LOCKER, JAMES DOUGLAS

Remains Recovered. 09/18/2003

Name: James Douglas Locker
Branch/Rank: United States Air Force/E4
Unit: 37 AERO R&R
Date of Birth: 25 February 1947
Home City of Record: SIDNEY OH
Date of Loss: 09 June 1968
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 162144 North 107053 East
Status (in 1973): Killed In Action/Body Not Recovered
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:HU3E
Missions:
Refno: 1206

Other Personnel in Incident: Elmer Holden, James Locker, Jack
Rittichtier, Richard Yeend, all KIA/BNR

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: RADIO CONTACT LOST OVER WATER SAR NEG

CACCF/CRASH/AIRCREW/QUANG TRI

LAO BORDER, Thua Thien 22 miles NW of A Shau.

nov14.98

Air Force Looks for Missing Copter
The Associated Press

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AP) -- The Air Force is hoping flight simulations can
help solve the disappearance 30 years ago of a rescue helicopter in Vietnam....

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

Coast Guard pilot's body recovered from Laos
Molly Kavanaugh; Plain Dealer Reporter

In the months following the June 9, 1968, helicopter crash in the jungles of
Laos, Carol Rittichier held onto hope her husband was still alive......

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

09/18/2003

The US Government has found Jolly Green 23 and recovered the remains of Lt
Rittichier, USCG, Capt Yeend, USAF, SSgt Holden, USAF,  and Sgt Locker,
USAF.

LT Rittichier will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery on 6 Oct at
1300.  The funeral service will be held at the Old Post Chapel, FT Myer, VA.

The funeral is open to the public.  However, I need to know who is coming so
I can plan for the reception.

Can you spread this word to your POW-MIA Community?  If anyone wants to
attend the funeral could they please contact me at 202-267-4009 or E-mail at
jbrewster@comdt.uscg.mil

Thank you

VR

LCDR James Brewster, USCGR
202-267-4009 (v)
202-267-4823 (f)

-------------------------
OHIO BEACON JOURNAL

Posted on Sat, Sep. 20, 2003

Missing vet's remains found in Vietnam
Associated Press

SIDNEY, Ohio - Thirty-five years ago a helicopter carrying Air Force Sgt.
James Locker crashed while trying to rescue a downed pilot in Southeast Asia
during the Vietnam War......

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01/2020

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000toktWEAQ

SGT JAMES D LOCKER

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On August 19, 2003, Joint Task Force–Full Accounting (JTF-FA, now DPAA) identified the remains of Sergeant James Douglas Locker, missing from the Vietnam War.

Sergeant Locker entered the U.S. Air Force from Ohio and was a member of the 37th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron. On June 9, 1968, he was a para-rescueman aboard an HH-3E Jolly Green Giant (tail number 67-14710, call sign "Jolly Green 23") that took off from Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, on a search and rescue mission for a downed A-4 pilot in Salavan Province, Laos. At the rescue site, the aircraft was struck by enemy fire and crashed and exploded, and Sgt Locker was killed in the incident. An active enemy presence prevented searchers from recovering his remains at the time. Joint search teams eventually recovered human remains from the crash site that U.S. analysts identified as those of Sgt Locker.

Sergeant Locker is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. 

If you are a family member of this serviceman, you may contact your casualty office representative to learn more about your service member.