On April 26, 1968, a C-130B Hercules (tail number 60-0298) with a crew of eight carried out an air drop mission in Thua Thien-Hue Province, South Vietnam. During the mission, the Hercules was hit by enemy fire that damaged its tail section. The pilot attempted an emergency landing at A Luoi Airfield in Thua Thien-Hue Province. As the aircraft came in to land, the plane’s damaged tail section broke off, causing the Hercules to crash and explode. A number of eyewitnesses to the shootdown stated that it appeared that the crew was discharging cargo from the tail section prior to its separation from the fuselage.  One observer on the ground said he saw something (possibly a person) leaping from the tail of the aircraft. Subsequent aerial observation of the crash site revealed no sign of survivors. The remains of five members of the aircraft’s crew were eventually recovered and identified; however, the other three crew members are still unaccounted for.

Major John Lewis McDaniel, who joined the U.S. Air Force from North Carolina, was a member of the 772nd Tactical Airlift Squadron. He was the navigator aboard the Hercules when it went down, and was lost with the aircraft. His remains have not been recovered. Today, Major McDaniel 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.