GAULEY, JAMES PAUL

Name: James Paul Gauley
Rank/Branch: O3/US Air Force
Unit: 288th Tactical Fighter Wing
Date of Birth: 22 March 1939
Home City of Record: Ringwood OK
Date of Loss: 10 January 1967
Country of Loss: Laos
Loss Coordinates: 190858N 1034058E (UG608182)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 3
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F105D
Refno: 0561
Other Personnel In Incident: (none missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 October 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: In violation of, yet somewhat protected by, the neutrality of Laos
accorded at Geneva in a 14-nation protocol conference July 23, 1962, the
North Vietnamese and supporting communist insurgent group, the Pathet Lao,
lost no time in building strategic strongholds of defense in Northern Laos
and establishing a steady flow of manpower and material to their
revolutionary forces in South Vietnam via the Ho Chi Minh Trail on the
eastern border of the Laotian panhandle.

As a result, the Royal Lao sought help from the U.S. in stopping both
initiatives. It was strategically important to do so, although every
initiative had to be cleared through the U.S. Ambassador at Vientiane, so
that the delicate balance of "look-the-other-way-neutrality" engaged in by
the nations involved (including China) could be preserved.

Defense of non-communist activity in Laos generally fell into three
categories: 1) U.S. Army and CIA's bolstering of the Meo (Hmong) army led by
General Vang Pao; 2) Strategic U.S. Air Force bombing initiatives on the Ho
Chi Minh Trail (Operations Commando Hunt, Steel Tiger, etc.); 3) U.S. Air
Force bombing ini- tiatives in northern Laos (Operation Barrell Roll, etc.)
both against communist strongholds there, and in support of the Royal Lao
and Gen. Vang Pao's army.

It was over Northern Laos that Capt. Paul Gauley flew on January 10, 1967 as
pilot of a F105D Thunderchief. When he was in the region of the Plaines des
Jarres, his aircraft was shot down and he was presumed to be dead. He is
among nearly 2500 Americans lost in Indochina, and one of nearly 600 lost in
Laos.

Twenty-two years after Paul Gauley was shot down, the U.S., through private
agencies, completed plans for a medical clinic in Laos to encourage Lao
assistance in excavating crash sites of U.S. aircraft downed in Laos.
Critics say that the U.S. has not addressed the issue of live American
prisoners held in Laos and in building clinics is further destroying the
possibility that they will ever be released alive. Indeed, of the nearly 600
downed in Laos, many were known to have been alive on the ground, and the
Pathet Lao stated publicly they held "tens of tens" of Americans - yet not a
single American held in Laos was ever released...or negotiated for.

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

01/2020

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000BTXREA4

CAPT JAMES PAUL GAULEY

Return to Service Member Profiles

 

Captain James P. Gauley, who joined the U.S. Air Force from Oklahoma, served with the 34th Tactical Fighter Squadron. On January 10, 1967, he piloted an F-105D Thunderchief (tail number: 62-4265; call sign "Zorro 02") as the number two aircraft in a flight of four on a strike mission over Laos. His ordnance was seen to hit the target, west of Muong Ngan. Seconds later, Capt Gauley radioed that his aircraft was out of control. He parachuted out of the aircraft, but his parachute failed to open. The forward air controller notified search and rescue forces, and a helicopter lowered a para-rescue man to the ground. He saw Capt Gauley's body on a steep slope (vicinity of 48Q UG 608 182), northeast of the crash site, but was unable to reach the body due to the rough terrain. Rescue personnel tried several more times to reach the target but were unable to do so, and later search efforts were unsuccessful. Today, Captain Gauley 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.