PATTERSON, BRUCE MERLE

Name: Bruce Merle Patterson
Rank/Branch: O1/US Navy
Unit:
Date of Birth: 06 March 1945
Home City of Record: Portland OR
Date of Loss: 27 July 1967
Country of Loss: North Vietnam/Over Water
Loss Coordinates: 165459N 1103657E (DU591702)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 5
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: KA3H
Refno: 0773

Other Personnel in Incident: Charles D. Hardie (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: ALL PARAD - PILOT RES - NOT SUBJ - J

SYNOPSIS:  The A3 Skywarrior is a three-place light bomber, reconnaissance
plane, electronic warfare craft or aerial tanker, depending upon its
outfitting. The KA3H was outfitted as an aerial tanker. Its function was to
stand by at a safe distance from target areas to be ready to refuel fighter
aircraft.

ENS Bruce M. Patterson and AE2 Charles D. Hardie were part of the crew of a
U.S. Navy KA3H. On July 27, 1967, their aircraft was airborne about 200
miles due east from the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) when it encountered
difficulties requiring the three crewmen to parachute from the crippled
aircraft. The crew safely parachuted from the plane, but only the pilot was
rescued. Patterson and Hardie were never found. It was assumed they drowned.
Both were classified Killed, Body Not Recovered.

The Defense Intelligence Agency further expanded the classification to
include an enemy knowledge ranking of 5. Category 5 includes personnel who
are considered to be dead, and whose remains have been declared
non-recoverable.

Since the war ended in Vietnam, refugees have flooded the world, bringing
with them stories of American soldiers still held prisoner in their
homeland. Many authorities now believe that hundreds were left behind as
living hostages, and that substantial numbers of these are still alive
today.

Hardie and Patterson apparently did not survive the events of July 27, 1967.
Their families have accepted that they is dead and they no longer expect
them to come home. But hundreds of families wait expectantly and in the
special agony only uncertainty can bring. Hundreds of men may wait in caves,
cages and prisons. How much longer will we allow the abandonment of our best
men? It's time we brought them home.

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

02/2020

ENS BRUCE MERLE PATTERSON

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On July 27, 1967, a KA-3B Skywarrior aerial refueling tanker (bureau number 142568, call sign "Holly Green 612") with a crew of three took off from the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CVA 34) in the South China Sea en route to Naval Air Station Cubi Point, Philippines. The aircraft encountered heavy thunderstorms, and the pilot went up to 41,000 feet in an attempt to avoid turbulence. While cruising on autopilot, the aircraft encountered an area of turbulence. The starboard engine went out, followed by the port engine, and the pilot ordered his crew to prepare to bail out. All three crew members ejected from the aircraft and parachuted into the water. Search and rescue teams recovered the pilot, but were unable to locate the two crew members. 

Ensign Bruce Merle Patterson, who joined the U.S. Navy from Oregon, served with Heavy Attack Squadron 4 embarked aboard the Oriskany. He was the navigator aboard "Holly Green 612" when it crashed, and his remains were not recovered. Today, Ensign Patterson 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 Non-recoverable.

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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