Prisoner of War/Missing in Action North Carolina

BORDEN, MURRY LYMAN
Goldsboro, NC

Name: Murray Lyman Borden
Rank/Branch: O2/US Air Force
Unit: 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Da Nang
Date of Birth: 02 January 1941
Home City of Record: Goldsboro NC
Date of Loss: 13 October 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 170400N 1064000E (XD750810)
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4C
Refno: 0494
Other Personnel in Incident: Eugene T. Meadows (missing)

Source: Compiled from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK in 1998.

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS: On 13 October 1966, 1Lt. Eugene T. Meadows and 1Lt. Murray L. Borden departed their base at Da Nang, South Vietnam on an armed reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. The aircraft was one in a flight of two F4C Phantom fighter jets. (NOTE: most U.S. Government records list Meadows as the pilot and Borden as the navigator of the aircraft, but U.S. Air Force records indicate that Borden is the pilot of the aircraft.)

The flight of two F4's was to make four passes over its target in Quang Binh
Province, North Vietnam, about 10 miles north of the eastern side of the
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). On its fourth pass, the Meadows/Borden aircraft failed to radio in, and crew members of the other aircraft observed a large explosion while on a down run. They circled the area, but heard no emergency radio signals ("beepers"). Shortly thereafter, however, a beeper was heard by search aircraft, but neither the crew nor the aircraft could be located. The two First Lieutenants were declared Missing in Action. It was strongly felt that the enemy knows their fates.

When 591 American POWs were released from Vietnamese prisons in 1973,
Meadows and Borden were not among them. Military authorities expressed their
dismay at the time that, "hundreds" expected to return, did not return, nor did they appear on any list provided by the Vietnamese of American POWs.

Since the war ended, nearly 10,000 reports have been received relating to Americans missing in Southeast Asia. Most authorities agree that Americans are still alive, being held prisoner. Few agree on the best way to bring them home.

Whether Borden and Meadows are among those thought to be still alive is not
known. What is certain, however, is that as long as one American remains alive, we must do everything possible to bring him home.

Source: POW Network

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A flight of two F-4s from the 480th TFS were conducting an armed reconnaissance mission in Quang Binh Province, North Vietnam, when they came across truck traffic about 10 miles north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The two aircraft set up and began to conduct multiple passes against the trucks. On its third, perhaps fourth, pass, F-4C tail number 64-0654 impacted the ground. Their wingman saw no parachutes and emergency radio communications could not be established with the crew, 1st Lt Murray L Borden and 1st Lt Eugene T Meadows. Both men were initially classed as Missing in Action, although a later review of the circumstances led to the conclusion that both had died in the crash.

Both men were rated pilots (the F-4C had dual controls) and there is conflicting information with respect to who was riding front seat and who was in the rear seat. It is generally accepted that 1st Lt Borden was in control of the aircraft at the time of its loss.

In 1994 the crash site was excavated and human remains repatriated. On 15 Nov 1994 positive identification of Eugene Meadows' remains was announced, but to date Borden's remains have not been identified.

Source: Virtual Wall

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