Name: Alan Robert Trent
Rank/Branch: 03/U.S. Air Force
Unit:
Date of Birth: 22 May 1940
City of Record: Wadsworth OH
Date of Loss: 13 May 1970
Country of Loss: Cambodia
Loss Coordinates: 142400N 1071900E (YA646995)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 2
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: F4D
Refno: 1619
Other Personnel In Incident: Eric J. Huberth (missing)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 March 1991 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: 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. Most pilots considered it one of the "hottest" planes
around.
On May 13, 1970 Al Trent and Eric J. Hubert were flying a mission on an F4D
when their aircraft was shot down near the tri-border region of Laos,
Cambodia and South Vietnam. They went down in Rotanokiri Province, Cambodia.
They were both classified Missing In Action.
Huberth's family reported in 1973 that the U.S. Government had given them
conflicting information concerning the indident. First, they gave the family
the wrong location for the crash, then later said that enemy activity had
made it impossible to reach the crash site to investigate. Still later, the
Government said that a thorough crash-site investigation had been made.
Huberth's and Trent's families were left with many questions.
Eric's family made many inquiries, contacting anyone they could think of. In
October 1970, while his sister Nancy was working "galley" on a short
commercial airline flight, a passenger pulled out a notebook and read to her
the names of the people she had recently called, and the places she had
been. He showed her F.B.I. credentials. "Little girl," he said, "you're
getting in way over your head." Nancy wasn't impressed. She kept asking
questions.
When the war ended and 591 American prisoners were released, Al and Eric
were not among them. Since that time, over 10,000 reports have been received
concerning Americans still held in captivity. Eric Huberth and Al Trent
could be among them. Isnt' it time we brought these men home?
Eric Huberth was promoted to the rank of Captain during the period he was
maintained missing. Alan R. Trent graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy
in 1964.