This Military Service Page was created/owned by
SSgt John Paul Jones, Sr. (JJ)
to remember
Hampton, Frederick Jordan, Lt Col.
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Casualty Info
Home Town Gainesville, FL
Last Address Phan Rang AB
Casualty Date Mar 06, 1968
Cause MIA-Finding of Death
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Land
Location Quang Tri (Vietnam)
Conflict Vietnam War
Location of Interment Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery (VA) - St. Louis, Missouri
Lt. Col. Fred Hampton was the pilot of a C-123K Provider Tail Number 54-0590 assigned to the 311th Air Commando Squadron, of the 315th Air Commando Wing, Phang Rang AB, South Vietman. Col. Hampton was detached to DaNang AB . On 6 March 1968 Col. Hampton as pilot, 1st Lt. Ellis Helgeson as Co-Pilot , Sgt. Jeffery Conlin and Sgt. Dallas Moore as Loadmaster/Crewchiefs were assigned to mission # 702 which was to fly to Phu Bai with a load of cargo and then on to Khe Sanh to offload supplies.
There is some confusion here in that the manifest lists a crew of 3 while other records indicate a crew of four and two passengers; two mechanics that were scheduled on an earlier flight to Kha Sanh to repair a broken C-123. The aircraft departed DaNang with it's cargo for Phu Bai. After off-loading the cargo the aircraft was subsequently loaded with 44 US Marines. Phu Bai's passenger representative assisited the aircraft's loadmaster in organizing various pallets loaded with the passenger's gear, another set of pallets stacked with M-60 Machine Guns and other weapons, and more loaded with beer and soft drinks.
The C-123 departed Phu Bai with a crew of three Air Force personnell, 44 Marines, 1 Navy Corpman and 1 Civilian Photographer for 49 total on the manifest. The aircraft flew from Phu Bai without incident and approched Khe Sanh and was cleard to land, however, a South Vietnamese aircraft was blocking the runway and Col. Hampton initated a go-around. As the aircraft circled the field preparing for another landing attempt, it was struck by ground fire disableing the right jet engine. The C-123K has two prop engines and two small jet engines to aid in takeoff.
The additional power of the J-85's allowed for heavier payloads and shorter takeoff runs. With one jet engine out and such a heavy load, remember the cargo and Marines, another go-around may be impossible. With one jet out of service it makes the other kinda useless on a go-around because of yaw problems. Col. Hampton decided to divert back to DaNang. As the C-123 started to depart the area it spiralled into the ground, exploded, and burned in a unsurvivable crash. The crash site was outside the defensive permieter in territory firmly controlled by the North Vietnamese Army and SAR attempts were not possible.
