ADRIAN, JOSEPH DANIEL
Name: Joseph Daniel Adrian
Rank/Branch: O3/US Air Force
Unit: (unknown)
Date of Birth: 02 August 1942
Home City of Record: Riveredge NJ
Date of Loss: 12 March 1967
Country of Loss: South Vietnam/Over Water
Loss Coordinates: 130822N 1092307E (CQ293485)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 4
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F100
Other Personnel in Incident: none missing
Refno: 0618
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project with the assistance of one or more
of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence
with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W.
NETWORK. 2020
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: 1Lt. Joseph D. Adrian was reported missing in action while on a night
scramble mission in a flight of three F-100 aircraft on March 12, 1967.
Adrian's aircraft was attempting to join the lead in a right turn when it was
observed to continue the turn and disappear out of sight. The incident occurred
approximately six miles off the end of the runway at Tuy Hoa offshore from Phu
Yen Province, South Vietnam.
According to Air Force records, evidence (unnamed) was received on March 26
which indicated that Lt. Adrian died at the time his aircraft went down, but as
no remains were found, he is listed with honor among those missing in Southeast
Asia.
When the last American troops left Southeast Asia in 1975, some 2500 Americans
were unaccounted for. Reports received by the U.S. Government since that time
build a strong case for belief that many of these "unaccounted for" Americans
are still alive and in captivity.
1Lt. Joseph D. Adrian was listed as killed, body not recovered. His case seems
clear - that he perished and cannot be recovered. Unfortunately, evidence
continues to be received indicating that hundreds of Americans are still
captive, waiting for the country they proudly served to secure their freedom.
In our haste to leave an unpopular war, it now appears we abandoned some of our
best men. In our haste to heal the wounds of this same war, will we sign their
death warrants? Or will we do what we can to bring them home?
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01/2020
https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt00000001UHYEA2
First Lieutenant Joseph Daniel Adrian entered the U.S. Air Force from New Jersey and served with the 308th Tactical Fighter Squadron. On March 12, 1967, he took off in a single-seat F-100 Super Sabre (tail number 55-3611, call sign "Litter 02") as one of two aircraft on a night bombing mission against enemy targets in South Vietnam. As he was joining the flight leader, ground observers saw his aircraft go into a descending turn and then pass out of sight. No impact or explosion was heard, but the location he descended towards was over water, offshore from the Tuy Hoa Airbase in the vicinity of (GC) 49Q CQ 293 484. Search efforts were launched immediately but failed to find 1st Lt Adrian or his aircraft. He remains unaccounted for. Today, First Lieutenant Adrian 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 Non-recoverable.
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