BOWER, JOSEPH EDWARD

Name: Joseph Edward Bower
Rank/Branch: O4/US Air Force
Unit: 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron, McConnell AFB KS
Date of Birth: 21 June 1929
Home City of Record: Ely NV
Date of Loss: 03 August 1965
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 182459N 1055159E (WF930880)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 3
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F105D
Refno: 0120
Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 30 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:

SYNOPSIS: The F105 Thunderchief ("Thud"), in its various versions, flew more
missions against North Vietnam than any other U.S. aircraft. It also
suffered more losses, partially due to its vulnerability, which was
constantly under revision. Between 1965 and 1971, the aircraft was equipped
with armor plate, a secondary flight control system, an improved pilot
ejection seat, a more precise navigation system, better blind bombing
capability and ECM pods for the wings. While the D version was a
single-place aircraft, the F model carried a second crewman which made it
well suited for the role of suppressing North Vietnam's missile defenses.

Major Joseph E. Bower was an F105D pilot assigned an operational mission
over North Vietnam on August 3, 1965. During the mission, Bower's aircraft
was struck by hostile fire and Bower radioed that he was heading for sea (to
facilitate easier rescue). Shortly afterward, the aircraft became
uncontrollable. Bower ejected from the aircraft. He was at that time about
20 miles southeast of the city of Vinh in Ha Tinh Province, North Vietnam,
very near the coastline.

Observers say that Bower's parachute did not open until just prior to his
impact with the water. Air Force narratives do not describe search and
recovery efforts, but Bower was not recovered, and was declared Missing in
Action. Because of the proximity to the coastline, there was every reason to
suspect that, if he survived the ejection, Bower might have been captured by
any of the multitude of enemy vessels which dotted the coastline.

On August 9, unspecified information was received by U.S. intelligence that
Bower died at the time of the incident. He was then declared Killed in
Action/Body Not Recovered. Because his remains have not been recovered and
returned, Bower is listed by the Department of Defense as unaccounted for in
Southeast Asia.

Bower's unit in Vietnam is not recorded by the Air Force. His last known
duty assignment was with the 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron at McConnell
Air Force Base, Kansas.

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