HICKMAN, VINCENT JOSEPH

Name: Vincent Joseph Hickman
Rank/Branch: O3/United States Air Force
Unit: 1st Air Commando Squadron
Date of Birth: 20 March 1933
Home City of Record: New York NY
Date of Loss: 14 January 1964
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 110853 North 1070030 East
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: B26 B Tail # 44-35566
Missions:
Other Personnel in Incident: Carl Berg Mitchell, missing

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

REMARKS: ACFT CRASH - EXPL-BURN-J

Major Carl Berg Mitchell and Capt Vincent Joseph Hickman were assigned to the
1st Air Commando Squadron, arriving in-country to South Vietnam in November
1963.

Maj Mitchell, pilot, Capt Hickman, navigator and 10 year Air Force veteran,
and a Vietnamese Air Force observer took off in a B-26B aircraft (tail number
44-35566) out of Bien Hoa
Air Base, SVN at 1800 on 14 Jan 1964 on a combat support mission. After
completion of the first napalm drop on the target, their aircraft was
observed to crash and burn at around 1815. Their wingman later confirmed
they were shot down by ground fire. (This is according to a squadron mate)
There was no immediate evidence of
survivors after the crash. A medical evacuation helicopter was immediately
dispatched to the scene (Grid coordinates YT193330, approx 30 km northeast of
Bien Hoa. 7 km north of Cau Tri An, Dong Nai Province.) The medevac was
unable to approach the crash site initially because of heavy hostile action
in the crash area and ground troops could not secure the area until 19 Jan
64. They searched the crash site and found no evidence of survivors. From
statements by eyewitnesses to the crash, it was believed that the crew was
killed at the time of the crash. Status of Maj Mitchell and Capt Hickman was
changed from missing to deceased on 21 Jan 64.

Interesting note: Because there was not a formal declaration of war by
Congress, Mitchell and Hickman were listed by the Defense Department as
non-combat deaths. At the time, Air Force personnel in Vietnam were there in
the role of advisors (explaining the need for a Vietnamese observer on the
aircraft).

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