SwiftVets.com

[TEWSPilot]

Our son was two weeks old and our daughter was three years old when I left them to fly missions over SEA with these men. I completed C-47 training with one of the copilots, "Sonny" Primm. My "Promise Kept" memorial website is dedicated in part to them. We passed intel to the Swiftboat units as well as to Army and other Air Force units and to higher HQ. I still remember.

(date on graphic should be February 5th, 1973)


IN MEMORIAM
February 5th, 1973

************************

On this thirty-seventh anniversary of the loss of some of our own,

let us pause and pay respect to their memories and to remember

their surviving family members. These were our EC-47 reconnaissance

brothers and they are our heroes. They made the ultimate

sacrifice; paid the ultimate price.



We Still Remember!

***********************





The loss of the eight man crew of BARON 52, an EC-47Q reconnaissance aircraft (Tail #636) assigned to the 361st Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron (TEWS) was the very last multi-crew aircraft lost in the Southeast Asian war.


The USAF Security Service (USAFSS) reconnaissance crew (backenders) were members of Detachment 3, 6994th Security Squadron located at Ubon RTAB, Thailand (recently known as Detachment 2, 6994th SS, Danang AB, Vietnam).


The mission launched from Ubon RTAFB February 4, 1973 at approximately 23:30 (local Thailand time)


It was subsequently shot down February 5, 1973 between 01:40 and 02:00 approximately 45 miles southeast of Saravane, Laos in the Steel Tiger area while on reconnaissance near the Ho Chi Minh Trail. At last report, the mission aircraft gave an "all clear” signal shortly after reporting in stating that they were taking fire from the ground and were altering course.


The incident occurred nine (9) days after the formal signing of the Peace Accord "ending hostilities" in Southeast Asia. Laos was not invited to be a signatory to the agreement.


Much has been reported on, and speculated about, the cause of the "loss incident" and the ultimate disposition of the crew. Suffice it to say at this writing, the crew has not returned, albeit, one (Lt. Bernhardt), whose partial remains was buried by family in 1973. In 1997, a casket containing a few bone fragments and tooth purportedly representing the remaining seven crewmembers was interred at Arlington with some family members present.



The Air Force formally closed the case on BARON 52. Some of the families have not.

[LewWaters]

May they never be forgotten.
_________________
Clark County Conservative

[Me#1You#10]

Nicely done Tews. May they rest in eternal peace.

[Navy_Navy_Navy]

Yes, well done. Thank you for putting up that page.
_________________
~ Echo Juliet ~
Altering course to starboard - On Fire, Keep Clear
Navy woman, Navy wife, Navy mother

[TEWSPilot]

I know that God is keeping a record, but we need to do our part to make sure they are never forgotten and that their kids and other family members know they were heroes. I shared a story with the brother of Joe Matejov (Joe was nicknamed "Kiwi" because he always kept his boots spit shined) about one of the missions Joe and I flew in the tri-borders area. He shared it with their mother, and I got a wonderful letter from her thanking me for giving her a glimpse into what Joe did on a combat mission. I tried to do that for family members of some of the others when I could find contact info for them, and they always appreciated that little peek into the part of their lives they would never otherwise have known. I still correspond with several of them, not out of obligation, but because I enjoy it, and I think the guys would have done the same for me. Life has many rewards. New friendships are among the best of them.

[zinfella]

[Navy_Navy_Navy]

I can only imagine what your efforts mean to the families of these dear ones.
_________________
~ Echo Juliet ~
Altering course to starboard - On Fire, Keep Clear
Navy woman, Navy wife, Navy mother

[Wing Wiper]

I was in Ubon TDY from June until September 73. I worked the F-4E radar cal. hanger there, facing the flightline. Then back to Udorn from Feb. 74 until we closed up and went home in Jan. 76 (voluntarily extended my tour).

Nice memorial. It's very important to keep alive the memories of our friends and brothers that gave their all for our country.

I see why you're so fond of John Kerry now. I'm thinking you're not a huge McCain fan, either. Neither am I.

[TEWSPilot]

I was at Ubon at that time. This is a shot of me in front of the TEWS OL HQ in the summer of '73. The poem and my website all resulted from my tour and the events of that year, including the loss of Baron 52. I crossed paths with a couple of my peers from pilot training. One was with the 8th TAC Fighter Wing flying F-4s.

I was stationed at Richards Gebaur AFB in Kansas City in 1971 when Kerry and the "VVAW" were across town plotting to assassinate six U.S. Senators who were supporting the war. I was in the group of pilots who arrived in Vietnam shortly after Jane Fonda made her infamous trip to Hanoi and sat in the AAA seat and had her photo taken giggling at the thought of shooting down U.S. pilots. No, I have no respect for John Kerry for reasons too numerous to list. I don't care for McCain for his politics and for a few other reasons I won't mention.

[GenrXr]

[1991932]

Ditto to that, GenrXr.

And, yes, thank you TEWSPilot.
_________________
Former "War Criminal"

[BuffaloJack]

You are a patriot TEWS.

BZ, and keep up the good work.
_________________
Swift Boats - Qui Nhon (12/69-4/70), Cat Lo (4/70-5/70), Vung Tau (5/70-12/71)

[TEWSPilot]

Thank you all for your kind words. I think if you look in the mirror, you'll see the same image as the one you ascribe to me. We are all cut from the same cloth. We all love our country, and we answered the same call as those we revere who came before us and those who are now following in our footsteps and carrying the burden. Whether we ever wore the uniform or we are just the friends or relatives of a military veteran, we are all family. Many of us fall into both categories. I have no doubt that all of you are honoring your own fallen heroes in much the same way I have done mine in this topic. Keep up the good work, and never let their sacrifices be forgotten. That's the promise I made...and The Promise Kept.