FREDERICK, WILLIAM VANDERVOS
Remains Returned - ID Announced 03 January 1990
Name: William Vandervos Frederick
Rank/Branch: O3/US Air Force
Unit:
Date of Birth: 01 June 1933
Home City of Record: Deerfield OH
Date of Loss: 05 July 1967
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 213200N 1065400E (YJ019804)
Status (in 1973): Prisoner of War
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F105D
Other Personnel In Incident: (none missing)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 April 1990 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: Captain William V. Frederick was the pilot of an F105 Thunderchief
fighter-bomber sent on a mission over North Vietnam on July 5, 1967. His
mission took him into the Haiphong area southeast of Hanoi, one of the
primary strategic targets being attacked as part of the ongoing Rolling
Thunder bombing operation begun two years before.
The F105 Thunderchief ("Thud"), in its various versions, flew more missions
against North Vietnam than any other U.S. aircraft. It also suffered more
losses, partially due to its vulnerability, which was constantly under
revision. Between 1965 and 1971, the aircraft was equipped with armor plate,
a secondary flight control system, an improved pilot ejection seat, a more
precise navigation system, better blind bombing capability and ECM pods for
the wings.
While near Haiphong, Capt. Frederick's aircraft went down. Circumstances of
loss caused Joint Casualty Resolution Center (JCRC) to maintain Captain
Frederick as a Prisoner of War.
In November 1973, JCRC received a message from Randolph Airforce Base
instructing them to remove all references pertaining to PW status and place
Captain Frederick in MIA classification. This message was routed through the
highest channels, and contained the names of 10 other men. Although the Air
Force maintained that this was an administrative cleanup procedure, some
analysts feel it was a deliberate effort to downplay these cases as
confirmed prisoner of war cases.
No substantial information surfaced about Capt. Frederick for over twenty
years. Then in early January 1990, the U.S. announced that it had positively
identified Capt. Frederick's remains from among a group of remains returned
to U.S. control by the Vietnamese. William V. Frederick, dead or alive, was
a prisoner of war for nearly 23 years.
Evidence continues to mount that hundreds of Americans are still alive in
Southeast Asia. Clearly, William V. Frederick is not among them. But as long
as even one American remains held against his will, we must do everything
possible to bring him home.
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[r0754.97]
PROJECT X
SUMMARY SELECTION RATIONALE
NAME: FREDERICK, William V., Capt., USAF
OFFICIAL STATUS: MISSING
CASE SUMMARY: SEE ATTACHED
RATIONALE FOR SELECTION: Capt.. Frederick successfully ejected from his
stricken aircraft and was seen on the ground by other members of his
flight. There have been no subsequent reports of Capt. Frederick's possible
capture or death.
REFNO: 0754 19 Apr 76
(U) CASE SUMMARY
1. On 5 July 1967 Capt. William V. Frederick was the pilot of the number
two F-105D aircraft, ( #60-0454, call sign BEAR 02), in a flight of four on
a strike mission over the Cao Nung railroad yard in North Vietnam. While
making a bombing pass, Capt... Frederick's aircraft received a direct hit
from enemy ground fire. The aircraft burst into flames and Capt...
Frederick was forced to bail out. A good parachute was seen after his
ejection, and he was seen on the ground in the vicinity of grid coordinates
(GC) XJ 968 822. Two other members of the flight reported hearing a radio
beeper signal, but voice communications were never established. All of the
flight orbited the area until having to leave to in-flight refuel. When
they returned, Capt. Frederick's parachute could not be found. Search and
rescue efforts were called off due to approaching darkness and lack of any
contact with the downed officer. (The aircraft possibly crashed in the
vicinity of (GC) YJ 019 804). (Ref 1 & 2)
2. During the existence of JCRC, the hostile threat in the area precluded
any visits to or ground inspections of the sites involved in this case.
This individual's name and identifying data were turned over to Four-Party
Joint Military Team with a request for any information available. No
response was forthcoming.
3. Capt. Frederick is currently carried in the status of Missing.
REFERENCES USED
1. RPT (U), 355th TFW (CBPO-PA) AF Form 484 w/stmts, 10 Jul 67.
2. MSG (C), DIA Wash, 191712Z May 75. (Coordinates only)
* National Alliance of Families Home Page
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01/2020
https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000rDTUbEAO
On December 27, 1989, the Central Identification
Laboratory-Hawaii (CILHI, now DPAA) identified the remains of
Lieutenant Colonel William Vandervoot Frederick, missing from
the Vietnam War.
Lieutenant Colonel Frederick entered the U.S. Air Force from
Michigan and was a member of the 80th Tactical Fighter Squadron.
On July 5, 1967, he piloted an F-105D Thunderchief (tail number
60-454, call sign "Bear 02") on a combat mission against enemy
targets over North Vietnam. During the mission, his aircraft was
hit by enemy ground fire, forcing Lt Col Frederick to bail out
over Ha Bac Province. He was seen on the ground and a rescue
beeper signal was detected, but no radio contact was made; he
subsequently died of unknown causes and his remains could not be
recovered at the time. In 1989, the Vietnamese government
repatriated the remains of a U.S. service member and U.S.
investigators were subsequently able to identify Lt Col
Frederick from these remains.
Lieutenant Colonel Frederick is memorialized in the Courts of
the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
If you are a family member of this serviceman, you may contact your casualty office representative to learn more about your service member.