The C2A Greyhound was a cargo aircraft
used by the US Navy to transport personnel, supplies and mail to and from its
carrier task force deployed in the South China Sea. Because of its great range
of flight, ability to land and take off from aircraft carriers while carrying a
heavy load, the sturdy Greyhound with its crew of five fulfilled its roll
admirably throughout the Vietnam War.
On 2 October 1969, a C2A from Fleet
Tactical Support Squadron 50, NAS Atsugi, Japan was transferring crewmen from
Naval Air Station Cubic Point, Republic of the Philippines to the USS
Constellation task force located in the Gulf of Tonkin. The crew of the C2A
assigned to this early morning flight was comprised of Lt. Herbert H. Dilger,
pilot; Lt. Richard A. Livingston, co-pilot; AMS3 Rayford J. Hill, crewmember;
ADJ3 Paul K. Moser, crewmember; and ADJ3 Michael J. Tye, crewmember.
Those sailors returning to the USS
Constellation were: HE3 Terry L. Beck, ATR3 Richard W. Bell, ASE3
Michael L. Bowman, Mr. Frank L. Bytheway, HM2 Donald C. Dean, AMH2 Carl J.
Ellerd, AE2 James J. Fowler, AME3 Roy G. Fowler, MM1 Paul E. Gore, ABH3 William
D. Goresuch, AMS3 Delvin L. Kohker, AN Howard M. Koslosky, FTM2 Robert B.
Leonard, AQB2 Ronald W. Montgomery, ADJ2 Kenneth M. Prentice, SD2 Fidel G.
Salazar and DS3 Keavin L. Terrell. Some of these men were returning to their
ship after liberty while others were going to new duty stations on board the
aircraft carrier.
With the exception of Frank
Bytheway,
a civilian, everyone else on this aircraft was US Navy personnel. While Mr.
Bytheway was manifested on this flight, there is no record of why he was
traveling to the USS Constellation. Further, for unknown reasons, he is not
carried on the US government list of unaccounted for Americans.
Passengers onboard the Greyhound whose
final destination was other ships in the carrier group task force were: PN1
Rolando C. Dayao and YNC Leonardo M. Gan who were returning to the Destroyer USS
Walke, TN Reynaldo R. Viado who was returning to the Destroyer USS Hamner, and
MM2 William R. Moore who was destined for the Guided Missile Cruiser USS Long
Beach.
After take off, Lt. Dilger reported
"Ops Normal." Communications with other squadron aircraft and the
carrier's air control center indicated operations were normal. The carrier's
radar continued tracking the Greyhound until approximately 55 minutes after
takeoff, when radar contact was lost. The last radar position was approximately
26 miles out from the USS Constellation. That position was also 68 miles due
east of the North Vietnamese coastline, 68 miles northeast of Dong Hoi, 137
miles southeast of Vinh, North Vietnam; and 82 miles southwest of Hainan Island,
China.
An extensive search and rescue (SAR)
operation was immediately initiated. Shortly thereafter other aircraft in the
area began sighting an oil slick and debris. A search and recovery helicopter
launched from the ship was able to recover a few pieces of the aircraft. The
recovered debris indicated that the aircraft was in a relatively high-speed nose
down, right wing down impact with the water, or a possible right wing failure
before impact. During the thorough search no bodies of the crew and passengers
were found. At the time the formal search was terminated all 26 men were listed
Killed/Body Not Recovered.
There is virtually no chance that the
crew and passengers onboard the C2A Greyhound can ever be recovered due to the
type of loss. However, each man has the right not to be forgotten by the nation
he gave his life for. For other Americans who remain unaccounted for in
Southeast Asia, their fate could be quite different.
Since the end of the Vietnam War, over
21,000 reports of American prisoners, missing and otherwise unaccounted for have
been received by our government. Many of these reports document LIVE American
Prisoners of War remaining captive throughout Southeast Asia TODAY.
Military and civilian personnel in
Vietnam were prepared to be wounded, killed, or captured. It probably never
occurred to them that they could be abandoned by the country they proudly
served.
| Honored
on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial: Panel 17W - - Line 24
|
The VietNam Veterans' Memorial Wall Page
Incidental Information
Click
Here to view a queried report of messages
and files concerning Richard
W. Bell from the POW/MIA
Database at the Library of Congress's Federal
Research Division. (Links
will open in New Browser Window).
You can run queries on Bell, Richard W. to view the messages.
What a beautiful Picture
Click on image to go to "Connie's" Website
The C2A is the aircraft PO3 Bell was
last seen on.
Did you serve with this HERO? Is
he Family, an old friend, or a High School Sweetheart? Is there something special you
would like to share about Richard -- If so, I would like to hear
about it and post it on this page!!
Please send me an e-mail
