MASTERSON, FREDERICK JAMES

Name: Frederick James Masterson
Rank/Branch: United States Navy/O3
Unit:
Date of Birth: 24, June 1944 Oakland CA
Home City of Record: Seattle WA
Date of Loss: 11 July 1972
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 212600 North 1060800 East
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4J
Missions:
Other Personnel in Incident:
Refno:

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.

REMARKS: 730329 RELEASED BY DRV

SOURCE: WE CAME HOME copyright 1977
Captain and Mrs. Frederic A Wyatt (USNR Ret), Barbara Powers Wyatt, Editor
P.O.W. Publications, 10250 Moorpark St., Toluca Lake, CA 91602
Text is reproduced as found in the original publication (including date and
spelling errors).

FREDERICK J. MASTERSON
Lieutenant - United States Navy
Shot Down: July 11, 1972
Released: March 29, 1973

Frederick James Masterson was born in Oakland, California on June 24, 1944,
the second of three sons. As the son of a Naval Officer he grew up and
attended schools in various parts of this country, as well as in England,
Newfoundland, and Japan. He was graduated from high school at Camp Zama,
Japan in 1962. He attended Memphis State University for one year and then
entered the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, graduating in 1967. He
served about one year on destroyers and then attended flight school at
Pensacola, Florida. His squadron was attached to the Saratoga during the
periods it went on cruise, so he was aboard when it went to Vietnam last
spring. He was shot down on July 11, 1972.

In the beginning, Lt. Masterson's family were not given much hope that he
had escaped from the plane when it crashed. During the first half of
November the Navy sent word to his family that they had acquired a paper
printed in Hanoi on July 11, 1972. In this paper there was a story of the
capture of two pilots at the place he had gone down so his status was
changed from MIA to POW. The North Vietnamese did not acknowledge his
presence until the signing of the peace agreement so that was a day of great
relief for his family.

Lt. Masterson arrived home on April 1, 1973 and for the next two weeks his
family had a joyous reunion with him at the Bremerton Naval Hospital. After
spending some time at home, he returned to the hospital where he continued
with his debriefing and medical examinations. His physical and mental
condition seems to be excellent except for the partially paralyzed right
hand which was the result of a broken arm he received when he was ejected
from the plane. The Doctors have not finished evaluating his injury but he
is quite optimistic that the nerves can be regenerated or muscles moved to
control the motion in his hand.

P.S. Good news. Lt. Masterson has returned to flight status and on June 15,
1974 married a Navy Nurse, Miss Linda Walker.

December 1996
Frederick Masterson retired from the United States Navy as a Lt. Commander.
He resides in Maryland.

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