LUNSFORD, HERBERT LAMAR
| Name: Herbert Lamar Lunsford Rank/Branch: O4/US Air Force Unit: Date of Birth: 02 September 1928 Home City of Record: Lauderdale MS Date of Loss: 25 July 1967 Country of Loss: North Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 172000N 1064700E (XE895171) Status (in 1973): Missing in Action Category: 3 Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4C Refno: 0771 Other Personnel in Incident: Jeremy M. Jarvis (missing) |
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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: 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.
Major Herbert L. Lunsford and 1Lt. Jeremy M. Jarvis comprised the flight
crew of an F4C Phantom which was assigned a mission over North Vietnam on
July 25, 1967. Maj. Lunsford was the pilot, and 1Lt. Jarvis his backseater.
Jarvis was responsible for operating the weapons/systems and navigational
equipment.
Lunsford's aircraft was shot down and crashed at a point on the coast of
North Vietnam about 10 miles south of Dong Hoi in Quang Binh Province. Both
Lunsford and Jarvis were declared Missing in Action.
The Defense Intelligence Agency further expanded the Missing in Action
classification to include an enemy knowledge ranking of 3. Category 3
indicates "doubtful knowledge" and includes personnel whose loss incident is
such that it is doubtful that the enemy wound have knowledge of the specific
individuals (e.g. aircrews lost over water or remote areas).
Since American involvement in Vietnam ended in 1975, nearly 10,000 reports
relating to Americans missing, prisoner, or otherwise unaccounted for in
Indochina have been received by the U.S. Government. Many officials, having
examined this largely classified information, have reluctantly concluded
that many Americans are still alive today, held captive by our long-ago
enemy.
Whether Lunsford and Jarvis survived the over-water crash of their aircraft
to be captured by the multitude of enemy fishing and military vessels often
found along the coastline is certain not known. It is not known if they
might be among those thought to be still alive today. What is certain,
however, is that as long as even one American remains alive, held against
his will, we owe him our very best efforts to bring him to freedom.
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http://www.meridianstar.com/news/local_news/memory-lives-on-of-lauderdale-pilot-herbert-lunsford-shot-down/article_ba18ea87-3579-570e-bafd-21919ac5dcda.html
06/09/18 Memory lives on of Lauderdale pilot Herbert Lunsford shot down over Vietnam in 1967
Janice Fec was 25 and a mother of two
living in Concord, California around 1970 when she
spotted a POW/MIA bracelet being sold as a
fundraiser by ...
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01/2020
https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000KZPVEA4
On July 25, 1967, an F-4C Phantom II (tail number 63-7488, call sign "Maverick 01") with two crew members was the lead aircraft in a flight of two on a nighttime armed reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. While flying along the coast en route to the target area, the aircraft commander reported that he saw a possible target on the beach and was going to make a rocket pass at it. The number two aircraft observed "Maverick 01" fire a pod of rockets at the target. He then saw a fireball in the water about a mile off the coast and lost contact with "Maverick 01". He saw no parachutes, and detected no rescue beeper signals. The wingman circled the area until he was relieved by a search and rescue (SAR) team, which was unable to locate the downed aircraft or its crew. The SAR effort continued into the next day without success, and the crew of "Maverick 01" was listed as missing.
Major (Maj) Herbert Lamar Lunsford, who joined the U.S. Air Force from Mississippi, served with the 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron. He was the aircraft commander aboard the Phantom when it crashed, and his remains were not recovered. Subsequent to the incident, and while carried in the status of missing in action (MIA) the U.S. Air Force promoted Maj Lunsford to the rank of Colonel. Today, Col Lunsford 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.
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