INNES, ROGER BURNS

Name: Roger Burns Innes
Rank/Branch: O2/US Navy
Unit: Fighter Squadron 114, USS KITTY HAWK (CVA 63)
Date of Birth: 23 March 1943
Home City of Record: Chicago IL
Date of Loss: 27 December 1967
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 10600N 1054400E
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 3
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: F4B
Refno: 0952
Others In Incident: Leonard Lee (missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 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: DEAD/IR 1516 0461 71

SYNOPSIS: LtCdr. Leonard Lee had one of the most sought jobs for a pilot. He
flew aboard the F4 Phantom fighter jet. The aircraft saw so much combat in
Vietnam that during the two year period of 1965 and 1966, 54 F4C's were
lost. The C, D and E versions also downed 107 enemy MiGs. The Phantom's
combat radius exceeded 900 miles and featured a maximum level speed of over
Mach 2. Its navigation system was comprehensive and could guide the aircraft
at a wide variety of levels and speeds.

The navigation and bombing equipment was mostly operated by the "guy in
back", the second man aboard. When Lee flew on an armed reconnaissance
mission two days after Christmas 1967, his backseater was LTJG Roger B.
Innes.

Lee and Innes were to fly the lead aircraft in a section of two at Cap
Falaise, North Vietnam. Lee reported a target, but had to position himself
for a better strike angle due to poor weather. At this time his wingman was
able to release his ordnance on the target. Radio communications with Lee's
aircraft confirmed the strike.

Lee began his bombing run immediately behind his wingman and was lost from
the radar scope of the E2A radar control aircraft. No further contact was
made with his aircraft. The wingman was unable to observe Lee due to his
relative position and the overcast weather in the area, and proceeded out to
sea in accordance with their mission briefing in case of emergency. A search
and rescue effort was initiated but to no avail. No wreckage was sighted,
and no emergency radio beacons were heard in the strike area. No
anti-aircraft fire had been seen in the target area.

Lee and Inne's aircraft went down about 50 miles west and slightly south of
the city of Thanh Hoa in Nghe An Province, North Vietnam. Both men were
classified Missing In Action. No one knew for sure if they bailed out
successfully or died when their plane went down. A later intelligence report
indicated that they were dead, but that information was never substantiated.
The two remained missing, and their fates uncertain.

Nearly 2500 Americans remain missing from American involvement in Indochina.
Evidence continues to mount that some of them are alive and held captive.
The tragedy is that these men who willingly served their country were
abandoned - and know it. Isn't it time we brought them home?


Leonard M. Lee was promoted to the rank of Captain, and Roger B. Innes was
promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander during the period they were
maintained missing.

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