BURD, DOUGLAS GLENN

Name: Douglas Glenn Burd
Rank/Branch: O2/US Air Force
Unit:
Date of Birth: 08 November 1945
Home City of Record: Hampton VA
Date of Loss: 01 August 1969
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 145936N 1082847E (BS281589)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4E
Refno: 1474

Other Personnel In Incident: Tommy L. Callies (missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 June 1990 from 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: On August 1, 1969, just four years after he graduated from the Air
Force Academy, Capt. Tommy Callies found himself in the Vietnam war as the
pilot of an F4E Phantom fighter/bomber jet. On this day, 1LT Douglas Burd
was his back-seater, having charge of navigation and bombing. It was
Callies' dream to become a career pilot, and he and Burd were flying one of
the most exciting aircraft of the time.

The Phantom, used by Air Force, Marine and Navy air wings, served a
multitude of functions including fighter-bomber and interceptor, photo and
electronic surveillance. The two man aircraft was extremely fast (Mach 2),
and had a long range (900 - 2300 miles, depending on stores and mission
type). The F4 was also extremely maneuverable and handled well at low and
high altitudes. The F4 was selected for a number of state-of-the-art
electronics conversions, which improved radar intercept and computer bombing
capabilities enormously. Most pilots considered it one of the "hottest"
planes around. It was equipped with Skyspot radar, which helped ground radar
track the plane.

When the Phantom flown by Callies was in Quang Ngai Province, South Vietnam,
just about 25 miles southwest of the city of Quang Ngai, the Skyspot was put
to test. The plane was shot down.

Observers feel that Tommy Callies and Doug Burd died in the crash of their
plane, and circumstances surrounding the area of crash indicate a very good
chance the enemy knew what happened to them. The two are on the rolls of the
missing because their bodies are in enemy hands.

For the nearly 2400 other Americans unaccounted for, simple explanations are
not so easy. Experts now believe that hundreds of Americans are still alive,
held captive by a long-ago enemy. While Callies and Burd are not, evidently,
among this number, one can imagine their willingness to fly one more mission
for their missing comrades. Why have 15 years gone by without our bringing
these men home?

--------------------------------------------------------

The Los Angeles Times
Saturday, December 27, 1997

Issue of MIAs in Vietnam Losing Steam
By DAVID LAMB, Times Staff Writer

DA NANG, Vietnam--On the official records, it's Case No. 1474: two American
pilots--a captain and a lieutenant--shot down on a bombing run over the
jungles of Vietnam in 1969......


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01/2020

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000KYZCEA4

1ST LT DOUGLAS GLENN BURD

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On August 1, 1969, an F-4E Phantom II (tail number 67-0323) with a crew of two took off from Da Nang Airbase, South Vietnam, on a strike mission against a target southwest of Chu Lai. Shortly after dropping its ordnance over the target area, this Phantom was seen to crash into a small hill just beyond the target in the vicinity of Grid Coordinates BS 281 589. No parachutes were observed and no radio messages or rescue beeper signals were received. An immediate search was initiated and continued throughout the night without success. On August 3, a Special Forces unit attempted to reach the crash site but was forced to withdraw due to enemy forces in the area. No further ground searches were conducted. Further aerial search efforts were also unsuccessful. The aircraft and its crew remain unaccounted for.

First Lieutenant Douglas Glenn Burd entered the U.S. Air Force from Virgina and was a member of the 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron. He was the navigator aboard this Phantom II when it crashed, and he was lost with the aircraft. His remains were not recovered. Today, First Lieutenant Burd 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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