This Military Service Page was created/owned by
A3C Michael S. Bell (Unit Historian)
to remember
Treece, James Allen, Lt Col.
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On 7 October 1966, then Capt. James A Treece, pilot, and 1st Lt. Larry D. Knight, co-pilot, comprised the crew of an RF4C (tail #65-0885) which departed Tan Son Nhut Airbase on a single aircraft night photo reconnaissance mission. Their target is described as being "3 specified strips" in the vicinity of the major South Vietnamese port city of Hue, Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam. Their assigned flight path took the RF4C from Tan Son Nhut Airbase to Ban Me Thuot, to Plieku, to the target area, and return to Tan Son Nhut. The weather conditions during this mission ranged from rain showers to scattered thunderstorms.
At 2143 hours, the Phantom crew was approximately 45 nautical miles northeast of DaNang on a heading of 195 degrees when they established their last radio contact with "Panama COI," the radar air control tower/site located at DaNang Airbase. The air controller tracked the RF4C over the Gulf of Tonkin as it initiated a left turn, passing through 240 degrees and beginning its target run. The air controller then turned his attention to another aircraft with the RF4C was 20 miles from the shoreline heading toward land and its photo run. Because of this fact, there is no way to know for sure if James Treece and Larry Knight disappeared over water where they were last traced, or if they were over land in their target area where they were heading.
By 2350 hours, Capt. Treece and 1st Lt. Knight failed to return to Tan Son Nhut Airbase and they were declared overdue. The next morning an extensive search and rescue (SAR) effort was initiated and continued through 12 October. The first day 100% of the off shore area was searched by 2 UH16 aircraft. The land search was delayed until 10 October due to poor weather. Once it cleared sufficiently, the shoreline and inland area were also searched using 2 A1Es, 2 O1Es and 2 Army helicopters. During this time none of the aircrews participating in the search found any trace of the missing aircraft or its crew. Likewise, no emergency beepers were heard. At the time the formal SAR effort was terminated, both James Treece and Larry Knight were listed Missing in Action.
Since the end of the Vietnam War well over 21,000 reports of American prisoners, missing and otherwise unaccounted for have been received by our government. Many of these reports document LIVE America Prisoners of War remaining captive throughout Southeast Asia TODAY. Pilots and aircrews were called upon to fly in many dangerous circumstances, and they were prepared to be wounded, killed or captured. It probably never occurred to them that they could be abandoned by the country they so proudly served.
This Veteran has an (IMO) In Memory Of Headstone in Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial, Hawaii with another memorial in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.
Aircraft/Missile Information
MCDONNELL DOUGLAS RF-4C PHANTOM II McDonnell Douglas RF-4C
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In the early 1960s, the USAF recognized the need for more tactical reconnaissance aircraft to reinforce the RF-101s then in service. The USAF chose a modification of the F-4C fighter. The RF-4C development program began in 1962, and the first production aircraft made its initial flight on May 18, 1964. The Air Force officially accepted a total of 499 RF-4Cs.
The RF-4C can carry a variety of cameras in three different stations in its nose section. It could take photos at both high and low altitude, day or night. The RF-4C carried no offensive armament, although during the last few years of its service some were fitted with four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles for defense.
The 16th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron became the first operational unit to fly the RF-4C. In October 1965 that unit deployed to Southeast Asia to provide photographic reconnaissance of the growing conflict in South Vietnam. In the following years, RF-4Cs flew reconnaissance missions around the world, including Desert Shield/Desert Storm in Iraq in 1990-1991. The Air Force retired all of its RF-4Cs by 1985.
The RF-4C on display was delivered to the USAF on Sept. 9, 1965. It served in Vietnam, Japan, Korea, Europe, Cuba and the Middle East. During Desert Shield/Desert Storm, this aircraft flew a total of 172 missions, more than any other F-4 aircraft. When flown to the museum in May 1994, it had more than 7,300 hours of flying time.
