On October 22, 1965, an RB-66 Destroyer (tail number 53-0452, call sign "Sabre 55") with a crew of three took off on a night reconnaissance mission over Pleiku, South Vietnam. The aircraft failed to return from the mission for unknown reasons, and search teams were launched. The aircraft's crash site was located near Sa Thay District, South Vietnam, but later investigations of the site found no evidence of the aircraft’s crew and all three remain unaccounted-for.

First Lieutenant James Arthur McEwen, who joined the U.S. Air Force from Pennsylvania, was a member of the 9th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron. He was a crew member aboard "Sabre 55" when it went down on October 22, 1965, and was lost with the aircraft. Today, First Lieutenant McEwen is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual's case to be in the analytical category of Active Pursuit.

If you are a family member of this serviceman, DPAA can provide you with additional information and analysis of your case. Please contact your casualty office representative.