Rock County, WisconsinBiographies"Donald William Downing" |
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DONALD WILLAIM DOWNING On September 5, 1967, Captain Donald Downing was flying a mission out of Cam Ranh Bay, VN. He was assigned to the USAF 12th Tactical Fighter Wing, 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Capt. Downing was performing duties as a Weapons System Operator in a F4C Phantom Jet, that was being piloted by 1LT Paul D Raymond. The Phantom, used by AF, Marine, and Navy Air Wing Units, served a multitude of functions including fighter, bomber, and electronic surveillance. It is a two-man aircraft that was extremely fast (Mach 2) and had a long-range (900-2300 miles). The F4 was extremely maneuverable and handled well at low and high altitudes. It was considered the 'top-bird' at the time. The mission on this day was combat-related and consisted of two F4's: The first being flown by Raymond/Downing and the second by Maj. Carl D Miller (pilot) along with 1Lt. Thomas P. Hanson (Weapons System Operator). The target was located in Quang Binh Province in North Vietnam. At some point in their mission, both jets were shot down and crashed. Raymond/Downing went down about 10 miles north of Vinh Linh City, while Miller/Hanson went down about 20 miles north of Vinh Linh. All four were classified Missing in Action (MIA), and it is believed that the Vietnamese could account for them - alive or dead. Whether the four airmen missing on September 5, 1967 survived to be captured is not known. In 1973, 591 prisoners of war were released, but the fates of another 2500 MIA's were not accounted for. Capt. Downing was born on March 17, 1934 and was 33 years old at the time he was shot down. The US Government officially declared him dead in April, 1978 - 11 years after the day of his mission. During this period, he was promoted to the rank of LT Colonel. Capt. Downing can be seen in the picture at the time at the 8th pilot from the left, holding the 557th sign (click on the photo for a larger image). His name is memorialized on the Vietnam Memorial Wall at Panel 25E, line 113.  Editors Note: During the Vietnam War, Rock County only lost two individuals with the US Air Force. Captain Downing and Major John DeBock of Beloit. By coincidence, both were assigned to the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron, and both died tragically within weeks of each other. Sources: Operation Homecoming, 12th Tactical Wing Fighter Web Page, MIA Network, other public sources.  |
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