ZORN, THOMAS ONEAL JR.

Name: Thomas Oneal Zorn Jr.
Branch/Rank: United States Air Force/O3
Unit: Wild Weasel Squadron
Date of Birth: 14 June 1946
Home City of Record: WAYCROSS GA
Date of Loss: 17 September 1972
Country of Loss: North Vietnam/Over Water
Loss Coordinates: 203757 North  1070557 East
Status (in 1973): Killed In Action/Body Not Recovered [see text]
Category: 3
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F105G #8360
Missions:
Other Personnel in Incident: Michael Turose, EWO, MIA/PFOD
Refno: 1925

Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or more of the following: raw
data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA
families, published sources, interviews and CACCF = Combined Action
Combat Casualty File.  Updated 2020.

REMARKS:

CACCF/CRASH/PILOT

No further information available at this time.

==========================

02/18/2002 03:09 PM -0700

Hello,

    I was doing research and put my last name into the search engine and
    came up with your site with information about my brother, Michael
    Turose.  I would like to make sure you have the correct information,
    (which some of it was in error)  He was an Electronic Warfares Officer
    (EWO) and in a Wild Weasel Squadron.  His pilot was also never found.
    They were both MIA and then PRESUMED DEAD.  There were two good
    parachutes seen going down over the Gulf of Tonkin.  Later, in fact,
    there were reports of them being seen by vietnemese fishermen, they went
    down close to some islands. He was on a mission to accompany bombers
    over Hanoi at the time.  They were hit by a SAM and took their crippled
    aircraft back to the Gulf to be rescued by our Navy.  If you need any
    more information please feel free to contact me.

I appreciate what your doing, I was involved for a long time with the
movement. My son is now in the Army, stationed at Fort Benning, Ga. Keep the
faith.

Susanna

------------------------
Library of Congress file:

North Vietnam, pre-1975: Change in Category from Dead/BNR to Remains
Nonrecoverable; ASGRO Board of Review
Country: North Vietnam, pre-1975

Name: Thomas O. Zorn Jr

Subjects: Aircraft downed; Over water; Killed; Gulf of Tonkin

Reel: 203

Page: 41-43

Type of Document: Memorandum

Date of Report: 76 02 26

Date of Information: 72 09 17

Originator: JCRC

Category: Casualty files

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01/2020

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt00000001UXeEAM

 

CAPT THOMAS ONEAL ZORN JR.

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On September 17, 1972, an F-105 Thunderchief (tail number 62-8360, call sign "Condor 01") with a crew of two departed Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base on a combat mission. The aircraft was hit by a surface to air missile (SAM) in the vicinity of (GC) 48Q YH 187 827, and both crew members ejected. Their parachutes were seen to land in the Gulf of Tonkin. Search and rescue teams saw the bodies of both crew members below the surface of the water, but were unable to retrieve them due to harassing enemy fire. 

Captain Thomas O'Neal Zorn Jr., who joined the U.S. Air Force from Georgia, served with the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing. He was the pilot of the Thunderchief when it was shot down, and his remains were not recovered. Today, Captain Zorn 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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