdr C. H. Peters, KIA.
4 July 1966: A-4E (151026, NL 513) of VA-155; gunboat AAA; off North Vietnam; Lt N. E. Holben, recovered.
10 July 1966: A-4C (147732, NL 304) of VA-153; AAA; North Vietnam; LCdr G. H. Wilkins, KIA.
29 July 1966: A-4E (152045, NL 513) of VA-155; AAA; North Vietnam; Lt (jg) V. K. Cameron, KIA.
19 August 1966: RA-5C (149309, NL 703) of RVAH-6; AAA; North Vietnam; LCdr J. K. Thompson and Lt (jg) G. L. Parten, both recovered.
27 August 1966: A-6A (151822, NL 402) of VA-65; AAA; North Vietnam; LCdr J. H. Fellowes and Lt (jg) G. T. Coker, both POW.
12 September 1966: A-4C (147763, NL 314) of VA-153; unknown cause; North Vietnam; LCdr W. F. Coakley, KIA.
20 October 1966: A-4C (148592, NL 311) of VA-153; AAA; North Vietnam; Lt (jg) H. S. Edwards, KIA.
22 October 1966: F-4B (151009, NL 214) of VF-161; AAA; North Vietnam; LCdr E. P. McBride, KIA, and Lt (jg) E. U. Turner, recovered.
22 October 1966: RA-5C (150030, NL 705) or RVAH-6; SAM; North Vietnam; LCdr T. C. Kolstad and Lt (jg) W. B. Klenert, both KIA.

19 June 1967: F-4B (150439, NK 207) of VF-142; AAA; North Vietnam; LCdr F. L. Raines and Ens C. L. Lewnes, both recovered.
28 June 1967: F-4B (152242, NK 301) of VF-143; AAA; North Vietnam; Cdr W. P. Lawrence and Lt (jg) J. W. Bailey, both POW.
30 June 1967: A-4C (147712, NK 605) or VA-146; AAA; North Vietnam; Lt J. W. McGrawth, POW.
9 July 1967: A-4C (149542, NK 602) of VA-146; SAM; North Vietnam; Lt C. R. Lee, KIA.
13 August 1967: RA-5C(151634, NK 125) of RVAH-l2; AAA; North Vietnam; LCdr L. G. Hyatt and Lt (jg) W. K. Goodermote, both POW.
21 August 1967: F-4B (152247, NK 202) of VF-142; AAA; North Vietnam; Cdr R. H. McGlohn and Lt (jg) S. M. Mcllrath, both recovered.
21 August 1967: A-6A (152638, NK 410) of VA-196; SAM; North Vietnam; Cdr L. T. Profilet and LCdr W. M. Hardman, both POW.
21 August 1967: A-6A (152627, NK 402) of VA-196; MiG; China; Lt (jg) D. V. Scott and Lt (jg) F. C. Trembley, both KIA.
21 August 1967: A-6A (152625, NK 400) of VA-196; MiG; China; LCdr J. L. Bookley, KIA, and Lt R. J. Flynn, POW.
23 August 1967: F-4B (149498, NK 205) of VF-142; SAM; North Vietnam; LCdr T. W. Sitek and Ens P. L. Ness, both KIA.
30 October1967: F-4B(150629, NK 203) of VF-142; own AIM-­7E missile; North Vietnam; LCdr H. P. Lund and Lt (jg) J. R. Borst, both recovered.
2 November 1967: A-6A (152629, NK 403) of VA-196; AAA; North Vietnam; LCdr R. D. Morrow, KIA, and Lt J. J. Wright, MIA.

17 August1968: F-4B (151404, NK 206) of VF-142; own AIM-9D; North Vietnam; Lt (jg) M. L. Gartley and Lt W. J. Mayhew, both POW.
24 August 1968: A-7A (154359, NK 613) of VA-27; AAA; North Vietnam; Lt J. R. Lee, recovered.
14 September 1968: A-7A (154344, NK 610) of VA-27; AAA; North Vietnam; Cdr G.T. Pappas, recovered.
17 September 1968: A-7A (153214, NK 507) of VA-97; AAA; North Vietnam; LCdr B. D. Woods, POW.
30 September 1968: A-6A (154149, NK 404) of VA-196; SAM; North Vietnam; Lt (jg) L. Van Renselaar and Lt D. A. Spinelli, both MIA.
6 October 1968: A-7A (153273, NK 612) of VA-27; SAM; North Vietnam; Lt (jg) G. M. Biery, recovered.
25 November 1968: RA-5C (149293, NK 123) of RVAH-5; cause unknown; North Vietnam; Cdr E. A. Stamm, died in captivity, and Lt (jg) R. C. Thum, KIA.
18 December 1968: A-6A (147764, NK 405) of VA-l96; AAA; Laos; Lt (jg) J. R. Babcock and Lt G. J. Meyer, both KIA.
19 December 1968: A-6A (154152, NK 407) of VA -196; AAA; Laos; Lt M. L. Bouchard, KIA, and Lt R. W. Colyar recovered.

1 October 1969: A-7A (153252, NK 300) of VA-97; AAA; Laos; Lt P. E. Mullowney, recovered.
22 November 1969: F-4J (155889, NK 110) of VF-143; AAA; Laos; Lt (jg) H. C. Wheeler, recovered, and Lt (jg) H. J. Bedinger, POW.
28 February 1970: A-7A (153143, NK 411) of VA-27; AAA; Laos; Lt R. E. Karp, recovered.
3 April 1970: A-7A (154358, NK 313) of VA-97; AAA; Laos; Lt H. P. Hoffman, recovered.
7 April 1970: A-7A (153233, NK 302,) of VA-97; AAA; Laos; Lt M. P. Hamilton, recovered.

30 December 1971: A-6A (155677, NG 506) of VA-165; SAM; North Vietnam; LCdr F. L. Holmes, KIA, and Lt C. W. Burton, recovered.
18 February 1972: F-4J (157266, NG 207) of VF-92; AAA; Laos; Lt B. P. Rowe, KIA, and Lt (jg) D. E. Spence, recovered.
10 May 1972: F-4J (155797, NG 212) of VF-92; AAA; North Vietnam; Cdr H. L. Blackburn and Lt S. A. Rudloff, both POW.
10 May 1972: F-4J (155800, NG 100) of VF-96; SAM; North Vietnam; Lt Randall H. Cunningham and Lt (jg;) William P. Driscoll, both recovered.
17 May 1972: A-7E (158015, NG 404) of VA-147; AAA; North Vietnam; Cdr T. R. Wilkinson, recovered.

Note also that during the Vietnam era the Connie's airwing also lost 23 aircraft to operational reasons with the last of these aircraft as follows:

29 January 1973: A-7E (156837) of VA-147; pilot missing.

The data provided above comes from the USS Constellation CVA/CV64 Association. I highly recommend that you pay their website a visit.