BULLARD, WILLIAM HARRY

Name: William Harry Bullard
Rank/Branch: O2/US Navy
Unit: Attack Squadron 164, USS ORISKANY
Date of Birth: 03 August 1942
Home City of Record: Elsinore CA
Date of Loss: 25 August 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam/Over Water
Loss Coordinates: 182036N 1073608E (YF750300)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 5
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: A4E
Refno: 0437
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, including "Alpha Strike Vietnam"
by Jeffrey L. Levinson, personal interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK
2020.

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS: The USS ORISKANY was a World War II-era carrier on duty in Vietnam
as early as 1964. The ORISKANY at one time carried the RF8A (number 144608)
flown by Maj. John H. Glenn, the famous Marine astronaut (and later Senator)
flew in his 1957 transcontinental flight. In October, 1966 the ORISKANY
endured a tragic fire which killed 44 men onboard, but was soon back on
station. In 1972, the ORISKANY had an at-sea accident which resulted in the
loss of one of its aircraft elevators, and later lost a screw that put the
carrier into drydock in Yokosuka, Japan for major repairs, thus delaying its
involvement until the late months of the war.

The ORISKANY's 1966 tour was undoubtedly one of the most tragic deployments
of the Vietnam conflict. This cruise saw eight VA 164 "Ghostriders" lost;
four in the onboard fire, one in an aerial refueling mishap, and another
three in the operational arena.

On July 28, 1966, Ensign George P. McSwain, Jr. was flying an A4E Skyhawk in
a strike mission near the city of Vinh, Nghe An Province, North Vietnam,
when his aircraft was hit by a surface-to-air missile (SAM). McSwain
successfully ejected and reached the ground safely, but rescue was not
possible because of the hostile area in which he landed. McSwain was
captured by the North Vietnamese and for the next six and one-half years,
was a prisoner of war. He was released in Operation Homecoming on March 4,
1973. (NOTE: Even though on page 30 of "Alpha Strike Vietnam" it is stated
that McSwain was killed on this mission, he was a released POW. Probably
this information was given the author by a shipmate who had not learned
McSwain had been captured.)

On August 26, 1966, LTJG William H. Bullard launched from the decks of the
ORISKANY in his A4E Skyhawk on a night combat mission. Mechanical problems
were encountered during the launch, and Bullard's aircraft went down near
the carrier. Bullard was never found, and was listed Killed, Body Not
Recovered. He is listed among those still prisoner and missing in Southeast
Asia because his remains were never found. The ORISKANY was on station in
the Gulf of Tonkin about 110 miles east of the city of Ha Tinh at that time.

On October 12, 1966 still another Ghostrider was shot down. LT Frank C.
Elkins was on a strike mission near the city of Tho Trang, about five miles
from the coast of Nghe An Province, when his aircraft went down. His A4E
Skyhawk had been damaged by SAM. It was not known what happened to Elkins
after the crash of his aircraft, and he was classified Missing in Action. In
March 1990, the Vietnamese "discovered" the mortal remains of Elkins and
returned them to U.S. control.

When the war ended, 591 Americans were released from POW camps. Military
authorities at the time were shocked that hundreds more known or suspected
to be held captive were not released.

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.


George P. McSwain Jr. was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant during the
period he was a prisoner of war.

Frank C. Elkins was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander during the
period he was listed missing.

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01/2020

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LTJG WILLIAM HARRY BULLARD

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Lieutenant Junior Grade William Harry Bullard entered the U.S. Navy from California and was a member of Attack Squadron 164, embarked aboard the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CVA 34) in the Gulf of Tonkin. On August 25, 1966, he piloted a single-seat A-4E Skyhawk (bureau number 152084) on a night combat mission against enemy targets in North Vietnam. After making a normal catapult launch from the carrier, the aircraft made a sharp descending turn, lost altitude and hit the water, exploding on impact. An extensive search failed to locate the pilot and aircraft, and he remains unaccounted for. Today, Lieutenant Junior Grade Bullard 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.

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