LUNSFORD, HERBERT LAMAR
Name: Herbert Lamar Lunsford
Rank/Branch: O4/US Air Force
Unit:
Date of Birth: 02 September 1928
Home City of Record: Lauderdale MS
Date of Loss: 25 July 1967
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 172000N 1064700E (XE895171)
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 3
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4C
Refno: 0771
Other Personnel in Incident: Jeremy M. Jarvis (missing)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 April 1990 with the assistance
of 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:
SYNOPSIS: The Phantom, used by Air Force, Marine and Navy air wings, served
a multitude of functions including fighter-bomber and interceptor, photo and
electronic surveillance. The two man aircraft was extremely fast (Mach 2),
and had a long range (900 - 2300 miles, depending on stores and mission
type). The F4 was also extremely maneuverable and handled well at low and
high altitudes. The F4 was selected for a number of state-of-the-art
electronics conversions, which improved radar intercept and computer bombing
capabilities enormously. Most pilots considered it one of the "hottest"
planes around.
Major Herbert L. Lunsford and 1Lt. Jeremy M. Jarvis comprised the flight
crew of an F4C Phantom which was assigned a mission over North Vietnam on
July 25, 1967. Maj. Lunsford was the pilot, and 1Lt. Jarvis his backseater.
Jarvis was responsible for operating the weapons/systems and navigational
equipment.
Lunsford's aircraft was shot down and crashed at a point on the coast of
North Vietnam about 10 miles south of Dong Hoi in Quang Binh Province. Both
Lunsford and Jarvis were declared Missing in Action.
The Defense Intelligence Agency further expanded the Missing in Action
classification to include an enemy knowledge ranking of 3. Category 3
indicates "doubtful knowledge" and includes personnel whose loss incident is
such that it is doubtful that the enemy wound have knowledge of the specific
individuals (e.g. aircrews lost over water or remote areas).
Since American involvement in Vietnam ended in 1975, nearly 10,000 reports
relating to Americans missing, prisoner, or otherwise unaccounted for in
Indochina have been received by the U.S. Government. Many officials, having
examined this largely classified information, have reluctantly concluded
that many Americans are still alive today, held captive by our long-ago
enemy.
Whether Lunsford and Jarvis survived the over-water crash of their aircraft
to be captured by the multitude of enemy fishing and military vessels often
found along the coastline is certain not known. It is not known if they
might be among those thought to be still alive today. What is certain,
however, is that as long as even one American remains alive, held against
his will, we owe him our very best efforts to bring him to freedom.
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