NYSTROM, BRUCE AUGUST Name: Bruce August Nystrom Rank/Branch: O5/US Navy Unit: Attack Squadron 172, USS FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT (CVA 42) Date of Birth: 18 October 1927 (Marion OH) Home City of Record: Alameda CA Date of Loss: 02 December 1966 Country of Loss: North Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 200500N 1061200E (XH254209) Status (in 1973): Missing In Action Category: 2 Acft/Vehicle/Ground: A4C Refno: 0539 Other Personnel in Incident: Paul Worrell (remains returned) Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 April 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 1998. REMARKS: POSS DEAD - IR 6918571875 SYNOPSIS: Bruce A. Nystrom was a F4U Corsair pilot and squadron Air Intelligence Officer in Korea. Following his tour of duty in Korea, Nystrom graduated from Stanford University with a B.S. in engineering. On December 23, 1965, Commander Nystrom assumed command of Attack Squadron 172 on board the USS FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT and deployed with his squadron for Vietnam on June 21, 1966. On December 2, 1966, CDR Nystrom and his wingman, Ensign Paul L. Worrell, launched in their A4C Skyhawk attack aircraft on a combat armed reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. Their reconnaissance area was south of Hanoi in the Red River delta area, within an envelope of suspected active surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites. Enemy anti-aircraft defenses along this flight path had not been heavy during recent operations. "Missiles Away" call was reserved for an actual missile sighting. Nystrom and Worrell both disappeared during the mission. It was the opinion of the Navy that Nystrom and Worrell came under missile attack shortly after crossing the coastline, although their last known location is listed as about 15 miles southwest of Hoanh Dong. In 1985, the Vietnamese "discovered" and returned the remains of Paul Worrell. Intelligence reports indicate that Nystrom is "possibly dead". If Nystrom is known to be dead, why then did the Vietnamese not "discover" his remains as well? By 1990, the number of reports relating to Americans missing and prisoner in Southeast Asia neared the 10,000 mark. We know that many Americans who were captured did not return at the end of the war. Evidence points to their being alive, captive today. Could one of them be Bruce Nystrom? During the period they were maintained missing, Bruce A. Nystrom was promoted to the rank of Captain and Paul L. Worrell was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.