The McDonnell F4 Phantom used by Air Force, Marine and Navy air wings served a multitude of functions including fighter/bomber, interceptor, photo/electronic surveillance, and reconnaissance. The two man aircraft was extremely fast (Mach 2) and had a long range, 900 - 2300 miles depending on stores and mission type. The F4 was also extremely maneuverable and handled well at low and high altitudes. It was selected for a number of state-of-the-art electronics conversions, which improved radar intercept and computer bombing capabilities enormously. Most pilots considered it one of the "hottest" planes around. 433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, nicknamed "Satan's Angles," was one of the first Phantom squadrons to arrive in Thailand during the Vietnam War.
On 14 May 1966, Captain Donald L. King, pilot; and then 1st Lieutenant Frank D. "Brank" Ralston III, co-pilot; comprised the crew of the #2 F4C (serial #64-0760) in a flight of two conducting a night armed reconnaissance mission in Route Package (RP) 1, Quang Binh Province, North Vietnam. The mission identifier was "Rolling Thunder 50" in the sector designated as "Tally Ho," the area between the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that separated North and South Vietnam and an imaginary line 30 miles north of the DMZ.
At 0300 hours, the flight departed Ubon Airfield and proceeded east toward their assigned target located in the sector known as Tally Ho. At 0335 hours, while still inbound to the target area, Capt. King initiated a normal radio check with the fight leader. During that transmission, he did not indicate they were experiencing anything unusual.
Radar contact was maintained with Capt. King's and 1st Lt. Ralston's aircraft until it was over the eastern edge of rugged mountain range roughly 20 miles west of the coastal city of Dong Hoi, North Vietnam. The crew of the lead aircraft spotted an intense white flash shooting 20 degrees above the horizon in the direction of the number two aircraft. In the pre-dawn night, the lead flight crew observed no crash, fire or enemy automatic weapons or anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) fire directed at his wingman. Because the flight had not yet reached their target, both aircraft were carrying a full load of armament including bombs.
The area of loss was on the eastern edge of a rugged mountain range approximately 8 miles east of Route 137, 14 miles northwest of the major port city of Dong Hoi and 23 miles northeast of the Ban Karai Pass, one of the two major ports of entry from North Vietnam into the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. The entire sector was densely populated and heavily defended since it contained a large number of staging areas for enemy troops and supplies that were destined for this infamous infiltration route.
Lead immediately tried to established radio contact with Donald King and Brank Ralston, but was unsuccessful in doing so. He then notified the airborne battlefield command and control center (ABCCC) directing all air operations in this region. At the same time, Lead initiated a visual search operation for the missing aircraft and crew. During the search, no parachutes were seen and no emergency beepers heard. Because of the loss location being deep within enemy held territory, it was impossible to conduct a search and rescue (SAR) operation for the downed crew. At the time the search effort was terminated, Donald King and Brank Ralston were reported as Missing in Action.
If Donald King and Brank Ralston died in the loss of their Phantom, each man has the right to have his remains returned to his family, friends and country. However, if they managed to eject from their crippled aircraft, they most certainly would have had little chance of avoiding capture and their fate, like that of other Americans who remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, could be quite different.
Fighter pilots in Vietnam were called upon to fly in many dangerous circumstances, and they were prepared to be wounded, killed or captured. It probably never occurred to them that they could be abandoned by the country they so proudly served.
Frank Dalzell Ralston III graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1963.
∼MAJ - O4 - Air Force - Regular
His tour began on May 14, 1966
Casualty was on Jan 9, 1978
In , NORTH VIETNAM
Hostile, died while missing, FIXED WING - CREW
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
Body was not recovered
Frank has a military stone in his honor at Ft McPhearson Cem.
Frank Dalzell Ralston III had a promising career in the Air Force. A 1963
graduate of the Air Force Academy whom classmates called "Brank", Frank was
well liked and excelled in athletics. When he shipped out to Vietnam and a
young officer, he joined "Satan's Angels" fighter squadron.
On May 14, 1966 King was the wing commander and the pilot of an F4C aircraft
sent on a night mission over North Vietnam. He and backseater Frank Ralston
were about 10 miles behind another F4 Phantom when a flash of light streaked
across the predawn sky and the aircraft vanished.
A garbled radio message from King's aircraft prompted one jet pilot in the
formation to change course over the Gulf. Heading back, he spotted the
intense light shooting 20 degrees above the horizon. King's plane, carrying
a full load of bombs, was last tracked in the air 20 miles west of the
coastal city of Dong Hoi North Vietnam.
King and Ralston are among nearly 2500 Americans who did not return from
Southeast Asia at the end of the war. Some were known to have been taken
prisoner. Most can be accounted for by the communist governments of the
region.
The Vietnamese have continually raised the issue of accountability in the
context of aid and/or diplomatic and trade relations, but the U.S.
Government has been reluctant to negotiate on this basis, preferring instead
to maintain a strict "humanitarian" level of discussion, which has resulted
in the return of a few remains, but no American prisoners of war.
Our American soldiers go to war prepared to be wounded, taken prisoner, even
prepared to die. They do not go prepared to be abandoned. If there is even
ONE American alive, we must do everything possible to bring him home.
Donald L. King was promoted to the rank of Colonel and Frank D. Ralston III
to the rank of Major during the period they were maintained Missing in
Action.
On 14 May 1966, Captain Donald L. King, pilot; and then 1st Lieutenant Frank D. "Brank" Ralston III, co-pilot; comprised the crew of the #2 F4C (serial #64-0760) in a flight of two conducting a night armed reconnaissance mission in Route Package (RP) 1, Quang Binh Province, North Vietnam. The mission identifier was "Rolling Thunder 50" in the sector designated as "Tally Ho," the area between the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that separated North and South Vietnam and an imaginary line 30 miles north of the DMZ.
At 0300 hours, the flight departed Ubon Airfield and proceeded east toward their assigned target located in the sector known as Tally Ho. At 0335 hours, while still inbound to the target area, Capt. King initiated a normal radio check with the fight leader. During that transmission, he did not indicate they were experiencing anything unusual.
Radar contact was maintained with Capt. King's and 1st Lt. Ralston's aircraft until it was over the eastern edge of rugged mountain range roughly 20 miles west of the coastal city of Dong Hoi, North Vietnam. The crew of the lead aircraft spotted an intense white flash shooting 20 degrees above the horizon in the direction of the number two aircraft. In the pre-dawn night, the lead flight crew observed no crash, fire or enemy automatic weapons or anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) fire directed at his wingman. Because the flight had not yet reached their target, both aircraft were carrying a full load of armament including bombs.
The area of loss was on the eastern edge of a rugged mountain range approximately 8 miles east of Route 137, 14 miles northwest of the major port city of Dong Hoi and 23 miles northeast of the Ban Karai Pass, one of the two major ports of entry from North Vietnam into the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. The entire sector was densely populated and heavily defended since it contained a large number of staging areas for enemy troops and supplies that were destined for this infamous infiltration route.
Lead immediately tried to established radio contact with Donald King and Brank Ralston, but was unsuccessful in doing so. He then notified the airborne battlefield command and control center (ABCCC) directing all air operations in this region. At the same time, Lead initiated a visual search operation for the missing aircraft and crew. During the search, no parachutes were seen and no emergency beepers heard. Because of the loss location being deep within enemy held territory, it was impossible to conduct a search and rescue (SAR) operation for the downed crew. At the time the search effort was terminated, Donald King and Brank Ralston were reported as Missing in Action.
If Donald King and Brank Ralston died in the loss of their Phantom, each man has the right to have his remains returned to his family, friends and country. However, if they managed to eject from their crippled aircraft, they most certainly would have had little chance of avoiding capture and their fate, like that of other Americans who remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, could be quite different.
Fighter pilots in Vietnam were called upon to fly in many dangerous circumstances, and they were prepared to be wounded, killed or captured. It probably never occurred to them that they could be abandoned by the country they so proudly served.
Frank Dalzell Ralston III graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1963.
∼MAJ - O4 - Air Force - Regular
His tour began on May 14, 1966
Casualty was on Jan 9, 1978
In , NORTH VIETNAM
Hostile, died while missing, FIXED WING - CREW
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
Body was not recovered
Frank has a military stone in his honor at Ft McPhearson Cem.
Frank Dalzell Ralston III had a promising career in the Air Force. A 1963
graduate of the Air Force Academy whom classmates called "Brank", Frank was
well liked and excelled in athletics. When he shipped out to Vietnam and a
young officer, he joined "Satan's Angels" fighter squadron.
On May 14, 1966 King was the wing commander and the pilot of an F4C aircraft
sent on a night mission over North Vietnam. He and backseater Frank Ralston
were about 10 miles behind another F4 Phantom when a flash of light streaked
across the predawn sky and the aircraft vanished.
A garbled radio message from King's aircraft prompted one jet pilot in the
formation to change course over the Gulf. Heading back, he spotted the
intense light shooting 20 degrees above the horizon. King's plane, carrying
a full load of bombs, was last tracked in the air 20 miles west of the
coastal city of Dong Hoi North Vietnam.
King and Ralston are among nearly 2500 Americans who did not return from
Southeast Asia at the end of the war. Some were known to have been taken
prisoner. Most can be accounted for by the communist governments of the
region.
The Vietnamese have continually raised the issue of accountability in the
context of aid and/or diplomatic and trade relations, but the U.S.
Government has been reluctant to negotiate on this basis, preferring instead
to maintain a strict "humanitarian" level of discussion, which has resulted
in the return of a few remains, but no American prisoners of war.
Our American soldiers go to war prepared to be wounded, taken prisoner, even
prepared to die. They do not go prepared to be abandoned. If there is even
ONE American alive, we must do everything possible to bring him home.
Donald L. King was promoted to the rank of Colonel and Frank D. Ralston III
to the rank of Major during the period they were maintained Missing in
Action.
The McDonnell F4 Phantom used by Air Force, Marine and Navy air wings served a multitude of functions including fighter/bomber, interceptor, photo/electronic surveillance, and reconnaissance. The two man aircraft was extremely fast (Mach 2) and had a long range, 900 - 2300 miles depending on stores and mission type. The F4 was also extremely maneuverable and handled well at low and high altitudes. It was selected for a number of state-of-the-art electronics conversions, which improved radar intercept and computer bombing capabilities enormously. Most pilots considered it one of the "hottest" planes around. 433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, nicknamed "Satan's Angles," was one of the first Phantom squadrons to arrive in Thailand during the Vietnam War.
On 14 May 1966, Captain Donald L. King, pilot; and then 1st Lieutenant Frank D. "Brank" Ralston III, co-pilot; comprised the crew of the #2 F4C (serial #64-0760) in a flight of two conducting a night armed reconnaissance mission in Route Package (RP) 1, Quang Binh Province, North Vietnam. The mission identifier was "Rolling Thunder 50" in the sector designated as "Tally Ho," the area between the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that separated North and South Vietnam and an imaginary line 30 miles north of the DMZ.
At 0300 hours, the flight departed Ubon Airfield and proceeded east toward their assigned target located in the sector known as Tally Ho. At 0335 hours, while still inbound to the target area, Capt. King initiated a normal radio check with the fight leader. During that transmission, he did not indicate they were experiencing anything unusual.
Radar contact was maintained with Capt. King's and 1st Lt. Ralston's aircraft until it was over the eastern edge of rugged mountain range roughly 20 miles west of the coastal city of Dong Hoi, North Vietnam. The crew of the lead aircraft spotted an intense white flash shooting 20 degrees above the horizon in the direction of the number two aircraft. In the pre-dawn night, the lead flight crew observed no crash, fire or enemy automatic weapons or anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) fire directed at his wingman. Because the flight had not yet reached their target, both aircraft were carrying a full load of armament including bombs.
The area of loss was on the eastern edge of a rugged mountain range approximately 8 miles east of Route 137, 14 miles northwest of the major port city of Dong Hoi and 23 miles northeast of the Ban Karai Pass, one of the two major ports of entry from North Vietnam into the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. The entire sector was densely populated and heavily defended since it contained a large number of staging areas for enemy troops and supplies that were destined for this infamous infiltration route.
Lead immediately tried to established radio contact with Donald King and Brank Ralston, but was unsuccessful in doing so. He then notified the airborne battlefield command and control center (ABCCC) directing all air operations in this region. At the same time, Lead initiated a visual search operation for the missing aircraft and crew. During the search, no parachutes were seen and no emergency beepers heard. Because of the loss location being deep within enemy held territory, it was impossible to conduct a search and rescue (SAR) operation for the downed crew. At the time the search effort was terminated, Donald King and Brank Ralston were reported as Missing in Action.
If Donald King and Brank Ralston died in the loss of their Phantom, each man has the right to have his remains returned to his family, friends and country. However, if they managed to eject from their crippled aircraft, they most certainly would have had little chance of avoiding capture and their fate, like that of other Americans who remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, could be quite different.
Fighter pilots in Vietnam were called upon to fly in many dangerous circumstances, and they were prepared to be wounded, killed or captured. It probably never occurred to them that they could be abandoned by the country they so proudly served.
Frank Dalzell Ralston III graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1963.
∼MAJ - O4 - Air Force - Regular
His tour began on May 14, 1966
Casualty was on Jan 9, 1978
In , NORTH VIETNAM
Hostile, died while missing, FIXED WING - CREW
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
Body was not recovered
Frank has a military stone in his honor at Ft McPhearson Cem.
Frank Dalzell Ralston III had a promising career in the Air Force. A 1963
graduate of the Air Force Academy whom classmates called "Brank", Frank was
well liked and excelled in athletics. When he shipped out to Vietnam and a
young officer, he joined "Satan's Angels" fighter squadron.
On May 14, 1966 King was the wing commander and the pilot of an F4C aircraft
sent on a night mission over North Vietnam. He and backseater Frank Ralston
were about 10 miles behind another F4 Phantom when a flash of light streaked
across the predawn sky and the aircraft vanished.
A garbled radio message from King's aircraft prompted one jet pilot in the
formation to change course over the Gulf. Heading back, he spotted the
intense light shooting 20 degrees above the horizon. King's plane, carrying
a full load of bombs, was last tracked in the air 20 miles west of the
coastal city of Dong Hoi North Vietnam.
King and Ralston are among nearly 2500 Americans who did not return from
Southeast Asia at the end of the war. Some were known to have been taken
prisoner. Most can be accounted for by the communist governments of the
region.
The Vietnamese have continually raised the issue of accountability in the
context of aid and/or diplomatic and trade relations, but the U.S.
Government has been reluctant to negotiate on this basis, preferring instead
to maintain a strict "humanitarian" level of discussion, which has resulted
in the return of a few remains, but no American prisoners of war.
Our American soldiers go to war prepared to be wounded, taken prisoner, even
prepared to die. They do not go prepared to be abandoned. If there is even
ONE American alive, we must do everything possible to bring him home.
Donald L. King was promoted to the rank of Colonel and Frank D. Ralston III
to the rank of Major during the period they were maintained Missing in
Action.
On 14 May 1966, Captain Donald L. King, pilot; and then 1st Lieutenant Frank D. "Brank" Ralston III, co-pilot; comprised the crew of the #2 F4C (serial #64-0760) in a flight of two conducting a night armed reconnaissance mission in Route Package (RP) 1, Quang Binh Province, North Vietnam. The mission identifier was "Rolling Thunder 50" in the sector designated as "Tally Ho," the area between the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that separated North and South Vietnam and an imaginary line 30 miles north of the DMZ.
At 0300 hours, the flight departed Ubon Airfield and proceeded east toward their assigned target located in the sector known as Tally Ho. At 0335 hours, while still inbound to the target area, Capt. King initiated a normal radio check with the fight leader. During that transmission, he did not indicate they were experiencing anything unusual.
Radar contact was maintained with Capt. King's and 1st Lt. Ralston's aircraft until it was over the eastern edge of rugged mountain range roughly 20 miles west of the coastal city of Dong Hoi, North Vietnam. The crew of the lead aircraft spotted an intense white flash shooting 20 degrees above the horizon in the direction of the number two aircraft. In the pre-dawn night, the lead flight crew observed no crash, fire or enemy automatic weapons or anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) fire directed at his wingman. Because the flight had not yet reached their target, both aircraft were carrying a full load of armament including bombs.
The area of loss was on the eastern edge of a rugged mountain range approximately 8 miles east of Route 137, 14 miles northwest of the major port city of Dong Hoi and 23 miles northeast of the Ban Karai Pass, one of the two major ports of entry from North Vietnam into the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. The entire sector was densely populated and heavily defended since it contained a large number of staging areas for enemy troops and supplies that were destined for this infamous infiltration route.
Lead immediately tried to established radio contact with Donald King and Brank Ralston, but was unsuccessful in doing so. He then notified the airborne battlefield command and control center (ABCCC) directing all air operations in this region. At the same time, Lead initiated a visual search operation for the missing aircraft and crew. During the search, no parachutes were seen and no emergency beepers heard. Because of the loss location being deep within enemy held territory, it was impossible to conduct a search and rescue (SAR) operation for the downed crew. At the time the search effort was terminated, Donald King and Brank Ralston were reported as Missing in Action.
If Donald King and Brank Ralston died in the loss of their Phantom, each man has the right to have his remains returned to his family, friends and country. However, if they managed to eject from their crippled aircraft, they most certainly would have had little chance of avoiding capture and their fate, like that of other Americans who remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia, could be quite different.
Fighter pilots in Vietnam were called upon to fly in many dangerous circumstances, and they were prepared to be wounded, killed or captured. It probably never occurred to them that they could be abandoned by the country they so proudly served.
Frank Dalzell Ralston III graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1963.
∼MAJ - O4 - Air Force - Regular
His tour began on May 14, 1966
Casualty was on Jan 9, 1978
In , NORTH VIETNAM
Hostile, died while missing, FIXED WING - CREW
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
Body was not recovered
Frank has a military stone in his honor at Ft McPhearson Cem.
Frank Dalzell Ralston III had a promising career in the Air Force. A 1963
graduate of the Air Force Academy whom classmates called "Brank", Frank was
well liked and excelled in athletics. When he shipped out to Vietnam and a
young officer, he joined "Satan's Angels" fighter squadron.
On May 14, 1966 King was the wing commander and the pilot of an F4C aircraft
sent on a night mission over North Vietnam. He and backseater Frank Ralston
were about 10 miles behind another F4 Phantom when a flash of light streaked
across the predawn sky and the aircraft vanished.
A garbled radio message from King's aircraft prompted one jet pilot in the
formation to change course over the Gulf. Heading back, he spotted the
intense light shooting 20 degrees above the horizon. King's plane, carrying
a full load of bombs, was last tracked in the air 20 miles west of the
coastal city of Dong Hoi North Vietnam.
King and Ralston are among nearly 2500 Americans who did not return from
Southeast Asia at the end of the war. Some were known to have been taken
prisoner. Most can be accounted for by the communist governments of the
region.
The Vietnamese have continually raised the issue of accountability in the
context of aid and/or diplomatic and trade relations, but the U.S.
Government has been reluctant to negotiate on this basis, preferring instead
to maintain a strict "humanitarian" level of discussion, which has resulted
in the return of a few remains, but no American prisoners of war.
Our American soldiers go to war prepared to be wounded, taken prisoner, even
prepared to die. They do not go prepared to be abandoned. If there is even
ONE American alive, we must do everything possible to bring him home.
Donald L. King was promoted to the rank of Colonel and Frank D. Ralston III
to the rank of Major during the period they were maintained Missing in
Action.
Inscription
MAJOR US AIR FORCE VIETNAM KIA
Gravesite Details
Maj Ralston is memorialized at Panel 7E Line 60 on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC.
