In Memoriam SMSGT Douglas Vincent Dailey, USAF 606th Special Operations Squadron Nakhon Phanom, Thailand MIA 13 December 1968 I have worn an MIA bracelet that bears his name for 13 years. Although I do not know SMSGT Douglas V. Dailey he will always have a special place in my heart. Each time I visit the Moving Wall I shade his name and hope that he is at peace, whether alive or deceased. I dedicate this page to the memory of SMSGT Douglas Vincent Dailey. Heidi J. Gipprich SSGT, USAF 1989-2001 New Baltimore, Michigan hgipprich@cox.net 22 Apr 2002

 

Memorial Day, 2002 I am an active duty Air Force member assigned to the 41st Combat Rescue Squadron (Jolly Greens) at Moody AFB, Georgia. I received a POW/MIA bracelet through the VFW after requesting to be the sponsor of anyone from Michigan (I grew up in Saginaw). I have been wearing SMSgt Dailey's silver bracelet for two years. This past week-end my wife and I rode to northern Georgia where The Wall was on display. There we were finally able to make a connection with Doug. We visited the local VFW and were told about this site. Matt Holloway MSgt 41st RQS Moody AFB GA rotorhead5@hotmail.com

 

4 Nov 2004 I'm his grandson and I wish I could of met him. Please help me be closer to him. Thanks ... Douglas Dailey 06 Oct 2006 I wish I could have met him. I am glad our last names are the same ... from what my dad has told me and my mom he sounds like a wonderful man. From his grandson, Joshua David Dailey dailey613@hotmail.com

 

22 Mar 2007 I don't know who Douglas V Dailey is but I have worn the silver bracelet for 13 years. I still pray either if he is dead or alive, that he is up in heaven! iloveangels777@nerdshack.com

 

Notes from The Virtual Wall On 13 December 1968 a C-123K PROVIDER of the 606th Special Operations Squadron launched from Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, Thailand, on a night FAC mission over the Ho Chi Minh Trail area. The low-and-slow C-123K's mission was to obtain visual or infrared sightings of traffic along the Trail and to act as a controller for bombers - in this case, B-57 CANBERRA bombers from the 8th Tactical Bomber Squadron, Phan Rang AB, SVN. Weather conditions along the Trail were good - clear with a half moon, ground fog, no wind and no cloud ceiling. At 0300 hours, as a B-57 was executing an attack against ground targets, the B-57 collided with the upper surface of the circling C-123K. Both aircraft - and nine aircrewmen - went down. Only one - 1st Lt Thomas M. Turner from the C-123 - was rescued. The others simply disappeared into the Laotian jungles about 30 miles southwest of the Ban Kari Pass. A ground search was impossible due to total enemy control of the area, but airborne search-and-rescue operations continued until 15 December, when the formal SAR effort was terminated. At that point, the crewmen and their status were as follow: 606th SOS, C-123K call sign CANDLESTICK 44 1st Lt Thomas M. Turner, pilot, rescued; 1st Lt Joseph P. Fanning, co-pilot, MIA; 1st Lt John S. Albright, II, navigator, MIA; 1st Lt Morgan J. Donahue, navigator, MIA; Then-SSgt Douglas V. Dailey, flight engineer, MIA; TSgt Fred L. Clarke, loadmaster, MIA; and SSgt Samuel F. Walker, Jr., loadmaster, MIA. 8th Tactical Bomber Squadron, B-57B call sign YELLOWBIRD 72 Major Thomas W Dugan, pilot, MIA, and Major Francis J McGouldrick, co-pilot, MIA. None of the men returned with other POWs in February 1973, nor did any of the released POWs have knowledge of the CANDLESTICK or YELLOWBIRD crewmen. As time passed, the Secretary of the Air Force approved Presumptive Findings of Death for the eight missing crewmen - including Senior Master Sergeant Douglas V. Dailey (07 Jan 1974). None of the eight men have been repatriated. Additional information is available on the POW Network and Task Force Alpha sites.

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