BALDOCK, FREDERICK CHARLES JR.

Name: Frederick Charles Baldock, Jr.
Rank/Branch: O2/US Navy
Unit: VA 94
Date of Birth: 10 May 1939
Home City of Record: Pittsburgh PA
Date of Loss: 17 March 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 183700N 1054800E (WF843584)
Status (in 1973): Released POW
Category:
Aircraft/vehicle/Ground: A4C
Missions: 80+
Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 May 1990 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. 2023

REMARKS: 730212 RELSD BY DRV

SYNOPSIS: When the bombing of North Vietnam began after a Christmas
moratorium on January 31 1966, American efforts intensified to the extent
the monsoon season allowed. December 1965 had seen monthly combat sorties
into North Vietnam at about 1500 per week. In February 1966, about one
hundred planes flew over North Vietnam every day and by March the daily
average of flights was 50 percent higher.

Most of the strikes on North Vietnam were made by Navy aircraft stationed on
aircraft carriers on Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin. LTJG Frederick C.
Baldock Jr. was one pilot who launched off carriers at Yankee Station. He
was the pilot of an A4C Skyhawk.

The Douglas Aircraft A4 Skyhawk was an inexpensive, lightweight attack and
ground support aircraft. The design emphasized low-speed control and
stability during take-off and landing as well as strength enough for
catapult launch and carrier landings. The plane was so compact that it did
not need folding wings for aboard ship storage and handling. In spite of its
diminutive size, the A4 packed a devastating punch and performed well where
speed and maneuverability were essential.

Baldock had been in Vietnam waters in 1965 onboard the USS RANGER flying
strike missions on targets in North Vietnam. On one mission, his aircraft
was hit, leaving an eight-inch hole in the tailpipe. Baldock landed at Da
Nang Airbase then returned in the aircraft to the carrier. A hazardous near
miss.

On March 1966, LTJG Baldock launched in his A4C Skyhawk on a combat mission
near the city of Vinh in Ha Tinh Province, North Vietnam. During this
mission, Baldock's aircraft was again hit by enemy fire. This time, the
damage to the aircraft was more severe and Baldock was forced to eject. He
was captured by the North Vietnamese.

For the next seven years, Baldock was a "guest" of the North Vietnamese in
the Hanoi prison system. Finally, on February 12, 1973, Baldock and 590
other Americans were released from prisoner of war camps in Vietnam.

Since the war ended, nearly 10,000 reports relating to Americans missing,
prisoner or unaccounted for in Southeast Asia have been received by the U.S.
Government. Many authorities who have examined this largely classified
information are convinced that hundreds of Americans are still held captive
today. These reports are the source of serious distress to many returned
American prisoners. They had a code that no one could honorably return
unless all of the prisoners returned. Not only that code of honor, but the
honor of our country is at stake as long as even one man remains unjustly
held. It's time we brought our men home.


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Frederick Baldock retired from the United States Navy as a Commander. He and
Terry still live in California.

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