COOK, KELLY FRANCIS

Name: Kelly Francis Cook
Rank/Branch: O5/US Air Force
Unit:
Date of Birth: 02 May 1922
Home City of Record: Sioux City IA
Date of Loss: 10 November 1967
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 171909N 1064629E (XE886156)
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 2
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: F4C
Refno: 0904

Other Personnel in Incident: James A. Crew (missing); from other F4C: James
S. Morgan (missing); Charles J. Huneycutt (remains returned)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 April 1991 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: NO CONTACT

SYNOPSIS: On November 10, 1967, Lt.Col. Kelly F. Cook, pilot, and 1Lt. James
A. Crew, bombadier/navigator were the crew of one F4C in a flight of two
which departed Da Nang Airbase, South Vietnam on an operational mission. The
crew of the second aircraft was the pilot, Maj. James S. Morgan, and the
rear-seater, 1Lt. Charles J. Huneycutt.

Both F4's were tracked to their target area of Dong Hoa in North Vietnam,
but because of incliment weather, were directed to an alternate target
nearby. Positive radar and radio contact was maintained with the aircrafts
until the point when their bombing dives were to begin. All contact was then
lost.

Electronic searches were negative. Ground search was not conducted since the
incident occurred over heavily defended territory about 14 miles southeast
of Dong Hoi on the coast of North Vietnam. All four men aboard were
classified Missing in Action.

A North Vietnamese general was quoted in an article saying a women's militia
shot down two F4C recon planes that same day and captured "both bandits"
alive. As four, not two, individuals are concerned in this incident, it is
unclear which of the four the article could relate to. However, according to
a 1974 publication from a POW organization named FACK, the Defense
Department acknowledged at one time that James A. Crew was, indeed, a
prisoner of war. His status was hot, however, changed from Missing in
Action. According to a list published by the National League of Families in
1974, Charles J. Huneycutt survived his incident.

In the Peace agreements signed in Paris in 1973, the Vietnamese pledged to
release all American prisoners of war and account for the missing. They have
done neither. The U.S. Government has named the return and full accounting
of Americans "highest national priority", yet has dealt with the issue with
less than high priority.

In 1988, the Vietnamese "discovered" and returned to U.S. control the
remains of 1Lt. Charles J. Huneycutt, Jr.  The other three pilots lost on
November 10, 1967 remain missing, and the Vietnamese deny knowledge of their
fates. For 21 years, Huneycutt was a Prisoner of War - whether he was alive
or dead.

Since the war ended, nearly 10,000 reports relating to Americans missing in
Southeast Asia have been received by the U.S. Many authorities are convinced
that there are still hundreds of Americans alive, held captive. Cook, Crew,
and Morgan could be among them. They and the others who remain missing
deserve the full effort of their country to bring them home.

Kelly F. Cook was an instructor at the U.S. Air Force Academy prior to
volunteering for Vietnam service.

James A. Crew graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1965.

 

James S. Morgan's wife, Eleanor died of cancer in 1985, not knowing the fate
of her husband.

 
POW/MIA: Daughter of missing Vietnam-era pilot shares story of loss
Air Force Link      09/20/2014
Maureen has corresponded with several supporters across the nation who have worn a POW/MIA bracelet with her father's name on it, including a ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

01/2020

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000KYftEAG

COL KELLY FRANCIS COOK

Return to Service Member Profiles

On November 10, 1967, an F-4C Phantom II (tail number 64-0669) with two crew members took off from Da Nang, South Vietnam, as one of two aircraft on a night strike mission over enemy targets in North Vietnam. A ground controller monitored the flight due to weather in the target area, but lost radar and radio contact with both aircraft as they reached the “bombs away” point in the vicinity of (GC) XE 866 156. Contact could not be reestablished, and both aircraft failed to return from the mission. Hostile presence in the area prevented search efforts for the missing aircraft, and both crew members aboard this Phantom remain unaccounted-for.

Lieutenant Colonel Kelly Francis Cook, who joined the U.S. Air Force from Iowa, was a member of the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing. He was the aircraft commander of the Phantom when it went missing, and his remains have not been recovered. After the incident, the Air Force promoted Lt Col Cook to the rank of Colonel (Col). Today, Colonel Cook 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.

If you are a family member of this serviceman, DPAA can provide you with additional information and analysis of your case. Please contact your casualty office representative.

Service member profile discrepancy? Please help us ensure the accuracy of each profile by submitting documentation about a service member profile.