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Maddox, Notley Gwynn, Col.
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Notley Gwynn Maddox Rank/Branch: Colonel/US Air Force Unit: 20th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron Udorn Airfield, Thailand Date of Birth: 20 November 1924
On 20 May 1967, then Major Notley G. Maddox departed Udorn Airfield as the pilot of the lead aircraft, call sign "Drill 01," in a flight of two on a late afternoon photo reconnaissance mission. Their intended target to photograph was the Kep Army barracks located 35 miles northeast of Hanoi on the Kep MiG base. The weather was clear on their flight into the target area. But once on sight, the pilots found there were multi-layered, broken clouds to contend with. As the flight approached Kep Airfield from the northwest, it began receiving heavy, accurate anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) ground fire. Further, his wingman reported seeing both muzzle flashes and AAA fire directed at the flight. Major Notley radioed his wingman that he had ?taken a hit? and that ?everything was okay.?
At 1610 hours, he then stated he was ?initiating his photo? run with ?everything still okay.? He completed his pass, pulled off the target and headed outbound toward the southeast before swinging back to the northwest to egress North Vietnam on the same predetermined flight path as briefed. No further contact could be established with Major Notley at a point approximately 16 miles southeast of Kep and over a mountain range roughly 6 miles southeast of Luc Nam. Aerial search and rescue (SAR) efforts were immediately initiated, but found no trace of the Voodoo or its pilot deep in enemy held territory. At the time search efforts were terminated, Notley Maddox was listed Missing in Action.
This Veteran has an (IMO) In Memory Of Headstone in Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial, Hawaii, and in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St Louis, MO.
Other Comments:
Notely Maddox had a distinguished career as pilot. He flew undergraduate pilot training (UPT) 51-H and B-25's from Hubbard. Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS) at Woodey and Tyndell. From 1953-1955 he was with 44G, FIS Ladd AFB. 55-58, 84 FIS Klamitar AFB He attended AFIT and received his MBS. He received his PhD in Geo Physics. His RF-101 was hit after a BDA (bomb damage assessment) flight 5 miles outside Hanoi, May 20, 1967. His family was told 30 years later that his chute and boots had been recovered. He was fluent in Russian. He is survived by 2 sons and a daughter.
Aircraft/Missile Information
RF-101C U.S. Air Force technicians prepare a McDonnell RF-101 Voodoo for a photo reconnaissance mission
Using the reinforced airframe of the F-101C, the RF-101C first flew on 12 July 1957, entering service in 1958. Like the RF-101A, the RF-101C had six cameras in place of radar and cannons in the reshaped nose. Unlike the RF-101A, the RF-101C retained the ability to carry a single nuclear weapon on the centerline pylon. One hundred and sixty-six RF-101Cs were built, including 96 originally scheduled to be F-101C fighter-bombers.
The 1964 Project "Toy Tiger" fitted some RF-101C with a new camera package and a centerline pod for photo-flash cartridges. Some were further upgraded under the Mod 1181 program with automatic control for the cameras.
The RF-101C saw service during the Cuban Missile Crisis and was sent to Vietnam in 1961, becoming the first USAF jet aircraft to serve there. RF-101C saw heavy service during the Vietnam War, with the first F-101 being lost in November 1964 to ground fire. From 1965 through November 1970, its role was gradually taken over by the RF-4C Phantom II. In some 35,000 sorties, 39 aircraft were lost, 33 in combat,[7] including five to SAMs, one to an airfield attack, and one in air combat to a MiG-21 in September 1967. The RF-101C's speed made it largely immune to MiG interception. 27 of the combat losses occurred on reconnaissance missions over North Vietnam. In April 1967, ALQ-71 ECM pods were fitted to provide some protection against SAMs. Although the Voodoo was again able to operate at medium altitudes, the added drag decreased the speed enough to make RF-101 vulnerable to MiGs and thus requiring fighter escort.
On 27 November 1957 during Operation Sun Run an RF-101C set the Los Angeles-New York-Los Angeles record in 6 hours, 46 minutes, the New York to Los Angeles record in 3 hours, 36 minutes, and the Los Angeles to New York record in 3 hours, 7 minutes.
After withdrawal from Vietnam, the RF-101C continued to serve with USAF units through 1979.
In service, the RF-101C was nicknamed the "Long Bird;" it was the only version of the Voodoo to see combat.
