Spectres Lost in Southeast Asia

Locations of Lost Aircraft at time of crashes
(Credit to Dave Carlton)

22 APR 1970
ACFT 625
Viet Nam Memorial Panel 11 W

29 MAR 1972
ACFT 044
Viet Nam Memorial Panel 2 W

ARLINGTON MASS BURIAL FOR
MARCH 29, 1972 CRASH

The Interment Service for the group remains of the crew of
AC-130, REFNO 1807 has been scheduled for June 17th 2010 at 3:00 pm, Arlington National Cemetary, Arlington Va. The group remains for the crew will include SMSgt Simmons, Lt Col Castillo, Lt Col Brauner, Lt Col Ramsower II, Lt Col Stephenson, Maj Young, Maj Miller, Capt. Halpin, Capt. Wanzell III, CMSgt Pearce, SMSgt Caniford, SMSgt Smith, MSgt Paulson, and MSgt Todd.

As the laboratory could not associate these remains specifically to any one individual, the USAF Mortuary Affairs Division will coordinate the group service to be conducted at The Arlington national Cemetery. The service will include full military honors, caisson, The Air Force Band, color guard, casket bearers, firing detail, Taps and a flyover.

ARLINGTON MASS BURIAL FOR MARCH 29, 1972 CRASH

The Interment Service for the group remains of the crew of
AC-130, REFNO 1807 was held June 17th 2010 at 3:00 pm, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington Va. The group remains for the crew will include SMSgt Simmons, Lt Col Castillo, Lt Col Brauner, Lt Col Ramsower II, Lt Col Stephenson, Maj Young, Maj Miller, Capt. Halpin, Capt. Wanzell III, CMSgt Pearce, SMSgt Caniford, SMSgt Smith, MSgt Paulson, and MSgt Todd.

The laboratory could not associate these remains specifically to any one individual, the USAF Mortuary Affairs Division coordinated the group service to be conducted at The Arlington National Cemetery. The service will included full military honors, caisson, The Air Force Band, color guard, casket bearers, firing detail, Taps and a flyover.

Arlington, DC Photo of 044 Crew Grave Marker Courtesy of

Henry (Hank) Rother

Maj USAF Ret

21 DEC 1972
ACFT 490
Viet Nam Memorial Panel 1 W

During the flight to the target, Spectre 17 inexplicably broke altitude descending to a lower level according to crewmen aboard other gunships taking part in the same mission, and was hit by enemy ground fire. After evaluating the amount of battle damage sustained by Thor, the decision was made to attempt to return to base. After 10 minutes of stable, level flight, fuel accumulated ankle deep in the cargo area igniting an explosion that severely damaged the aircraft, but did not cause it to disintegrate. According to reports provided by other aircrews who monitored radio communications between the crew of Spectre 17, along with communications between aircraft, none of the 16 crewmen were injured by the ground fire that initially damaged the gunship. The crewmen were preparing for a possible bailout by putting on their parachutes, and those men not necessary for flying it were moving to the rear of the aircraft. The jump bell was heard over the headsets of those monitoring communications between the aircraft 5 to 10 seconds before Spectre 17 exploded. Further, once the men hit the ground, many emergency beepers were heard "going off all over the place."

TSgt. Richard Williams parachuted just before the explosion and A1C Carl E. Stevens did the same immediately afterward. Both men evaded enemy patrols and were rescued hours later. Other than A1C Stevens and TSgt. Williams who were rescued, no other crewmen could be located.

Actual Survivor TSgt Williams Account of the incident:

I APPRECIATE YOUR REMEMBERING OF SPECTRE 17 BUT I WOULD LIKE TO CLEAR UP SOME MIS INFORMATION. AS THE ONLY LIVING MEMBER OF THAT CREW IT IS STILL VIVID IN MY MIND. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT I WAS WORKING THE 40S WITH REED, FENTER ON THE 20S AND ELLIOT IN THE WINDOW. I DON'T THINK WE GOT HALF AN ORBIT IN WITH THE 20S ON THE LINE WHEN WE WERE HIT. AFTER HEARING WE WERE RTB, WE CLEANED UP THE 40S AND I WALKED UP TO THE AREA WHERE WE WERE HIT AND OBSERVED A HOLE ABOUT THE SIZE OF A SMALL COFFEE CAN AND FUEL WAS POURING OUT OF IT, IT WAS WHERE THE WING JOINS THE FUSELAGE ABOUT EVEN WITH THE TOP OF THE BOOTH. FUEL WAS FLOWING TO THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT. I THEN WALKED BACK AND LOOKED IN THE BOOTH AND ALL WERE AT THEIR STATIONS LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED. I THEN JOINED MAJOR MEDER, WHO WAS ON AN ORIENTATION FLIGHT AND DID NOT HAVE A SEAT IN THE BOOTH, BOTH I.O.s AND GUNNER REED WHO WERE ON THE RAMP. THE BACK OF THE A/C WAS SATURATED WITH FUEL, NOT ANKLE DEEP BUT MAYBE SOLE DEEP. ALL THIS TIME THE COCKPIT CREW WAS TRYING TO GET THE FUEL STOPPED WITH NO SUCCESS. I THEN POSITIONED MYSELF AT THE TOP OF THE RAMP LOOKING FORWARD AND SOON AFTER SOMEONE IN THE COCKPIT CALLED FOR THE A/C MANUALS WHICH I BELIEVE WERE IN THE BOOTH AND WINNINGHAM VOLUNTEERED TO GET THEM TO THE FRONT. MINUTES LATER THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION, THE A/C VEERED HARD LEFT AND THE CARGO COMPARTMENT WAS FILLED WITH FLAMES. I FLUNG MYSELF BACKWARDS AND WENT OUT IN A BALL OF FIRE. STEVENS SAID THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO HIM. AT NO TIME DID I HEAR ANY BAIL OUT BELL NOR  WAS ANYONE TOLD TO HEAD FOR THE REAR OF THE A/C. WE WERE ON THE RAMP TO GET OUT OF THE FUEL. RIGHT AFTER I GOT A GOOD CHUTE THERE WAS A BRIGHT FLASH UNDER ME WHERE THE A/C IMPACTED AND SECONDS LATER I FELT THE CONCUSSION. I LANDED ABOUT 2 HUNDRED METERS FROM THE CRASH SITE MY CHUTE IN A TREE MY FEET ONLY INCHES FROM THE GROUND. I E&ED A SHORT DISTANCE AND WAS PICKED UP 2 AND A HALF HOURS LATER BY JOLLY GREEN. SSGT. JACK STEPHENS  WAS THE P.J. CARL STEVENS WAS PICKED UP NEARBY NOT LONG AFTER. BY THE WAY HE WAS AN A1C NOT A TECH.

I HAVE THE TAPE RECORDING FROM SPECTRE 07 WHO WERE COMING TO ESCORT US BACK AND WHO WAS THE ONSCENE COMMANDER AND ALTHOUGH THEY WERE 50 MILES FROM US SAW WHAT THEY AT FIRST THOUGHT WAS A FLARE FALLING TO THE GROUND BUT IN REALITY WAS A/C 490  DON'T KNOW WHY THERE WERE SO MANY UN TRUTHS THAT CAME OUT ABOUT THIS INCIDENT, YOU OUGHT TO SEE WHAT'S ON SOME OF THE WEB SITES BUT IT WAS 38 YEARS AGO AND I STOPPED TRYING TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT. UNTIL TODAY.            -WILLIE  LEAD GUNNER CREW 10

The crash site is located inside the red circle

For a extensive historical tribute from John John Winningham's  Please visit http://spectre17.org
for a extensive historical tribute from Jon's Son Rob Son Rob

Memorial Day Changes on Vietnam Wall

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Another name was added to the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Wall this Memorial Day. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Enrique Valdez's name brings the total number of service men and women killed or missing in action to 58,261. But that wasn't the only change on The Wall this year.  Two symbols on The Wall are used to show who is missing in action, and who has been killed in action. The plus, also known as a cross, is for the missing.  This Memorial Day, the plus next to the name of Jimmy Caniford has been changed to a diamond, officially noting that the Senior Master Sergeant from Brunswick, Maryland was killed in action. His remains were recovered in Laos last year, where his gunship went down in 1972.  The official notification was a shock to his father.  "I was astounded," said his father, James Caniford, Sr. "This was possibly the fourth dig."  For more than three decades, James Caniford, Sr. wondered if his only son was a casualty, or whether he could possibly still be alive. FOX 5 spoke to him a year ago, on the day his son was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.  "If you can fully comprehend what 36 years entails of not knowing where your only son is," Caniford, Sr. said. "I needed a finality to this, and today was that finality."

Jimmy Caniford was honored with a seven-gun salute, a gunship flyover, and the playing of Taps. Now, the symbol next to his name on the wall says he's no longer missing, and instead, he was killed in action while serving his country.

Blind Bat War hero brought home, laid to rest after 40 years missing in action
7/28/2009 - KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AFNS) -- As three rifle vollies rang throughout Chapel Hill Memorial Cemetery July 27, the sounds meant a Vietnam War veteran who had been missing in action for more than 40 years was finally home to rest .  Active-duty members, retirees and their families gathered at Chief Master Sgt. Quincy Adam's final resting place to pay their respects. Among them was Staff Sgt. Adam Blankenship, cousin of Chief Adam.  "It's been a long road for our family waiting for this type of closure," said Sergeant Blankenship, assigned to the 436th Security Forces Squadron at Dover Air Force Base, Del. "I received the news while deployed to Afghanistan, and it really redefined the pride that I have in serving our country."  In keeping with tradition, the Whiteman AFB honor guard gathered its entire fleet to ensure a proper and honorable military funeral was carried out for the late Chief Adam and his family.  "Today is a good day," said Tech. Sgt. Dave Giberson, Whiteman AFB honor guard NCO in charge. "One of our own has been brought home; we've practiced long and hard for this day, so let's go out there and do what we do best." 
 

As the funeral commenced and respects were paid, a Vietnam-era C-130 Hercules flyover was performed by an aircrew from the 62nd Airlift Squadron at Little Rock AFB, Ark.  However, in homage to Chief Adam and his tie to the 41st Tactical Airlift Squadron, all of the crewmembers were former members of the 41st AS and volunteered for the opportunity to honor Chief Adam.  After the rifle vollies had been fired, Master Sgt. Gregory Giles of the honor guard detail presented Kenneth Adam, father of Chief Adam with a folded American flag on behalf of the United States for all his son sacrificed for his country. 

"The feeling of handing over that folded flag was like nothing I've experienced in my 21 years of performing in the honor guard," Sergeant Giles said. "The fact that his son passed away before him while serving his country made my feelings that much more overwhelming. I was honored to perform such a service to say the least, and proud to have been a part of a very important funeral."  Chief Adam served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War as a C-130 loadmaster. Growing up, Chief Adam wanted nothing more than to fly, so joining the Air Force was only natural for him. 
As the United States moved forward with efforts in Vietnam, Chief Adam and the rest of his crew got the call letting them know they were needed in Asia. Without hesitation, they set off to war in their C-130, call sign "Blind Bat 01."  Chief  Adam and his crew carried out a regularly scheduled night flare drop mission over eastern Laos, adjacent to the northern most provinces of South Vietnam near the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail. The trail, a crucial target for U.S. forces, was used by the Communists to transport weapons, supplies and troops from North Vietnam into South Vietnam.  As Chief  Adam and his crew continued their routine mission, orbiting the target area, "Blind Bat 01" made its last radio contact with the airborne mission command and control center at 8:30 p.m., May 22, 1968. At 9:15 p.m., however, "Blind Bat 01" could not be reached and another C-130, "Blind Bat 02," was dispatched to search for the missing aircraft. 
While searching, the aircrew of "Blind Bat 02" saw a large fire on the battlefield below.  This was later deemed to be the wreckage of "Blind Bat 01." The entire crew was listed as MIA.  After 40 years, Chief Adam's remains were discovered in Southeast Asia and he was brought home to Kansas City, Kan., to rest. 

"It's such a relief to finally have this closure," said Kenneth Adam. "I've waited and prayed for this moment to come every day for the past 30 years, and now that's its finally here I can rejoice and rest easy knowing that my son is home."

MIA Vietnam Soldier Laid To Rest 36 Years After Disappearance

VFW Magazine April 2012 has an article on Spectre losses in 1972