CRECCA, JOSEPH

Name: Joseph Crecca
Rank/Branch: O2/United States Air Force
Unit: 480th TFS
Date of Birth: 23 October 1940
Home City of Record: Bloomfield NJ
Date of Loss: 22 November 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 213000 N 1054200 E
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4C
Missions: 75

Other Personnel in Incident: Gordon Scott Wilson, pilot, missing

Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK 06 September 1996 from one or more of the
following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with
POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews.

REMARKS: 021473 RELEASED BY DRV

SOURCE: WE CAME HOME copyright 1977
Captain and Mrs. Frederic A Wyatt (USNR Ret), Barbara Powers Wyatt, Editor
P.O.W. Publications, 10250 Moorpark St., Toluca Lake, CA 91602
Text is reproduced as found in the original publication (including date and
spelling errors).

JOSEPH CRECCA, JR.
Captain - United States Air Force
Shot Down: November 22 1966

Released:February 18.1973

I was born in 1940 in East Orange New Jersey. We moved to Bloomfield when I
was very young and that is still my home town. My father passed away in 1968
but my mother and brother still live there. In 1962 I graduated from Newark
College of Engineering with a B.S. in mechanical engineering. I worked for
the Army Munitions Command for two years following which I applied for OTS
at Lackland AFB in Texas. My pilot training was completed at Williams AFB in
Arizona in 1965. I was assigned to the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron at
Danang. I was shot down near Hanoi by a surface-to-air missile while on a
strike mission in November of 1966.

During the latter portion of my tour in North Vietnam I had the opportunity
to study Russian as well as to teach mathematics physics classical music and
automobile theory and mechanics.

I was released on February 18 1973 in the second group of POW's sometimes
known as "Kissinger's Twenty" since we were the men that balked at our
release because we were not sure the U.S. Government had really agreed to
the terms of our release.

At Clarke AFB the hospital staff thought I had malaria and I was held over
for a long two days. It wasn't malaria fortunately but they didn't want to
take any chances.

After some much needed rest with my family at Bloomfield I reported to
Randolph Air Force Base for jet requalification. I completed the T-38
training and reported to George Air Force Base for an F-4 check out. I am
now an operational F-4 aircraft commander out of Eglin AFB in Florida.
Wahoo!

November 1996
Joseph Crecca and his wife Joan reside in Washington State.

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