THOMAS, DARWIN JOEL

Name: Darwin Joel Thomas
Branch/Rank: United States Navy/O1
Unit:  Attack Squadron 152
Date of Birth: 28 April 1943
Home City of Record: SANTA CLARA CA
Date of Loss: 14 October 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 0 0
Status (in 1973): Killed In Action/Body Not Recovered
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: A1H
Missions:
Other Personnel in Incident:
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:

CACCF/CRASH/PILOT

No further information available at this time.

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Library of Congress files:

North Vietnam, pre-1975:Family Conference Report: REFNO 0495
Country: North Vietnam, pre-1975

Name: Thomas, Darwin Joel

Subjects: Nghe An; Aircraft downed

Reel: 495

Page: 99-102

Type of Document: Miscellaneous

Date of Report: 01 02 20

Date of Information: 66 10 14

Originator: DPMO

Category: MISC PW FILES


NVN: Biographic Site report and Loss narrative for REFNO 0495
Country: NVN

Name: THOMAS, DARWIN J.

Subjects: Crash site; THANH HOA PROVINCE; NHU XUAN DISTRICT; KHE BU VILLAGE

Reel: 366

Page: 408-414

Type of Document: Automated Data Extract

Date of Report: 93 12 13

Date of Information: 66 10 14

Originator: JTFFA

Category: JTFFA FILES

 

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02/2020

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000BTa1EAG

ENS DARWIN JOEL THOMAS

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Ensign Darwin Joel Thomas, who joined the U.S. Navy from California, served with Attack Squadron 152. On October 14, 1966, ENS Thomas piloted an A-1H Skyraider (bureau number 139731, call sign "Locket 511") that took off from the USS Oriskany (CVA-34) on a combat mission against enemy ground targets in Vietnam. While over the target area, ENS Thomas was directed by his flight leader to make a rocket attack on a ground target. The flight lead saw ENS Thomas fire his rockets but then heard a garbled radio transmission from him, and moments later, observed an elongated fireball in the vicinity of (GC) 48Q WG 349 652. There were no further transmissions and no emergency signals from ENS Thomas, and the strong enemy presence prevented formal searches. ENS Thomas remains unaccounted-for. Today, Ensign Thomas 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.

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