HAUER, LESLIE JOHN
Remains Returned 11 September 1990
Name: Leslie John Hauer
Rank/Branch: O4/US Air Force
Unit:
Date of Birth: 30 January 1924
Home City of Record: Detroit MI
Date of Loss: 18 November 1967
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 212157N 1053758E (WJ656626)
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 2
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: F105D
Other Personnel in Incident: From nearby F105s: Edward W. Lehnhoff; Edward B.
Burdett; Oscar M. Dardeau, Jr. (all remains returned)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 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.
REMARKS: 770609 SRV SED WOULD RET REMS SEP
SYNOPSIS: The F105 Thunderchief (or "Thud") performed yoeman service on many
diversified missions in Southeast Asia. F105s flew more combat missions over
North Vietnam than any other USAF aircraft and consequently suffered the
heaviest losses in action. They dropped bombs by day and occasionally by night
from high or low altitude and some later versions (F105D in Wild Weasel guise)
attacked SAM sites with their radar tracking air-to-ground missiles. This
versatile aircraft was also credited with downing 25 Russian MiGs.
On November 18, 1967, three F105s were shot down over Vinh Phu Province. It is
likely that the three were part of a multi-plane strike on military targets
around Hanoi.
The first F105 to be shot down, a D model, was flown by Col. Edward Burke
Burdett. The aircraft was shot down about 20 miles from Hanoi. Burdett was
captured by the Vietnamese, but, according to a list provided by the Vietnamese,
died in captivity the same day he was shot down. Whether Burdett was so severely
injured in the bail-out or was tortured to death is unknown. His remains were
not returned until March 6, 1974.
The second F105 was an F model and was flown by Maj. Oscar M. Dardeau, Jr.
His co-pilot on the flight was Capt. Edward W. Lehnhoff, Jr. Their aircraft
was shot down about 10 miles north of the city of Phy Tho. The fate of these
two remains uncertain, but they were classified Missing in Action, and there
were indications that the Vietnamese knew their fates. The Vietnamese
"discovered" and returned their remains on November 25, 1987.
Maj. Leslie J. Hauer was the pilot of the third F105 to be shot down at Vinh
Yen. Maj. Hauer was declared Missing in Action. In June, 1977, the
Vietnamese told U.S. officials they would return Maj. Hauer's remains in
September. In September, thirteen years later, they did just that.
Whether all the four airmen shot down on November 18, 1967 survived to be
captured is uncertain, but the notion is not unreasonable. Although the
Vietnamese have conducted site excavations in an effort to show "good will"
in recovering U.S. remains, they are known to have stockpiled hundreds of
American bodies awaiting politically expedient moments to return them, a few
at a time.
Mounting evidence indicates that some Americans are still alive being held
prisoner of war in Southeast Asia. The Vietnamese pledged to return all
prisoners of war and provide the fullest possible accounting of the missing
in the peace accords signed in 1973. They have done neither, and the U.S.
has not compelled them to do so.
The United States government pledged that the POW/MIA issue is of "highest
national priority" but has not achieved results indicative of a priority.
Mitchell and the nearly 2500 Americans who remain unaccounted for in
Southeast Asia deserve our best efforts to bring them home, not empty
rhetoric.
Edward W. Lehnhoff, Jr. was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel,
Oscar M. Dardeau, Jr. and Leslie J. Hauer were promoted to the rank of
Colonel, during the period they were maintained Missing in Action.
[r0914.97]
PROJECT X
SUMMARY SELECTION RATIONALE
NAME: HAUER, Leslie J., Maj., USAF
OFFICIAL STATUS: MISSING
CASE SUMMARY: SEE ATTACHED
RATIONALE FOR SELECTION: Maj. Hauer was seen to eject with a good
parachute. Flight members heard a good beeper signal. Two North Vietnamese
sources reported the capture of a pilot in the area of Maj. Hauer's loss.
There is no evidence to indicate. Maj. Hauer's death.
REFNO: 0914 20 Apr 76
CASE SUMMARY
1. (U) On 18 November 1967 Maj. Leslie J. Hauer departed Korat RTAFB at
0625 hours local in the lead F105D (#62-4283), in a flight of four aircraft
on a strike mission over North Vietnam. In the vicinity of grid coordinates
(GC) WJ 656 626 while enroute to the target area, Maj. Hauer's aircraft was
hit by a surface-to-air missile (SAM). Four seconds after being hit, Maj.
Hauer was seen to eject from his aircraft and in a good parachute. A beeper
signal was heard by the other members of the flight while his parachute was
still in the air, however, the flight lost sight of the parachute when it
descended into undercast and the beeper signals ceased. No search effort
was made due to the location. (Ref 1)
2. (C) A North Vietnamese rallier reported in December 1970 that in a
morning in late August 1967 he had seen a burning U.S.- aircraft and had
seen the pilot bail out in the vicinity of (GC) WJ 633 653. Later that same
day in Vinh Yen City, North Vietnam, (vicinity of (GC) WJ 620 560), he saw
a U.S. POW from that crashed aircraft. A soldier guarding the U.S. POW
stated he was being taken to Hanoi. (Ref 2)
3. (C) An NVA POW stated in August 1972 that in July 1967, vicinity of (GC)
WJ 660 850, he saw an F105 shot down and had seen its pilot in captivity.
He gave a description of the pilot that closely matches Maj. Hauer. The
source stated that the pilot was held in the area of the crash site until
nightfall and then was driven away in a truck to an undisclosed location.
(Ref 3)
4. (U) During the existence of JCRC, the hostile threat in the area
precluded any visits to or ground inspections of the sites involved in this
case. This individual's name and identifying data were turned over to
Four-Party Joint Military Team with a request for any information
available. No response was forthcoming. Maj. Hauer is currently carried in
the status of Missing.
REFERENCES USED
1. RPT (U), 388CSG AF Form 484 w/attachments, undated.
2. RPT (c), FQ 1021st USAF FAS, 18 Dec 70.
3. RPT (C), U.S. Element, CIMIC, USMACV, IR 6-029-0292-72 16 Aug 72.
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