ROCKETT, ALTON CRAIG JR.

Name: Alton Craig Rockett
Rank/Branch: O3/US Air Force
Unit:
Date of Birth: 20 January 1932
Home City of Record: Birmingham AL
Date of Loss: 02 June 1967
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 175000N 1062700E (XE532722)
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 3
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4C
Refno: 0717

Other Personnel in Incident: Daniel L. Carrier (remains returned)

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: 1Lt. Daniel L. Carrier and Capt. Alton C. Rockett Jr. were pilots
of an F4C Phantom fighter/bomber assigned a mission over North Vietnam on
June 2, 1967. 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.

At a point on the coast of North Vietnam's Quang Binh Province, about 5
miles north of the city of Ron, Rockett and Carrier's aircraft was shot down
and they were declared Missing in Action. unknown.

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).

On November 20, 1989, the Vietnamese returned remains to the U.S. which were
subsequently identified as being those of Daniel L. Carrier. For his family,
there can finally be a homecoming, a funeral, and long-delayed healing.

For Rockett's family, and for thousands of others, however, conclusions
remain elusive. Over 2300 men and women are still maintained on "unaccounted
for" lists. Further, since the war ended, nearly 10,000 reports have been
received by the U.S. Government relating to Americans missing in Southeast
Asia. Many authorities who have reviewed this classified material have
reluctantly concluded that hundreds of Americans are still alive, held
prisoner in Southeast Asia.

Whether Daniel L. Carrier and Alton Rockett were ever held prisoner of war
is unclear. What is certain, however, is that as long as there is even one
American held against his will in Southeast Asia, we owe him our very best
efforts to bring him home.

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