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PR 26 Memorial Site - We Remember

12:55pm 03-16-2017 Bo Abernethy: Would you like this information added to the main site?
Yes; R.I.P. crew of PR-26.

I was a CTR at NCSP San Miguel, The Philippines. In November 1967 I went to low pressure school at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, then continued on NCSP Det. Bravo in Da Nang for six months of TAD. I was 19 when I got to the P.I., and turned 21 in Viet Nam.

I flew 93 missions on several EC-121Ms (PR-21, PR-22, PR-23, PR-24 and PR-25) and one EA-3B (PR-10). I don’t think PR-26 was in Da Nang during my time there, and I didn’t know any of her crew. Although I remember my time there well, I cannot recall any names. I often think of PR-21 (April 15, 1969) and PR-26.

6:29pm 03-12-2017 Sgt. Stephen Rexrode: Would you like this information added to the main site?
yes; Please accept my sincere gratefulness for the Navy personnel aboard the aircraft. I was in the weapons shop just a couple hundred feet from the crash and ran to the crash but the flames were so intense that we couldn't do anything for the servicemen onboard. It was a helpless feeling on our part not to be able to help our brothers. I was a Weapons Specialist in the US Air Force. I had a good friend that flew in the ECM-121 but wasn't on that one, at the time I thought he was on that flight because he had contacted earlier and told me he would be at Danang. Please accept my condolences for all the lives that gave of themselves in defense of our country that day.

10:22pm 02-09-2017 Aron Cook: Would you like this information added to the main site?
yes; I volunteered for TAD at Detachment BRAVO at DaNang from 2/68-6/68 as part of BIG LOOK. I was a CTA from San Miguel, Philippines. I got there just in time for the TET Offensive and did fly on the ECM-121 a few times while at Det BRAVO. My main job was being the administrative person for the Detachment while I was there. I was able to take a lot of pictures of various planes at the airbase. I'll always remember flying on the 121's.

11:43am 12-12-2016 George A.Bletsch: Would you like this information added to the main site?
Yes; Nice seeing yall ,glad to know you got to pictures of billy's plane before crash,showing it turning to the dead eng. Side if not for the 45mph wind dave told us about (the pilot would have turned to the #3,4 eng side,no crash he nearly made it anyway small dent in hgr. Dave said hell of pilot 2 ft. Of wing tip hit hgr) an airplane will not turn into dead eng. Normally .george

12:57pm 09-25-2016 Terence L Neville: Would you like this information added to the main site?
yes add; HI. My name is Terence Neville. My Dad was Thomas A Neville and was stationed in Atsugi. I'm looking for information about anything you can tell me about families living on the base. He retire CWO-5 in 1978. In 2009 he was diagnosed with Asbestosis. And for 3 long years he suffered until he passed on June 4, 2012. I was never able to picture him the way he was for those 3 years. I had a very vivid profile of him being as big as he always looked in uniform. But I'm pretty sure I visited him in his new home. It was a very immense 3 story mansion. It had marble balconies all the way up to the third floor. There were horses and other things carved out of the marble frontage. There were a lot of different sized doors and windows. And many rooms. In the horseshoe layout at both wings were different shops and musicians playing like you'd see on cruiseships. He and Mom took many cruises. Over 100! Then I was in the very elaborate Dining Hall where my family and I were sitting at a table. I was telling them Dad was here. They were laughing at me. Then Dad put his hand out. On his finger was a diamond encrusted ring. When I pulled it off his finger everyone saw the ring appear. Then I was in the back yard. There was a virtual life like movie going on. And I was walking on the battlefield where romans on chariots were at war. Not sure what movie it was. He liked Ben Hur alot though. Then I woke up with the image of him standing tall and saluting. He was my Pawtnah (partner). He was from Springfield, Mass.

12:15am 07-11-2016 ANDREW J. SVETLECIC: Would you like this information added to the main site?
add; i worked in the missile shop with s sgt morneault and other guys.
i was sgt svetlecic, da nang july 71-aug 72 & takli rafb, thialand, aug 72-sept 72
where are you missile guys?

Andrew J. Svetlecic
former Sergeant
Missile Shop
366 Munitions Maintenance Squadron (366 MMS)
366 Tactical Fighter Wing, USAF
Danang, South Vietnam
From July. 1971 to Aug. 1972
Takli RAFB, Thialand
From Aug. 1972- Sept. 1972

5:07pm 06-26-2016 William Taylor: I was in VQ-1 from April of '69 to April of '71. I was an enlisted crewman in A-3s. and did one det south in one of the P-3s. I was in Atsugi when PR-26 crashed, but knew several of the guys on board well. Joe Saukaitis wasn't even "real" Navy, but a reservist doing his active stretch. Scott Purdom, Thurle Case, Floyd Andrus were all friends. Charlie Bingham was, too. He survived the crash.

11:44am 04-14-2016 George Bletsch: Would you like this information added to the main site?
yes; Hello sister, if you go to links to other sites,then first one ,366th combat support group,then on links page right collum ,index pictures of denang, then ,five from bottom -Patrick Wiggins photos -pictures of it happening. you can see six frames of our big brother Billy Pete, before he and his shipmates died and as they died. My how I love computers,Love George

12:11pm 03-22-2016 William B. Leppert: Would you like this information added to the main site?
yes; Thanks for posting this site. I flew with VQ-1 in 1967 as a CT in Det Bravo from NCSP, San Miguel, P.I. I was there at the time of the rocket attack on July 15. I flew 38 missions. Some of my shipmates, including LCDR James Overstreet, were part of the fateful crew that perished ove the Sea of Japan when they were shot down by the N. Koreans in 1969. Although it has been 49 years since my time at DaNang, the memories remain fresh in my mind and I think of it often. I recommend the reading of a newly published book by authors, Richard Mobley and Edward Marolda, Knowing the Enemy, Naval Intelligence in Southeast Asia. There is reference to VQ-1 and the role it played during the Vietnam war. My e-mail is [email protected], if anyone wishes to contact me.

12:11pm 03-20-2016 H.E.Gillins (ABH-2): Would you like this information added to the main site?
yes; I was stationed at Midway Island & a lot of these Birds came through there as they were winding down there service to the Nation. It may be for all I know this bird passed through Midway enroute to DaNang? Midway was a hub of activity for Willy Victors in late 58 through the 60's while flying the DEW Line. We lost a WV Checkpool 16 on 1-22-61 in a crash that killed 9 folks. Thanks to a fellow Midway Vet we have found this site to help support the existing Willy Victor site. My respects to the crew of PR-26. It's good to keep the memories of these planes & crews alive.

11:39am 03-20-2016 Richard Haver: Would you like this information added to the main site?
yes; I was in DaNang on March 16, 1970, watched PR-26 approach the south end of the runway on my way to the VQ-1 Det Bravo Admin Building to greet the crew. The hangers obscured my view of the final approach, then I saw everyone running toward the runway and a large black cloud emerge on the Air Force side of the base. I ran into the Building and hit the squadron radio calling for Deep Sea 26 to respond. Nothing heard except Deep Sea 32 heard the call and responded wanting to know what was going on. 31 was on track at the time. The Det Duty officer got in the squadron jeep and drove to the crash site. I took over as Det Duty Officer and went to the Spook Shack and got on the TTY to Kamie reporting that it appeared 26 had crashed. They patched it over to Building 181 in Atsugi and the NavSecGru Office in Charge took over the task of passing updates to Atsugi. My next task was to go to the crash site. The fire was out, my shipmates had been taken away by then, but the crypto and classified material on the plane had not been recovered. My task was to get this accomplished with the Det Bravo personnel in the area. Gathering Jim Masters' and Red Martin's things was both an honor and moment of great sadness. In the back of my mind I guess I knew that the "Blue Crew" was gone and nothing in VQ-1 would ever be the same again. We all went to the hospital that night to see who we could. I visited Del Young. He was awake, but not lucid. His head was a big as a pumpkin and badly battered. Sat with him for about and hour. Doctors said he would make a full recovery, but it would take some time. Flew a mission the next day in PR-25, the Det OinC reminded us the war was still going on and we had our job to do.

7:13pm 03-17-2016 Max J Booe CTTCM(RET: Would you like this information added to the main site?
Yes; After all these years did not know this Webb site existed.I spent two tours in both VQ1 and VQ2..one tour was From 69-73 in VQ-1.Stationed at Atsugi and made the move to Guam..That was my crew and believe that it was crew 6 that crashed in danang. I and my wife can remember we had one on my friends over for dinner before he went on deployment and can not remember his last name we always called him Tex and he Parrish in the crash.Had allot of good memories with that crew..

4:39pm 03-17-2016 Larry Coy: Would you like this information added to the main site?
ok; I was a pilot on the first Connie to arrive in Danang two days after the Tonkin Gulf "Incident" and continued six week deployments from Atsugi until leaving the Navy in November 1966. No facilities on base but slept in Tourane near the waterfront in original French house. Interesting times.

3:24pm 09-27-2015 Steve Sauer: Would you like this information added to the main site?
Yes; I joined VAP-61 July 1970. Plane Captain on the RA-3B, fourth man on a 3 man crew. Detachments in Cubi Point and UTapao Thailand. Returned to Guam from Thailand and we were part of VQ-1. Within a week or so I was sent to the VQ-1 detachment at DaNang, June 1971 as flight line ground crew. I have found chute rigger 3rd class Bill Wallace on line within the last month or 2. Another Vapper we were buddies in DaNang with VQ-1 summer of 1971. He is still as beaucoup dinky dao as ever! Any body remembers us let me know.

9:17am 09-02-2015 GEORGE BLETSCH: Would you like this information added to the main site?
yes; Charles m.bingham survivor info@ [email protected]

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