HAMILTON, JOHN S.
Remains returned 10/97
Maj. Hamilton's name was NOT released by DPMO.
Name: John S. Hamilton
Rank/Branch: USAF, O4
Unit: 602nd Fighter Squadron
Date of Birth: 03 September 26
Home City of Record: Silver City, NM
Date of Loss: 19 April 67
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 204200N 1053200E
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 2
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: A1E, Skyraider
Remarks: No chute seen or beeper heard.
Other Personnel In Incident:
Source: Compiled by THE P.O.W. NETWORK 02 February 1993 from the
following published sources - POW/MIA's -- Report of the Select Committee
on POW/MIA Affairs United States Senate -- January 13, 1993. "The Senate
Select Committee staff has prepared case summaries for the priority cases
that the Administration is now investigating. These provide the facts about
each case, describe the circumstances under which the individual was lost,
and detail the information learned since the date of loss. Information in
the case summaries is limited to information from casualty files, does not
include any judgments by Committee staff, and attempts to relate essential
facts. The Committee acknowledges that POW/MIAs' primary next-of- kin know
their family members' cases in more comprehensive detail than summarized
here and recognizes the limitations that the report format imposes on these
summaries." Updated in 1998 with articles from the Las Cruces, New Mexico,
Sun News.
Synopsis: On April 19, 1967, Major Hamilton was the pilot of an A-1E, one in
a flight of two aircraft searching for two pilots downed over North Vietnam.
While over Hoa Binh Province, Hamilton was attacked by four hostile MIG-17
aircraft, and his wingman observed pieces of his aircraft's outer wing fly
off after it was hit by cannon fire. His aircraft crashed 24 kilometers
southeast of Hoa Binh City. Major Hamilton was not seen ejecting from his
aircraft and there was no electronic beeper heard. He was declared missing
in action.
On April 19th, that same day, Hanoi radio reported the shoot down of an
American rescue aircraft over Hoa Binh Province. This report, while not
mentioning the fate of the pilot, was believed to correlate to Major
Hamilton's incident of loss.
In September 1970, a People's Army of Vietnam soldier reported two caucasian
pilots captured in Lac Thuy District in April 1968 after being shot down in
aerial combat with MIG jet aircraft. The soldier identified a photograph of
Major Hamilton as similar to one of those captured, and the report was
placed in Major Hamilton's file as possibly relating to his capture. After
Operation Homecoming, a reevaluation of this report led to a reversal of the
wartime evaluation. It was determined that this incident actually
correlated to Major Thomas Madison and Major Thomas Sterling who had been
lost as described and who returned alive during Operation Homecoming.
Returning U.S. POWs had no information on Hamilton's precise fate. In March
1979, he was declared killed in action/body not recovered based on a
presumptive finding of death.
In January 1991, a report was received about a grave with the remains of a
U.S. pilot in the area where Major Hamilton was lost. Then, in May 1991, a
source provided the rubbing of a dog-tag associated with Major Hamilton and
a bone fragment and claimed that remains were recovered from an area near
Vinh City, Nghe Tinh Province. This is a considerable distance away from
his known crash site. In October 1991, another source visited the Joint
Task Force office in Hanoi and turned over a bone fragment and identifying
information about Major Hamilton. The source claimed his friend found Major
Hamilton's remains at another location, this time in Quang Binh Province.
----------------------------
LAS CRUCES SUN NEWS
New Mexico
TEL: 1-505-541-5400
October 26, 1997
Remains of pilot killed In Vietnam returned home
By Shawn Ankrom
Sun-News
FORT BAYARD - One of Grant County's native sons, lost in the Vietnam War,
Will come home to a final resting place this week.
Col. John S. "Jack" Hamilton, U.S. Air Force, will be buried with full
military honors in Fort Bayard National Cemetery at 11 a.m. Friday.
Hamilton, who was listed as missing in action (MIA) for almost 30 years, was
shot down while flying a search and rescue operation near Hanoi on April 19,
1967. When shot down, Hamilton was flying the lead "Skyraider," a
propeller-powered aircraft, while attempting to recover two downed jet
aircraft pilots. His aircraft was hit by fire from enemy jet aircraft while
flying at a low altitude. Hamilton's remains were discovered and identified
through DNA testing in recent months.
The military's classification of Hamilton as MIA and the description of the
crash left family members at a loss.
"From the descent of the crash, there wasn't a lot of hope," said Sheba
Grauten, Hamilton's sister who now lives in California. "We didn't really
expect anything."
According to Grauten, DNA testing required a match between Hamilton and a
living relative from the female side of the family. Grauten was the only
hope for successful identification of remains believed to be Hamilton.
"It was really nice to find these remains and have them identified," Grauten
said of the positive identification.
According to Grauten, the loss had its most profound effect on Hamilton's
widow, Jane, who has never remarried and lives a private life away from the
attention associated with the return of a fallen soldier.
Grauten and Hamilton were born at Fort Bayard, Hamilton on Sept. 3, 1926.
They and their brother, Bob, were raised in quarters there until the family
moved to nearby Silver City in 1941. Hamilton attended school in Silver
City, He was active as a youth, playing high school football and basketball
and teaching himself golf at the local course. He also took flying lessons
while still in high school. "I tell you, he was very gung-ho," Grauten said
of her younger brother. "If he decided to do something, he did it. He
loved golf, but his first love, of course, was flying."
Grauten said for her and family, living in the area was memorable.
"We were very happy in Silver City," said Grauten, who has not been back
since her mothers funeral in the 1960's. "It was just one big, happy family
as far as I'm concerned, When I think of New Mexico, I think of the
wonderful smell. There's something that grows there that has a such a
wonderful smell. I have fond memories, and Jackie did too, I'm sure."
Hamilton graduated from high school in 1944 and enlisted In the U.S. Army
for four years as World War II wound to a close. He returned to Grant
County after his service and attended what was then New Mexico Western
College. He graduated with a degree in secondary education With thoughts of
becoming a math teacher.
Instead, he joined the Air Force, earning his wings and second lieutenant
bars in 1953 after attending pilot training and earning honors as a
distinguished graduate. Hamilton flew jet fighters and interceptors in the
U.S. and overseas.
While stationed in California, he married Jane Watson. They had two
children, Jill and John.
The Air Force sent Hamilton to the University of Colorado at Boulder, where
he graduated in 1965 with a bachelor of science degree in electrical
engineering. Following an engineering assignment at Wright Patterson AFB,
Ohio, and with the growing intensity of the conflict overseas, Hamilton
volunteered for combat duty in Vietnam.
"He just had to fly again and he volunteered," Grauten said of her brother's
decision. Hamilton was assigned to the 602nd Fighter Squadron in Vietnam
and volunteered for the hazardous search and rescue missions.
He led many Skyraider missions in heavily defended areas and was awarded the
Air Model with four oak leaf clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the
Air Force Cross and the Purple Heart.
The latest reward for dedicated service, burial in a national cemetery,
holds a special place in the hearts of Hamilton's family.
"I think it's quite an honor, " Grauten said. "I feel very proud that
they're doing this."
Grauten is pleased Hamilton's burial will coincide with the arrival of the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Moving Wall.
Hamilton is listed on the wall as missing in action, and his children will
lay a wreath at the wall during opening ceremonies.
The Moving Wall will be on display Friday through Nov. 4. Opening ceremonies
begin at 9 a.m. Saturday in Gough Park in Silver City, where the wall will
be available for public view 24 hours a day.
Hamilton's burial service will be attended by family members, friends,
veterans and current military service personnel.
A military color guard from Holloman AFB In Alamogordo will conduct the
service, including the playing of "Taps", a 21-gun salute and presentation
of the flag to the family.
Hamilton's widow, Jane, their children, Jill and John, John's wife Carlo,
Grauten and her husband Henry are scheduled to be present for the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family has suggested memorial donations be made to
the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Box 985, Hurley, N.M. 88043.
-------------------
LAS CRUCES SUN NEWS
November 2, 1997
Missing in Vietnam for 30 years,
Air Force pilot is laid to rest
By Kathy Sykes Howell
Sun-News
FORT BAYARD - ft was a cloudless blue sky Friday morning - the type of Now
Mexico sky that goes on forever. Against that sky flow U.S. Air Force F-4F
fighter jets in the missing man formation, with the lonely sound of tape
piercing the silence in the Fort Bayard National Cemetery. It was an
occasion tinged with tears and triumph as a long overdue funeral service was
conducted for a Vietnam War era pilot coming home tot the very last time.
A casket draped with the American flag contained the remains of Col. John
S. "Jack" Hamilton, who was listed as missing in action for 30 years.
Hamilton was shot down while flying a search and rescue operation near Hanoi
on April 19, 1967. Recently, the Vietnamese government turned over
Hamilton',s remains to the United States government and Hamilton's positive
identification was made through DNA testing.
Friday's funeral marked the end of decades of uncertainty for Hamilton's
family and friends. Fort Bayard was chosen as Hamilton's final resting
place because he was born there Sept. 3, 1926, and was also raised there.
Later, Hamilton moved to Silver City, where he attended high school and
eventually graduated from what was then New Mexico Western College .
Wearing crisp blue and white dress uniforms, a military honor guard unit
comprising young men and women from Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo
gave Hamilton his final salute. Family, friends, former classmates and
local and state political officials attended the service.
"Jack's wife said that he was a fighter pilot first," said the officiating
chaplain. "He loved to fly and was very proud to serve his country. That
meant the world to him."
Honor guard pall bearers precisely folded the flag and then one held it to
his chest with folded arms, kneeling while presenting it to Hamilton's
widow, Jane. Seated next to their mother were Hamilton's two children, Jill
and John. "It was like a big bang to see the hearse drive up," said Rheba
Grauten, Hamilton's sister. "his was a very moving ceremony and we're
especially appreciative of the efforts the Air Force gave to make this
possible today."
Several local officials attended the funeral, including State Rep. Murray
Ryan. "My friendship with the Hamiltons dates back to the 1930's," he said.
"It's been a long time since I've been so inspired. The full military
honors were very appropriate today. What an emotional jolt attar 30 years."
Also present at Hamilton's funeral were many Vietnam War veterans.
"It reminds us that there's still people unaccounted for and missing in
action," said James Nemec, president of Vietnam Veterans of America in Luna
County. He and many other Vietnam veterans from the area traveled to the
service to pay respect to a fallen hero.
"Miracles can still happen," Nemec said. "I honestly believe that others
will be found like this one today. The ceremony was very touching and
brought back heartbreaking memories."
The names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Moving Wall have either a diamond
shape or a plus sign next to each name. A diamond indicates the person is
confirmed dead, while a plus sign means the person remains missing or is a
prisoner of war, Of the 1,300 that are designated by a plus sign, there will
be one less after Friday's funeral. After a lifetime of unanswered
questions, the plus sign next to Col. John S. "Jack" Hamilton may finally
be replaced with a diamond.
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