This Military Service Page was created/owned by
MSgt Gerald Lamirand (Jerry)
to remember
Midnight, Francis Barnes, Capt.
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"When Frank B. Midnight graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1964, he went on to pilot training at Webb Air Force Base in Texas. It was not long before he was assigned to Vietnam as an F-4 pilot.
"On August 23, 1967, 1LT Midnight was assigned a combat mission over North Vietnam. He and his back-seater (1st Albert Silva) were about 5 miles southwest of the city of Dong Hoi in Quang Binh Province when their aircraft was hit by enemy fire and crashed.
"The ejection procedure in the F4 requires the rear-seater to eject first, followed by the pilot of the aircraft. Thus, it is not uncommon for the two crewmembers to be separated by considerable distances. Apparently, as no second F-4 crewmember is missing in this locality on this date, the rear-seater in Midnight's aircraft was rescued. Midnight was not. He was classified Missing in Action."
Hobson's Vietnam Air Losses concurs with the above account and identifies the aircraft as F-4D tail number 66-7517 and the "guy in back" as 1stLt A. M. Silva.
Captain Midnight's remains have not been repatriated
Other Comments:
1965-1965, 1115R, 4453rd Combat Crew Training Wing (Staff)
