PACKARD, RONALD LYLE
Remains Returned 11/03/97

Name: Ronald Lyle Packard
Rank/Branch: O2/US Air Force
Unit: 559th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Cam Ranh Bay
Date of Birth: 18 November 1941
Home City of Record: Canon City CO
Date of Loss: 31 July 1967
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 170900 N 1065100E (XD993960)
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4C
Refno: 0778
Other Personnel in Incident: Thomas R. Allen (missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 March 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.

Capt. Thomas R. Allen was the pilot, and 1Lt. Ronald L. Packard the
weapons/systems operator in an F4C aircraft which departed Cam Ranh Bay on a
route reconnaissance mission on July 31, 1967 over North Vietnam. Allen's
aircraft was the lead aircraft in a flight of two. He rolled in to attack a
target and the crew of the number two aircraft observed what appeared to be
a secondary explosion on the ground. Radio contact with Allen was
unsuccessful. No parachutes were seen and no emergency radio beepers were
heard. The flight was near the railroad tracks about 5 miles from the coast
of Vietnam, 15 miles north of the city of Vinh Linh in Quang Binh Province.

Allen and Packard were declared Missing in Action, and the area of loss and
circumstances surrounding it indicated that their was a good possibility
that the enemy had information on their fates.

In 1973, 591 American Prisoners of War were released, but Allen and Packard
were not among them, and the Vietnamese have consistently denied any
knowledge of them or their fates. They are among nearly 2800 who were
unaccounted for at the end of the war.

Since Vietnam fell to communist control in 1975, nearly 10,000 reports
relating to Americans missing in Southeast Asia have been received by the
U.S. Government. Many authorities who have examined this largely classified
information have reluctantly reached the conclusion that hundreds of
Americans are still alive, held captive by our long-ago enemy.

Whether Allen and Packard met their deaths over their target or ejected to
be captured is unknown. It is not impossible that they are among those said
to be still alive. What is certain, however, is that as long as even a
single American remains alive in captivity in Southeast Asia, the war cannot
be said to have ended with honor. We must bring our men home.

----------------------------
National Alliance of Families
11/03/97
Bits N Pieces

Remains Identified -- The following Air Force personnel were declared
identified. They are Major Thomas R. Allen of Woodward, Ok.; Capt. Ronald
L. Packard of Canon City, Co.; Maj. John C. Clark of Brownfield, Tx.; and
Maj. Bobby G. Huggins of Montgomery, Al.

According to records, Major Allen and Captain Packard were lost over North
Vietnam on July 31, 1967. Major John Clark was lost over Laos on Dec. 5,
1969. His crewmate Patrick Harrold was accounted for and announced in the
last Bits 'N' Pieces. At that time we asked what about John Clark. Now we
know.

Major Bobby Huggins and his crew member were lost over Vietnam on June 4,
1970. No mention was made of the crew member. All remains were accounted
for based on mt-DNA testing.

To these families, we hold you in our hearts and offer our prayers during
this difficult time. We hope you have the answers, you have waited so long
for.

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