NEWSOM, BENJAMIN BYRD
03/06/74 REMAINS RETURNED
Name: Benjamin Byrd Newsom
Branch/Rank: United States Air Force/O4
Unit: 355th Tactical
Fighter Wing
Date of Birth: 31 July 1925
Home City of Record: MADISON VI
Date of Loss: 23 July 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 210200 North 1052800 East
Status (in 1973): Died in Captivity
Category: 1
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F105F
Missions:
Other Personnel in Incident: Gene Pemberton, remains returned 1974
Refno:
Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or more of the following: raw
data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA
families, published sources, interviews and CACCF = Combined Action
Combat Casualty File. 2020
REMARKS: 03/06/74 REMAINS RETURNED
CACCF/CRASH/AIRCREW DIC
No further information available at this time.
| Subject: | Submission |
|---|---|
| Date: | Sun, 18 Nov 2018 18:33:48 +0000 |
| From: | William M. Killian |
|
On July 23, 1966, a U.S. Air Force F-105 Thunderchief (#63-8338) from the 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron based at Takhli Royal Thai Air Base in Thailand was the flight leader of a four-ship F-105 aircraft team assigned to patrol the heavily defended Red River Delta in North Vietnam in search of hostile surface-to-air missile sites. The crew of the lead ship was pilot MAJ Gene T. Pemberton and Electronic Warfare Officer MAJ Benjamin B. Newsom. Near Phuc Yen the flight encountered extremely adverse weather and heavy anti-aircraft defenses. MAJ Pemberton’s Thunderchief was shot down and he and Newsom were captured by the North Vietnamese. Pemberton was reported to have died in captivity on July 24, 1966, and Newsom was also reported to have died in captivity on July 26, 1966. Both Pemberton and Newsom were promoted to Colonel during the time they were missing. The two airmen’s remains were repatriated March 6, 1974, and positively identified April 22, 1974. Pemberton was posthumously awarded the Silver Star medal Newsom posthumously was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, valor.militarytimes.com, and MAJ Pemberton’s Silver Star citation]
Submitted by William M. Killian |
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
02/2020
On April 22, 1974, the Central Identification
Laboratory–Thailand (CILT, now DPAA) identified the remains of
Colonel Benjamin Byrd Newsom, missing from the Vietnam War.
Colonel Newsom entered the U.S. Air Force from Virginia and
served with the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing. On July 23, 1966,
Col Newsom was the navigator aboard an F-105F Thunderchief (tail
number 63-8338, call sign "Drill Lead") that took off on a
combat mission over North Vietnam. The aircraft was shot down by
enemy fire and crashed in Vinh Phu Province; Col Newson ejected
safely but was taken as a prisoner of war and interned in Hanoi
POW Detention Center and then Hoa Lo Prison where he died while
in captivity on July 26. The Vietnamese government eventually
repatriated Col Newsom's remains to American authorities.
If you are a family member of this serviceman, you may contact your casualty office representative to learn more about your service member.