RAEBEL, DALE VIRGIL

Name: Dale Virgil Raebel
Rank/Branch: United States Navy/04
Unit: VA 37
Date of Birth: 01 July 1938 Milbank SD
Home City of Record: Milbank SD
Date of Loss: 17 August 1972
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 202811 North 1062845 East
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: A7A #123207
Missions:
Other Personnel in Incident:
Refno: 1909

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).

DALE V. RAEBEL
Lieutenant Commander - United States Navy
Shot Down: August 17, 1972
Released: March 29, 1973

I was born on 1 July 1938 in Milbank, South Dakota. I completed high school
there and attended two years of college in South Dakota. After spending three
years as a salesman I entered the flight training program at Pensacola,
Florida in May 1961 and was designated a Naval Aviator in February 1963.

I first served with a patrol squadron in Jacksonville, Florida flying the
P2V Neptune aircraft making several deployments. I then served as an
instructor pilot in the basic jet training command.

In July 1968 I received orders to the Naval Postgraduate School at
Monterey, California where I received a BS degree in Engineering Science.
During this period I stayed current in jet aircraft and received
transition orders from patrol to attack aviation.

After completion of A7 replacement training at Attack Squadron 174, I
reported to Attack Squadron 37. During this period while homeported at NAS
Cecil Field, the squadron made two deployments, one to the Mediterranean
Sea and the latter a combat cruise to Vietnam. While attached to VA-37, I
served as Administrative Officer and as Maintenance Oficer.

I was shot down while flying off the USS Saratoga on a strike to North
Central North Vietnam on 17 August 1972. I was captured immediately upon
landing in a densely populated area. They moved me to Hanoi and I remained
there until released on 29 March 1973.

It is extremely gratifying to be back and be able to plan for the future.
My plans include getting back into the flying aspect as quickly as possible
and to hopefully follow a normal career pattern in the U. 5. Navy.

I was married during my first assignment in Jacksonville and we now have a
daughter and son, ages seven and five respectively. We presently make our
home in Orange Park, Florida.

As I look to the future of our wonderful country I can only see it as
extremely bright, bright because of our basic freedoms preserved for us and
our children.

Dale Raebel retired from the United States Navy as a Captain. He and his
wife Patricia reside in Virginia.

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