Wednesday, June 19, 1968

Stars & Stripes, 26 June 1968 — "After 2 Hairy Hours, F4 Crew Rescued": "The rescue of a downed fighter-bomber crew climaxed two hours of dramatic action aboard the carrier America and in the air over North Vietnam. It began just 12 minutes after midnight, when the two-man F4 Phantom was downed by enemy fire northwest of Vinh... In less than a minute, radarmen on the missile frigate Jouett had pin-pointed the location of the downed pilots." [Stars & Stripes]

From the Jul 1 Familygram, Captain Hayes' detailed account of the Medal of Honor rescue: "Radarman First Class, Joseph T. WHITTFALL, while on watch in the Combat Information Center of JOUETT, heard the distress call... Under the skillful direction of Radarman First Class Alan R. MELTON, the rescue helicopter and accompanying fixed wing escorts were vectored by radar control through the pitch black night toward the hillside where the survivors were believed to be located." [Familygram]

From the Jul 1 Familygram: "Suddenly, under the canopy of flare illumination, the two survivors splattered with mud, flight suits ripped to shreds, hurtled out of the brush, ran some 20 yards across the clearing, and dove into the waiting helicopter." [Familygram]

From the Jul 1 Familygram: "Then came the report, 'feet wet', which meant they were out over water. Everyone who heard it felt like cheering. The JOUETT, which had been closing the coast at high speed to reduce the length of the flight, now turned on all her aircraft landing lights, and swung into the wind, to receive the helicopter." [Familygram]