LCDR Richard M. Brunhaver was an A4C Skyhawk pilot assigned to Attack
Squadron 22 onboard the USS MIDWAY. At 4:30 p.m. on August 24, 1965, he
launched in his Skyhawk as a member of a three-plane formation for an armed
road reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. (In Vietnam, "armed
reconnaissance" meant look for targets of opportunity and destroy them.)
At 5:45 p.m. the flight began a normal low-level bombing attack against a
bridge. Upon recovery from their bombing run, LCDR Brunhaver's aircraft was
observed to be on fire and he was advised to eject. The flight leader
observed a parachute fully deployed as the aircraft commenced to break up.
The parachute landed in an area of heavy brush and shortly afterward an
emergency radio beeper was heard. Due to low fuel states, the two planes in
his formation had to return to the carrier, but not before plotting the
location of the crash site and calling for helicopter search and rescue. The
search was called off because of darkness and started up again the next
morning with negative results.
LCDR Brunhaver was placed in a Missing in Action status. In July 1966,
information was acquired from a source which established the Brunhaver was a
prisoner in a North Vietnamese POW camp. His status was changed to Captured.
On February 12, 1973, Brunhaver was released from Hanoi along with 590 other
Americans. He had been a POW for 7 1/2 years. During his years of captivity,
Brunhaver was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
Squadron 22 onboard the USS MIDWAY. At 4:30 p.m. on August 24, 1965, he
launched in his Skyhawk as a member of a three-plane formation for an armed
road reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. (In Vietnam, "armed
reconnaissance" meant look for targets of opportunity and destroy them.)
At 5:45 p.m. the flight began a normal low-level bombing attack against a
bridge. Upon recovery from their bombing run, LCDR Brunhaver's aircraft was
observed to be on fire and he was advised to eject. The flight leader
observed a parachute fully deployed as the aircraft commenced to break up.
The parachute landed in an area of heavy brush and shortly afterward an
emergency radio beeper was heard. Due to low fuel states, the two planes in
his formation had to return to the carrier, but not before plotting the
location of the crash site and calling for helicopter search and rescue. The
search was called off because of darkness and started up again the next
morning with negative results.
LCDR Brunhaver was placed in a Missing in Action status. In July 1966,
information was acquired from a source which established the Brunhaver was a
prisoner in a North Vietnamese POW camp. His status was changed to Captured.
On February 12, 1973, Brunhaver was released from Hanoi along with 590 other
Americans. He had been a POW for 7 1/2 years. During his years of captivity,
Brunhaver was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
LCDR Richard M. Brunhaver was an A4C Skyhawk pilot assigned to Attack
Squadron 22 onboard the USS MIDWAY. At 4:30 p.m. on August 24, 1965, he
launched in his Skyhawk as a member of a three-plane formation for an armed
road reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. (In Vietnam, "armed
reconnaissance" meant look for targets of opportunity and destroy them.)
At 5:45 p.m. the flight began a normal low-level bombing attack against a
bridge. Upon recovery from their bombing run, LCDR Brunhaver's aircraft was
observed to be on fire and he was advised to eject. The flight leader
observed a parachute fully deployed as the aircraft commenced to break up.
The parachute landed in an area of heavy brush and shortly afterward an
emergency radio beeper was heard. Due to low fuel states, the two planes in
his formation had to return to the carrier, but not before plotting the
location of the crash site and calling for helicopter search and rescue. The
search was called off because of darkness and started up again the next
morning with negative results.
LCDR Brunhaver was placed in a Missing in Action status. In July 1966,
information was acquired from a source which established the Brunhaver was a
prisoner in a North Vietnamese POW camp. His status was changed to Captured.
On February 12, 1973, Brunhaver was released from Hanoi along with 590 other
Americans. He had been a POW for 7 1/2 years. During his years of captivity,
Brunhaver was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
Squadron 22 onboard the USS MIDWAY. At 4:30 p.m. on August 24, 1965, he
launched in his Skyhawk as a member of a three-plane formation for an armed
road reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. (In Vietnam, "armed
reconnaissance" meant look for targets of opportunity and destroy them.)
At 5:45 p.m. the flight began a normal low-level bombing attack against a
bridge. Upon recovery from their bombing run, LCDR Brunhaver's aircraft was
observed to be on fire and he was advised to eject. The flight leader
observed a parachute fully deployed as the aircraft commenced to break up.
The parachute landed in an area of heavy brush and shortly afterward an
emergency radio beeper was heard. Due to low fuel states, the two planes in
his formation had to return to the carrier, but not before plotting the
location of the crash site and calling for helicopter search and rescue. The
search was called off because of darkness and started up again the next
morning with negative results.
LCDR Brunhaver was placed in a Missing in Action status. In July 1966,
information was acquired from a source which established the Brunhaver was a
prisoner in a North Vietnamese POW camp. His status was changed to Captured.
On February 12, 1973, Brunhaver was released from Hanoi along with 590 other
Americans. He had been a POW for 7 1/2 years. During his years of captivity,
Brunhaver was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
Inscription
LCDR US NAVY
VIETNAM
EX-PRISONER OF WAR
Gravesite Details
SILVER STAR
LEGION OF MERIT
BRONZE STAR MEDAL
AIR MEDAL
NAVY COMMENDATION MEDAL
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