15 Jan 1999 REMEMBERED by one who wears his MIA bracelet, Rick mcrain@cybertours.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall On the morning of 05 Feb 1968, a P-3B aircraft (BuNo 153440) of Patrol Squadron 26 departed U-Tapao Air Base in Thailand for a 24-hour "Market Time" patrol over the Gulf of Thailand and the southern Vietnamese coastline. The aircraft was manned by VP-26's Crew Eight, normally based at NAS Brunswick, Maine, but on TDY to Southeast Asia. Shortly after midnight on the night of 5/6 Feb 68 the crew reported the first of a number of small surface contacts. Nothing was heard from Crew Eight after a final radio contact at 0300 06 Feb, and SAR efforts were begun after daybreak. Floating wreckage was located in the Gulf of Thailand about 65 miles southwest of Rach Gia, SVN. Salvage efforts began on 11 Feb and located the aircraft wreckage in about 100 feet of water, but divers were able to recover the bodies of only two of the twelve men aboard: LCDR Robert F. Meglio, Flushing, NY (body recovered) LT Thomas P. Jones, Buffalo, NY LTJG Roy A. Huss, Eau Claire, WI LTJG Lynn M. Travis, Newport, AR AXCS Donald F. Burnett, Montgomery, AL AOC Donald L. Gallagher, Sheboygan, WI AX1 Billy W. McGhee, Rockwood, TN (body recovered) ADR1 James C. Newman, Knoxville, TN AE1 Melvin C. Thompson, Colquitt, GA AMH2 Homer E. McKay, Shallowater, TX AX3 Armando Chapa, San Jose, CA AX3 William F. Farris, West Salem, IL

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