On February 18, 1966, an A-6A Intruder (bureau number 151797) carrying two crew members took off from the USS Kitty Hawk (CVA 63) as part of a three-plane armed reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. After making a bombing run, the Intruder crashed for unknown reasons and just beyond the target area. Witnesses in other aircraft observed no parachutes emerge from the Intruder before it went down, and an aerial sweep saw no signs of survivors at the crash site. The active enemy presence in the area prevented ground searches, and the Intruder’s two crew members were not found at the time nor their remains recovered following the incident.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Thomas Anthony Schroeffel, who joined the U.S. Navy from Pennsylvania, was a member of Attack Squadron 85, embarked aboard the USS Kitty Hawk (CVA 63). He was the copilot of the Intruder when it went down on February 18, 1966, and was not seen or heard from again following the incident. Today, Lieutenant Junior Grade Schroeffel 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.

If you are a family member of this serviceman, DPAA can provide you with additional information and analysis of your case. Please contact your casualty office representative.