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This Remembrance Profile was originally created by Sgt Stephen Willcox - Deceased
"On September 4, 1965, Branch (James A. Branch) and Jewell (Eugene M. Jewell) comprised the crew of an F4C assigned a bombing mission over North Vietnam. The mission target was in Nghe An Province, near a railroad about halfway between the cities of Tho Trang and Phu Dien Chau. During a low-altitude strafing run, the aircraft was shot down, crashed and exploded. No parachutes were observed departing the crippled aircraft. The U.S. Air Force placed both men in the category of Missing in Action."
Source: http://www.pownetwork.org
"On September 4, 1965 Captain Branch and First Lieutenant Jewell were the crew in an F-4C aircraft on a strafing mission in Nghe An Province. They had just completed a strike on the target when another air crew observed a secondary explosion but later determined it was Captain Branche's aircraft which had crashed. No survivors were seen, no parachutes were seen and no beepers were heard. Returning U.S. POWs heard the pilot was killed when he flew into a hill. His wingman believed no possibility of survival.
Both men were initially declared missing. After Operation Homecoming they were declared dead/body not recovered."