HAMILTON, JOHN S. Remains returned 10/97 Maj. Hamilton's name was NOT released by DPMO. Name: John S. Hamilton Rank/Branch: USAF, O4 Unit: 602nd Fighter Squadron Date of Birth: 03 September 26 Home City of Record: Silver City, NM Date of Loss: 19 April 67 Country of Loss: North Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 204200N 1053200E Status (in 1973): Missing in Action Category: 2 Acft/Vehicle/Ground: A1E, Skyraider Remarks: No chute seen or beeper heard. Other Personnel In Incident: Source: Compiled by THE P.O.W. NETWORK 02 February 1993 from the following published sources - POW/MIA's -- Report of the Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs United States Senate -- January 13, 1993. "The Senate Select Committee staff has prepared case summaries for the priority cases that the Administration is now investigating. These provide the facts about each case, describe the circumstances under which the individual was lost, and detail the information learned since the date of loss. Information in the case summaries is limited to information from casualty files, does not include any judgments by Committee staff, and attempts to relate essential facts. The Committee acknowledges that POW/MIAs' primary next-of- kin know their family members' cases in more comprehensive detail than summarized here and recognizes the limitations that the report format imposes on these summaries." Updated in 1998 with articles from the Las Cruces, New Mexico, Sun News. Synopsis: On April 19, 1967, Major Hamilton was the pilot of an A-1E, one in a flight of two aircraft searching for two pilots downed over North Vietnam. While over Hoa Binh Province, Hamilton was attacked by four hostile MIG-17 aircraft, and his wingman observed pieces of his aircraft's outer wing fly off after it was hit by cannon fire. His aircraft crashed 24 kilometers southeast of Hoa Binh City. Major Hamilton was not seen ejecting from his aircraft and there was no electronic beeper heard. He was declared missing in action. On April 19th, that same day, Hanoi radio reported the shoot down of an American rescue aircraft over Hoa Binh Province. This report, while not mentioning the fate of the pilot, was believed to correlate to Major Hamilton's incident of loss. In September 1970, a People's Army of Vietnam soldier reported two caucasian pilots captured in Lac Thuy District in April 1968 after being shot down in aerial combat with MIG jet aircraft. The soldier identified a photograph of Major Hamilton as similar to one of those captured, and the report was placed in Major Hamilton's file as possibly relating to his capture. After Operation Homecoming, a reevaluation of this report led to a reversal of the wartime evaluation. It was determined that this incident actually correlated to Major Thomas Madison and Major Thomas Sterling who had been lost as described and who returned alive during Operation Homecoming. Returning U.S. POWs had no information on Hamilton's precise fate. In March 1979, he was declared killed in action/body not recovered based on a presumptive finding of death. In January 1991, a report was received about a grave with the remains of a U.S. pilot in the area where Major Hamilton was lost. Then, in May 1991, a source provided the rubbing of a dog-tag associated with Major Hamilton and a bone fragment and claimed that remains were recovered from an area near Vinh City, Nghe Tinh Province. This is a considerable distance away from his known crash site. In October 1991, another source visited the Joint Task Force office in Hanoi and turned over a bone fragment and identifying information about Major Hamilton. The source claimed his friend found Major Hamilton's remains at another location, this time in Quang Binh Province. ---------------------------- LAS CRUCES SUN NEWS New Mexico TEL: 1-505-541-5400 October 26, 1997 Remains of pilot killed In Vietnam returned home By Shawn Ankrom Sun-News FORT BAYARD - One of Grant County's native sons, lost in the Vietnam War, Will come home to a final resting place this week. Col. John S. "Jack" Hamilton, U.S. Air Force, will be buried with full military honors in Fort Bayard National Cemetery at 11 a.m. Friday. Hamilton, who was listed as missing in action (MIA) for almost 30 years, was shot down while flying a search and rescue operation near Hanoi on April 19, 1967. When shot down, Hamilton was flying the lead "Skyraider," a propeller-powered aircraft, while attempting to recover two downed jet aircraft pilots. His aircraft was hit by fire from enemy jet aircraft while flying at a low altitude. Hamilton's remains were discovered and identified through DNA testing in recent months. The military's classification of Hamilton as MIA and the description of the crash left family members at a loss. "From the descent of the crash, there wasn't a lot of hope," said Sheba Grauten, Hamilton's sister who now lives in California. "We didn't really expect anything." According to Grauten, DNA testing required a match between Hamilton and a living relative from the female side of the family. Grauten was the only hope for successful identification of remains believed to be Hamilton. "It was really nice to find these remains and have them identified," Grauten said of the positive identification. According to Grauten, the loss had its most profound effect on Hamilton's widow, Jane, who has never remarried and lives a private life away from the attention associated with the return of a fallen soldier. Grauten and Hamilton were born at Fort Bayard, Hamilton on Sept. 3, 1926. They and their brother, Bob, were raised in quarters there until the family moved to nearby Silver City in 1941. Hamilton attended school in Silver City, He was active as a youth, playing high school football and basketball and teaching himself golf at the local course. He also took flying lessons while still in high school. "I tell you, he was very gung-ho," Grauten said of her younger brother. "If he decided to do something, he did it. He loved golf, but his first love, of course, was flying." Grauten said for her and family, living in the area was memorable. "We were very happy in Silver City," said Grauten, who has not been back since her mothers funeral in the 1960's. "It was just one big, happy family as far as I'm concerned, When I think of New Mexico, I think of the wonderful smell. There's something that grows there that has a such a wonderful smell. I have fond memories, and Jackie did too, I'm sure." Hamilton graduated from high school in 1944 and enlisted In the U.S. Army for four years as World War II wound to a close. He returned to Grant County after his service and attended what was then New Mexico Western College. He graduated with a degree in secondary education With thoughts of becoming a math teacher. Instead, he joined the Air Force, earning his wings and second lieutenant bars in 1953 after attending pilot training and earning honors as a distinguished graduate. Hamilton flew jet fighters and interceptors in the U.S. and overseas. While stationed in California, he married Jane Watson. They had two children, Jill and John. The Air Force sent Hamilton to the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he graduated in 1965 with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering. Following an engineering assignment at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio, and with the growing intensity of the conflict overseas, Hamilton volunteered for combat duty in Vietnam. "He just had to fly again and he volunteered," Grauten said of her brother's decision. Hamilton was assigned to the 602nd Fighter Squadron in Vietnam and volunteered for the hazardous search and rescue missions. He led many Skyraider missions in heavily defended areas and was awarded the Air Model with four oak leaf clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Force Cross and the Purple Heart. The latest reward for dedicated service, burial in a national cemetery, holds a special place in the hearts of Hamilton's family. "I think it's quite an honor, " Grauten said. "I feel very proud that they're doing this." Grauten is pleased Hamilton's burial will coincide with the arrival of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Moving Wall. Hamilton is listed on the wall as missing in action, and his children will lay a wreath at the wall during opening ceremonies. The Moving Wall will be on display Friday through Nov. 4. Opening ceremonies begin at 9 a.m. Saturday in Gough Park in Silver City, where the wall will be available for public view 24 hours a day. Hamilton's burial service will be attended by family members, friends, veterans and current military service personnel. A military color guard from Holloman AFB In Alamogordo will conduct the service, including the playing of "Taps", a 21-gun salute and presentation of the flag to the family. Hamilton's widow, Jane, their children, Jill and John, John's wife Carlo, Grauten and her husband Henry are scheduled to be present for the service. In lieu of flowers, the family has suggested memorial donations be made to the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Box 985, Hurley, N.M. 88043. ------------------- LAS CRUCES SUN NEWS November 2, 1997 Missing in Vietnam for 30 years, Air Force pilot is laid to rest By Kathy Sykes Howell Sun-News FORT BAYARD - ft was a cloudless blue sky Friday morning - the type of Now Mexico sky that goes on forever. Against that sky flow U.S. Air Force F-4F fighter jets in the missing man formation, with the lonely sound of tape piercing the silence in the Fort Bayard National Cemetery. It was an occasion tinged with tears and triumph as a long overdue funeral service was conducted for a Vietnam War era pilot coming home tot the very last time. A casket draped with the American flag contained the remains of Col. John S. "Jack" Hamilton, who was listed as missing in action for 30 years. Hamilton was shot down while flying a search and rescue operation near Hanoi on April 19, 1967. Recently, the Vietnamese government turned over Hamilton',s remains to the United States government and Hamilton's positive identification was made through DNA testing. Friday's funeral marked the end of decades of uncertainty for Hamilton's family and friends. Fort Bayard was chosen as Hamilton's final resting place because he was born there Sept. 3, 1926, and was also raised there. Later, Hamilton moved to Silver City, where he attended high school and eventually graduated from what was then New Mexico Western College . Wearing crisp blue and white dress uniforms, a military honor guard unit comprising young men and women from Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo gave Hamilton his final salute. Family, friends, former classmates and local and state political officials attended the service. "Jack's wife said that he was a fighter pilot first," said the officiating chaplain. "He loved to fly and was very proud to serve his country. That meant the world to him." Honor guard pall bearers precisely folded the flag and then one held it to his chest with folded arms, kneeling while presenting it to Hamilton's widow, Jane. Seated next to their mother were Hamilton's two children, Jill and John. "It was like a big bang to see the hearse drive up," said Rheba Grauten, Hamilton's sister. "his was a very moving ceremony and we're especially appreciative of the efforts the Air Force gave to make this possible today." Several local officials attended the funeral, including State Rep. Murray Ryan. "My friendship with the Hamiltons dates back to the 1930's," he said. "It's been a long time since I've been so inspired. The full military honors were very appropriate today. What an emotional jolt attar 30 years." Also present at Hamilton's funeral were many Vietnam War veterans. "It reminds us that there's still people unaccounted for and missing in action," said James Nemec, president of Vietnam Veterans of America in Luna County. He and many other Vietnam veterans from the area traveled to the service to pay respect to a fallen hero. "Miracles can still happen," Nemec said. "I honestly believe that others will be found like this one today. The ceremony was very touching and brought back heartbreaking memories." The names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Moving Wall have either a diamond shape or a plus sign next to each name. A diamond indicates the person is confirmed dead, while a plus sign means the person remains missing or is a prisoner of war, Of the 1,300 that are designated by a plus sign, there will be one less after Friday's funeral. After a lifetime of unanswered questions, the plus sign next to Col. John S. "Jack" Hamilton may finally be replaced with a diamond.