JEFFS, CLIVE GARTH

Name: Clive Garth Jeffs
Rank/Branch: O2/US Air Force
Unit:
Date of Birth: 21 October 1943
Home City of Record: Salt Lake City UT
Date of Loss: 12 March 1971
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 121900N 1083500E (BP170949)
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F100D
Refno: 1723
Other Personnel in Incident: (none 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:

SYNOPSIS: The North American F100 "Super Sabre" first saw action in
Southeast Asia in northwest Laos in May 1962. F100 operations in Vietnam
began in 1965, and took part in Operation Flaming Dart, the first U.S. Air
Force strike against North Vietnam in February of that year. Further
deployments of the aircraft to the area left just five F100 squadrons in the
United States.

Various modifications were made to the aircraft affectionately called "Hun"
or "Lead Sled" by its pilots and mechanics over the early years, gradually
improving night bombing capability, firing systems and target-marking
systems. The single seat models D and F were good at top cover and low
attack, and could carry a heavy load of munitions.

1Lt. Clive G. Jeffs was the pilot of an F100D Super Sabre dispatched on a
mission over Vietnam on March 12, 1971. At a point on the border of Tuyen
Duc and Khanh Hoa Provinces in South Vietnam, Jeffs' aircraft went down and
he was never seen again. Jeffs was declared Missing in Action. The U.S.
Government believed the enemy knew his fate, but had no evidence to confirm
this.

Records on American military personnel were maintained in various government
agencies. Raw intelligence data from Southeast Asia freqently first found
its way into the files of the organization which came to be known as Joint
Casualty Resolution Center (JCRC). Many analysts believed JCRC records were
the most complete and authoritative, since they contained largely raw data
without benefit of analytical "muddling".

In November 1973, JCRC received a cable from Defense Intelligence Agency
which was copied to various high stations, including CIA, the Secretary of
State and the White House. The cable stated JCRC should "take necessary
action to delete any references pertaining to PW [Prisoner of War] status
and place members in a new MIA code" the files of Clive G. Jeffs and several
others. Whether JCRC had intelligence that indicated Clive Jeffs was
captured is unknown.

Since American involvement in Vietnam ended in 1975, nearly 10,000 reports
relating to Americans missing, prisoner, or otherwise unaccounted for in
Indochina have been received by the U.S. Government. Many officials, having
examined this largely classified information, have reluctantly concluded
that many Americans are still alive today, held captive by our long-ago
enemy.

Whether Jeffs survived the crash of his aircraft to be captured by the enemy
is certain not known. It is not known if he might be among those thought to
be still alive today. What is certain, however, is that as long as even one
American remains alive, held against his will, we owe him our very best
efforts to bring him to freedom.

 

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01/2020

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000KZ6iEAG

CAPT CLIVE GARTH JEFFS

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Captain Clive Garth Jeffs entered the U.S. Air Force from Utah and served with the 614th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 35th Tactical Fighter Wing. On March 12, 1971, he piloted a single-seat F-100D Super Sabre (tail number 56-3415) as the lead aircraft in a two-plane combat mission over enemy targets in South Vietnam. En route to the target area, Captain Jeffs' aircraft experienced an engine flameout. After unsuccessfully attempting to restart his engine, Captain Jeffs ejected from his aircraft. His wingman observed the ejection and saw Capt Jeffs descend into the cloud cover after his parachute opened, in the vicinity of (GC) BP 336 755. Search and rescue forces attempted to locate Capt Jeffs over the next ten days, but were unable to contact or recover him. Further attempts to locate him were unsuccessful. Today, Captain Jeffs 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 Active Pursuit.

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