Prisoner of War/Missing in Action North Carolina

BROWN, EDWARD DEAN JR.
Charlotte, NC

Name: Edward Dean Brown, Jr.
Rank/Branch: O2/US Navy
Unit: Fighter Squadron 191, USS BON HOMME RICHARD
Date of Birth: 21 March 1940 (Spartanburg NC)
Home City of Record: Charlotte NC
Date of Loss: 29 July 1965
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 095941N 1061533E (XS380050)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F8E
Refno: 0117
Other Personnel In Incident: (none missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 April 1990 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 1998.

REMARKS: KIA N CRASH - REMS DISINTIGRATED - J

SYNOPSIS: The Vought F8 "Crusader" saw action early in U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia. Its fighter models participated both in the first Gulf of Tonkin reprisal in August 1964 and in the myriad attacks against North Vietnam during Operation Rolling Thunder. The Crusader was used exclusively by the Navy and Marine air wings and represented half or more of the carrier fighters in the Gulf of Tonkin during the first four years of the war. The aircraft was credited with nearly 53% of MiG kills in Vietnam.

Between 1964 to 1972, eighty-three Crusaders were either lost or destroyed by enemy fire. Another 109 required major rebuilding. 145 Crusader pilots were recovered; 57 were not. Twenty of these pilots were captured and released. The other 43 remained missing at the end of the war. The breakdown of those not recovered is as follows:

Lt. Edward D. Brown was a pilot assigned to Fighter Squadron 191 onboard the aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31). On July 29, 1965 he launched in his F8E Crusader aircraft on a strike mission over South Vietnam. The mission would take him into the Delta region of South Vietnam, in Vinh Binh Province near the city of Phu Vinh.

On a strafing pass, Brown's aircraft was seen to impact the ground. No evidence of ejection attempt was observed, and it was felt that if Brown went down with his plane, no remains were recoverable. Hostile fire was observed in the vicinity. Brown was classified Killed in Action/Body Not Recovered.

Edward Brown is listed with honor among the missing because his remains were
never returned to the country he fought for. His case seems quite clear. For others who are listed missing, resolution is not as simple. Many were known to have survived their loss incident. Quite a few were in radio contact with search teams and describing an advancing enemy. Some were photographed or recorded in captivity. Others simply vanished without a trace.

Reports continue to mount that we abandoned hundreds of Americans to the
enemy when we left Southeast Asia. While Brown may not be among them, one
can imagine his proud willingness to fly one more mission to help secure their freedom.

Source: POW Network

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