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Oriskany I MIA/POW Shipmates
Oriskany Museum and USS Oriskany Reunion Association
MIA/POW Shipmates and incidents of
Casualties
On this page we wish to show respect and remembrance for our beloved shipmates of the U.S.S.
Oriskany who remain unaccounted for, and to record and remember those who gave their lives for
our country while serving aboard the "Mighty O".
In the April 2003 newsletter, a list was given of those shipmates who had been listed as MIA or POW in
cruise books or, more lately, on websites. The following is an update of that list. Your input is important!
Is there someone on here that you know more about? Is there a person whom you know should be listed? Is
the information correct? This is not a listing of all shipmates who died in the line of duty while serving on
the Oriskany, but a listing of only those MIA/POWs. A memorial board with names and pins is on display at
the museum, as Well as a memorial book with biographies of the following shipmates:
ALDERN, DONALD DEAN, lost on a night bombing mission in southern Laos June 29, 1970, MIA.
AVORE, MALCOLM ARTHUR, Attack Squadron 163, lost July 18, 1965 in a catapult launch, body not
.recovered.
BARR, JOHN FREDERICK, lost Oct. 18, 1967, body not recovered.
BEENE, JAMES A., lost Oct. 5, 19669 flight leader and pilot, missing, declared killed in action, body not
recovered.
ADJ2 BIDWELL, BARRY A., lost at sea June 18, 1971, body not recovered.
BISZ, RALPH CAMPION, Attack Squadron 163, lost August 4, 1967.
BLEKICKI, LT W.C., VA -153, lost at sea December 14, 1973.
BORAH, DANIEL, Attack Squadron 155, MIA, disputed, remains identified 1997.
BORTHICK, SA J.A., lost at sea November 3, 1973.
BOWLING, ROY, lost Nov. 17, 1965, remains returned 1977.
BULLARD, WILLIAM HENRY, Attack Squadron 164. lost Aug. 25, 1966 over water near N. Vietnam,
body not recovered.
CASSELL, ROBIN BERN, Attack Squadron 152, lost July 15, 1967 over water near N. Vietnam, body not
recovered.
CHAN, PETER, lost at sea Sept. 25, 1972, body not recovered.
DAVIS, DONALD VANCE, VA 163 Saints, lost July 25, 1967 in N. Vietnam, .remains returned 1997,
identified April 1, 1998, buried at Arlington National Cemetery May 19, 1998.
LTJG DE BLASIO, RAYMOND V., VAQ 130, lost at sea on June 18, 1971 , body not recovered.
LCDR DENNISON, JAMES RICHARD, lost Jan. 1, 1968 over water near N. Vietnam, MIA.
DENNISON, TERRY ARDEN, lost July 19, 1966, remains returned to US control March 1974.
DOLAN, SN JIMMY M., lost June 18, 1971
DOOLEY, JAMES E., Attack Squadron 163, lost Oct. 22, 1967 flying an A4E Skyhawk, MIA.
ELKINS, FRANK CALLIHAN, lost Oct. 12, 1966, remains returned 1990, wife made his journal while
aboard the Oriskany into a book, HEART OF A MAN, and we have a copy of this book in the museum.
FELDHAUS, JOHN ANTHONY, lost Oct. 8, 1966 while flying an A -1H Skyraider, remains identified Oct.
30, 2001.
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MIA,IFU W ,shipmates and Incidents of Casualties
Page 2 of 129
FOULKS, RALPH E. JR., lost Jan. 5, 1968, Attack Squadron 163 flying an A4E Skyhawk, remains
identified Jan. 12, 1993.
FRYE, DONALD PATRICK, lost July 19, 1967, remains returned Oct. 14, 1982.
GUERRA, RAUL ANTONIO, E3 Early Warning Squadron 111, lost oct. 8, 1967 in S. Vietnam, body not
recovered.
HAAS, LEON FREDERICK, Attack Squadron 155, lost July 17, 1972 while flying a night surveillance
mission, killed, body not recovered.
HARDIE, CHARLES DAVID, lost July 27, 1967 flying A3 Skywarrior, body not recovered.
HARTMAN, RICHARD DANNER, lost July 18, 1967 in N. Vietnam, remains returned March 5, 1974.
HERRIN, HENRY HOWARD JR., lost January 1, 1968, lost at sea, body not recovered.
HODGES. DAVID LAWTON, lost October 7, 1967, remains returned in 1999.
JACKSON, WILLIAM BRAXTON, lost July 19, 1967, remains returned October 14, 1982.
KLUGG, JOSEPH RUSSELL, lost November 14, 1970, killed during a catapult launch over the end of the
carrier, body not recovered.
KNAPP, FREDERIC WOODROW VA- 164, lost November 2, 1967, no remains recovered.
KROMMENHOEK, JEFFREY MARTIN VA -163, lost October 25, 1967 flying an A4E Skyhawk, MIA.
MARTIN, JOHN BERNARD II LT -03 -NAVY RESERVE, lost on Oct. 6, 1970 in offshore N. Vietnam
crash at sea, body not recovered
MCGRANE, DONALD PAUL, lost July 19, 1967, remains returned October 14, 1982.
METZLER, CDR CHARLES DAVID, lost at sea in an accident in an F-8 around the ship in 1.971.
MINNICH, R.W. - lost January 4, 1968, remains repatriated in mid 1980s.
LT PAINTER, JOHN R, lost at sea June 18, 1971, body not recovered.
PATTERSON, BRUCE MERLE, lost July 27, 1967, body not recovered.
PERRY, RICHARD CLARK VA -164, lost August 1, 1967, remains returned February 1987.
PETERSON, DENNIS WILLIAM, lost July 19, 1967, pilot of a rescue helicopter, body not recovered, MIA.
PINEAU, ROLAND ROBERT, lost October 8, 1967, killed, body not recovered.
PONTHAN', LTJG S.H., VA -153, lost at sea March 19, 1974.
POWERS, TRENT RICHARD VA -164, lost October 31, 1965, remains returned September 25, 1987,
buried in MN April 15, 1988.
PROST, LT. LEE ALLEN VA -162, died at sea May 6, 1967.
RIKER, ENS A.W., lost November 4, 1952.
ROGGOW, NORMAN LEE SQUADRON 11.1, lost October 8, 1967, body not recovered.
RUDOLPH, ROBERT DAVID, lost September 8, 1965, killed, remains returned December 15, 1988.
SMILEY, STANLEY KUTZ, lost. July 20, 1969, Attack Squadron 23 flying an A4F Skyhawk, body not
recovered.
TAYLOR, JESSE JR. VA -163, lost. November 17, 1965, remains returned 1975.
WOLFE, DONALD FINDLING, EARLY WARNING SQUADRON 111, lost October 8, 1967, no recovery
possible.
ZIS SU, ANDREW GILBERT, EARLY WARNING SQUADRON 111, lost October 8, 1967 in S. Vietnam,
killed, no recovery possible.
BRACELETS
Lt. Richard Minnich Jr., MIA
By Kimberly Skach
14102 NE 40th Street
Vancouver, WA 98682
Kcole98662@aol.com
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xu,/-%/ru w 3nipmates ana lnclaents or Casualties
Page 4 of 129
that other Americans cared about their son. Some 35 years later, he is still significant to
me.
Dear Ms. Jacobson,
While doing my usual weekend routine of looking thru one of the local antique stores here
in Temecula , CA., looking for a bargain, I noticed a bracelet containing a name and a year.
The year 1965 caught my eye. That's the year I was born. I thought the type of bracelet
looked familiar; it's the same type of bracelet my mother wore when Iwas young. It was a
i
MIA/POW bracelet which was common during my childhood. Except t was marked solely
as an ID bracelet. I knew that this description was completely wrong. It was more than just
an ID bracelet.
I took note of the name and date on the bracelet, came home and entered it on to my
computer, to and behold, I came across the of the website of the USS Oriskany. And on this
website, I learned of the fate of the person named on the bracelet that I had seen in an
antique store. After reading the information on the website, I returned to the store the very
next day, in order to purchase this bracelet. Being the son of a Vietnam veteran, being a
brother of a serviceman currently serving in the US Navy, being the grandson of a veteran,
being the nephew of a veteran, and being a Navy veteran myself, I would like to find a better
home for this bracelet that better represents the greatest sacrifice that any US serviceman
or US servicewoman could ever give for their country, their life. I am sending the museum
three things: the bracelet, a poem by Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, USMC , and the only
story I know of CDR. Trent R. Powers, provided by your website, to you, in the hopes that
should ever a family member of CDR. Powers ever want the bracelet to have as a memorial
that the museum will see that they shall have it. Until then I am sure the museum will take
care of this national treasure that I have found. (The bracelet is now in the museum.)
LCDR TRENT RICHARD POWERS
Rank/ ranch: 4/US Navy
Unit: Attack Squadron 164, USS Onookany �CVz% 34�
Date of Birth: 24 August 1930 (Erie PA)
Home City of Record: Minneapolis MN
Date of Loss: 31 October 1965
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
REMARKS: EJECTED SAFELY
PrisanaF a� Wary
Acft/Vehicie/Ground: A -4E
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Other Personnel In Incident. mono md'ss'Mg)
Lieutenant Commander T. R. Powers of VA -164 in A -4E BuNo. 151173 side number AH 400
was shot down by triple A, over North Vietnam on 10-31-1965. Lieutenant Commander
Powers survived the ejection and was captured by the North Vietnamese and was
murdered by the North Vietnamese while in captivity.
On October 31, 1965, LCdr. Trent R. Powers was the lead aircraft of eight U.S. Air Force F-
105s on a combat assault mission over North Vietnam. LCdr. Powers was flying an A -4E
aircraft, and launched from the USS Oriskany (CVA 34). The flight progressed smoothly
until the planes entered the target area, where they encountered ante -aircraft artillery fire
and surface to air missiles (SAM).
LCdF. [Powers was observed maMng o oswM bombong Fun at an aMdtuds o� about 200 foot. A\o
the second aorcraft pu000d ofi the taFgat9 the poflo observed LC dv. Powers' pflana finsh ao o�
an fore. The oororoft then turned and crashed 'Mto a kavat brd'dge roar or on Co mountoon ori
He Bac FlrowMoo9 Idostna . [Powers was seen parachuting �rom the pflane9 wovong 20 'dnd'oca2s
that he was oke The ares onto wMch Powers parachuted was a hoowofly popuu aged wafty
about 35 miles north o� Hanoo and about I 100 meters north o Ngoc Trod. AKhough
Msc2ronoo beepar oognaa s were hoard dor about 30 seconds, no vad'Eo contact was over
astabooshad wo2h Leo Powers. Search and Fescue oflor2s were raft l ofl duo to heavy ground
fors.
The U.S. Government floW pflaced Troost R. Powers On o M0000ng on Qotoon status an October
a 1 9 it 9659 than Janu ry 179 1 SE97y c n tinged hos -ataff oe Un) khat o0 Pr000nor� oq %,'V oro My f!z4rr , 1976
the U.S. Government had oc� ays ] h'Hm adm'c�ootrat'YYMV dead9 dor sack o ung ovmatJon that he
was 000ws. Whathor he was 000wo any or aoo o those years 00 unknown.
The Vietnamese knew what happened to Trent Powers on the day doe poans was Shot down.
He was alive and uninjured on the ground on o. popuoous area o� North V'Mnam. V'Magars
had instructions to turn over any pr000nevs or on�ormaVon to the contra. government, yet
the Vietnamese denied any knowflsdga o Powers. The U.S. had poacad Powers on Pr000nav
of War status, indicating that they had oortaoM knows adgo that he was captured. Ewen
though the U.S. has repeatedly asked the V'Wnamsse dor 'Mormouoon concsF ng LCdr.
Powers, for years there was been no now on�ormouoon rogardo'ng Ma fo2oo
In May 1987, remains were returned to U.S. control by the Vietnamese. Co -mingled ve't
these remains were three teeth that were positively identified as being those of Trent
Powers. In late November 19879 the Vietnamese returned remains they said were those oft
Trent R. Powers. The remains were subsequently examined and K was announced on
February 8, 1988 that the remains were indeed those of Powers. He was buried in Chad
Hassen, Minnesota on April 15, 1988.
LIST, BY UNIT, OF MEN KILLED OR 'OAKEN
POW WHILE SERVING ON OR ATTACHED TO
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iwiivry w �nipmates anca inclaents of t-:asuaitles
1975-76
?-?-1975-76? crashed on recovery - rescued
YEAR AND CAUSE OF DEATH UNKNOWN
Blekicki (VA -153)
killed
Borthick
killed
Connors USMC
killed
Dilks
killed
Ponthan (VA -153)
killed
Prezorski
killed
Stark
killed
LIST OF MEN KILLED OR TAKEN
Page 15 of 129
PRISONER OF WAR WHILE SERVING ON OR
FLYING OFF THE USS Oriskany
Other incidents are listed under the "Notes" section for each deployment.
This is a working list compiled from various internet sources and is probably not complete nor totally
accurate. Readers are encouraged to alert Roger Johnson to mistakes or omissions at farmstone@aol.com
or through the Oriskany Museum in Oriskany, N.Y.
1951 MEDITERRANEAN DEPLOYMENT
(May 15, 1951 10 October 4, 1951)
NOTES:
The Oriskany was commissioned in September 1950 and deployed to the Mediterranean Sea
between May and October, 1951.
VMF-122 was assigned to the Oriskany in 1951 and became the first Marine jet squadron to be
both day and night qualified for carrier operations.
KILLED /POW:
MAJ. WILLIAM J. BEDFORD
VMF-122, USMC Died on the 1951 Mediterranean cruise per a website.
LTjg JAMES M. WEAVER
VF -62 died on the 1951 Mediterranean cruise per a website.
1952-53 KOREAN WAR DEPLOYMENT
(September 15, 1952 to May 18, 1953)
NOTES:
Oriskany became the first aircraft carrier in history to round Cape Horn, June 29, 1952, while
enroute to San Diego CA, the ship's new home port. She was now part of the
Pacific Fleet.
The Oriskany's hull number was actually CV -34 on 29 June, 1952. She was redesignated CVA -34
on 1 October that year.
She made one Korean War combat cruise, from September, 1952 to May, 1953.
During the 1952 and 1953 deployment, Oriskany served with the U.S. Seventh Fleet as part of the
United Nations Task Force. Planes from her flight deck raided enemy supply buildups and
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captured, six were released, and one died in captivity).
Lt. Henry S. McWhorter was the pilot of an RF -8A on a combat mission in Nghe
An Province, North Vietnam on August 29, 1965. As he was about 25 miles northwest of the city of
Vinh, his aircraft was hit by enemy fire and crashed. It was thought that the possibility existed that
Lt. McWhorter safely ejected, but no parachute was seen, and no emergency radio beeper signals
heard. Lt. McWhorter was given a slim hope of survival and was declared Killed/Body Not
Recovered.
McWhorter was listed among the missing because his remains were never
located to return home. He was among over 2,300 still prisoner, missing, or otherwise
unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.
In 1987, the Vietnamese discovered remains that they identified as Henry S.
McWhorter and returned them to U.S. control. The U.S. confirmed this identification and returned
the remains to McWhorter's family for burial. Lt. McWhorter was awarded the Distinguished Flying
Cross.
LCDR TRENT RICHARD POWERS
Rank/Branch:
Unit: Attack
Date of Birth:
Home City of Record:
Date of Loss:
Country of Loss:
REMARKS:
Prisoner of War
Acft/Veh icle/G round:
Other Personnel In Incident:
04/US Navy
Squadron 164, USS Oriskany (CVA 34)
24 August 1930 (Erie PA)
Minneapolis MN
31 October 1965
North Vietnam
EJECTED SAFELY
A -4E
(none missing)
Lieutenant Commander T. R. Powers of VA -164 in A -4E BuNo. 151173 side number AH 466 was
shot down by triple A, over North Vietnam on 10-31-1965. Lieutenant Commander Powers
survived the ejection and was captured by the North Vietnamese and was murdered by the North
Vietnamese while in captivity.
On October 31, 1965, LCdr. Trent R. Powers was the lead aircraft of eight U.S. Air Force F -105s
on'a combat assault mission over North Vietnam. LCdr. Powers was flying an A -4E aircraft, and
launched from the USS Oriskany (CVA 34). The flight progressed smoothly until the planes
entered the target area, where they encountered anti-aircraft artillery fire and surface to air
missiles (SAM).
LCdr. Powers was observed making a level bombing run at an altitude of about
200 feet. As the second aircraft pulled off the target, the pilot observed LCdr. Powers' plane flash
as if on fire. The aircraft then turned and crashed into a karat bridge near or on Ca mountain in Ha
Bac Province, Vietnam. Powers was seen parachuting from the plane, waving to indicate that he
was ok. The area into which Powers parachuted was a heavily populated valley about 35 miles
north of Hanoi and about 1100 meters north of Ngoc Trac. Although electronic beeper signals
were heard for about 30 seconds, no
radio contact was ever established with Lt. Powers. Search and rescue efforts were called off due
to heavy ground fire.
The U.S. Government first placed Trent R. Powers in a Missing in Action status on October
31, 1965, then January 17, 1967, changed his status to that of Prisoner of War. By late 1973, the
U.S. Government had declared him administratively dead, for lack of information that he was alive.
Whether he was alive any or all of those years is unknown.
The Vietnamese knew what happened to Trent Powers on the day his plane was shot
down. He was alive and uninjured on the ground in a populous area of
North Vietnam. Villagers had instructions to turn over any prisoners or information to the central
government, yet the Vietnamese denied any knowledge of Powers. The U.S. had placed Powers
in Prisoner of War status, indicating that they had certain knowledge that he was captured. Even
though the U.S. has repeatedly asked the Vietnamese for information concerning LCdr. Powers,
for years there was been no new information regarding his fate.
In May 1987, remains were returned to U.S. control by the Vietnamese.
Co -mingled with these remains were three teeth that were positively identified as being those of
Trent Powers.
In late November 1987, the Vietnamese returned remains they said were those of Trent R.
Powers. The remains were subsequently examined and it was announced on February 8, 1988
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Page 42 of 129
that the remains were indeed those of Powers. He was buried in Chan Hassen, Minnesota on April
15, 1988.
LTjg ROBERT DAVID RUDOLPH
Rank/Branch:
Unit:
Date of Birth:
Home City of Record:
Date of Loss:
Country of Loss:
Loss Coordinates:
Status (in 1973):
Acft/Vehicle/Ground:
Other Personnel in Incident:
02/US Navy
Light Photographic Squadron 63, Detachment G,
USS Oriskany
26 February 1942
Encino CA
08 September 1965
North Vietnam
200458N 1055200E (WH906207)
Killed/Body Not Recovered
RF -8A
none missing
LtJg. Robert D. Rudolph was a pilot assigned to Light Photographic Squadron
63, Detachment G, onboard the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CVA 34). On
September 8, 1965, Rudolph launched in his RF -8A Crusader on a combat photo
mission to locate surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites north of Thanh Hoa, North Vietnam. Shortly
after crossing the coastline, he and his wingman encountered heavy automatic weapons fire.
Rudolph's aircraft was seen to go inverted and begin a steep descent. His wingman began
immediate evasive maneuvers and did not see an ejection or the aircraft hit the ground. An
immediate search and rescue effort was begun, but there the crash site was not found. No
emergency radio beeper signals were heard to indicate that Rudolph successfully ejected. He was
believed to have been killed, but was
not so listed for three weeks. On December 15, 1988, the Vietnamese "discovered" and returned
the remains of Robert D. Rudolph.
CDR JAMES BOND STOCKDALE
Rank/Branch:
Unit:
Date of Birth:
Home City of Record:
Date of Loss:
Country of Loss:
Loss Coordinates:
Status (in 1973):
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:
Missions:
Other Personnel in Incident:
Place and date:
05/US Navy, pilot
CAG 16, USS Oriskany (CVA 34)
23 December 1923
Abingdon IL
09 September 1965
North Vietnam
193400N 1065800E (WG839635)
Released POW
A -4E
175+
(none missing)
Hoa Lo prison, Hanoi, North Vietnam, 4 September
1969.
CDR (later VADM) James B. Stockdale, Commander Air Wing 16, was shot down by enemy anti-
aircraft fire while flying with VA -163 in A -4E Skyhawk BuNo. 151134 AH 352 on a combat mission
over North Vietnam. Stockdale spent 7+ years as a Prisoner Of War until his release in early 1973.
By midsummer 1964, events were taking place in the Gulf of Tonkin that would lead to the first
clash between U.S. and North Vietnamese forces. In late July the destroyer USS Maddox, on
patrol in the gulf gathering intelligence, had become the object of communist attention. For two
consecutive days, 31 July -1 August, the Maddox cruised unencumbered along a predesignated
route off the North Vietnamese coast. In the early morning hours of 2 August, however, it was
learned from intelligence sources of a possible attack against the destroyer.
The attack by three North Vietnamese P-4 torpedo boats (PT boats) materialized just after
4:00 p.m. on August 2. The Maddox fired off three warning volleys, then opened fire. Four F-8
Crusaders led by Commander James B. Stockdale from the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga, also
took part in the skirmish. The result of the twenty -minute affair saw one gunboat sunk and another
crippled. The Maddox, ordered out of the gulf after the incident concluded, was hit by one 14.5mm
shell.
A day later the Maddox, accompanied by the destroyer USS C. Turner Joy,
received instructions to reenter the gulf and resume patrol. The USS Constellation, on a Hong
Kong port visit was ordered to loin the Ticonderoga
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