Name: James Jewel Fowler
Rank/Branch: E2/USN
Unit:
Date of Birth: 24 February 1947
Home City of Record: Lamonte MO
Date of Loss: 02 October 1969
Country of Loss: North Vietnam/Over Water
Loss Coordinates: 175402N 1073602E (YE754810)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 5
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: C2A
Refno: 2004
Personnel In Incident: Terry L. Beck; Richard W. Bell; Michael L. Bowman; Frank
Bytheway; Rolando C. Dayao; Donald C. Dean; Herbert H. Dilger; Carl J. Ellerd;
James J. Fowler; Roy G. Fowler; Leonardo M. Gan; Paul E. Gore; William D.
Gorsuch; Rayford J. Hill; Delvin L. Kohler; Howard M. Koslosky; Robert B.
Leonard; Richard A. Livingston; Ronald W. Montgomery; William R. Moore; Paul K.
Moser; Kenneth M. Prentice; Fidel G. Salazar; Keavin L. Terrell; Michael J. Tye;
Reynaldo R. Viado (all 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.
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: On October 2, 1969, a C2A "Greyhound" cargo aircraft from Reserve
Cargo Squadron 50 departed Cubi Point Naval Air Station, Republic of the
Philippines on a shuttle flight to various aircraft carriers in the Gulf of
Tonkin in Vietnam, including the USS CONSTELLATION, the USS WALKER, the USS
HAMMER, and the USS LONG BEACH.
The flight crew onboard the aircraft, assigned to Fleet Support Squadron 50
based in Atsugi Naval Air Station, Japan, included the pilot, Lt. Herbert H.
Dilger; co-pilot, Lt. Richard A. Livingston; air crewman, Petty Officer 3rd
Class Paul K. Moser; aircraft captain, Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael J. Tye;
and loadmaster-trainee, Petty Officer 3rd Class Rayford J. Hill. Most of the
twenty passengers appear to be bound for the USS CONSTELLATION, but one was
bound for the USS LONG BEACH, one of the four Philippine citizens onboard was
headed for the USS HAMMER, and two to the USS WALKER.
The aircraft was inbound to the CONSTITUTION and made communication at about
0600 hours, reporting that operations were normal. When communicatons were
established with the Carrier Air Control, control was passed to the Marshall
controller (Approach Control). The carrier's radar continued tracking the
aircraft until approximately 0655, at which time radar contact was lost at about
10 nautical miles from the CONSTELLATION.
Helicopter search and rescue efforts were immediately initiated from the ship.
The helicopter began sighting an oil slick and debris. A few pieces of aircraft
were recovered, and analysis of this debris indicated that the aircraft was in a
relatively high speed nose down, right wing down impact with the water or had a
possible right wing failure before impact. There was no sign of survivors, nor
were any bodies recovered.
The crew and passengers onboard the C2 which went down on October 2, 1969 were
all declared Killed/Body Not Recovered. There is very little hope that they will
ever be found. They are listed with honor among the missing because no remains
were ever located to repatriate to their homeland.
For many of the missing, however, solutions are not so simple. Several were
photographed in captivity, but never returned. Others were alive and well the
last they were seen awaiting rescue. Still others described their imminent
captures. For the families of these men, the years have passed heartbreakingly
slow.
Since the war ended, nearly 10,000 reports relating to Americans missing in
Southeast Asia have been received by the U.S. Government. Many officials who
have reviewed this largely classified information are convinced that hundreds of
Americans are still alive as captives in Southeast Asia. It's time we brought
our men home.
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