This Military Service Page was created/owned by
SSgt Robert Bruce McClelland, Jr.
to remember
Derrickson, Thomas Gardner, II, Lt Col.
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Capt. Thomas G. Derrickson II and 1Lt. John K. Hardy Jr. comprised the crew of an F4C Phantom jet assigned an armed reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam on October 12, 1967. Derrickson and Hardy were in the lead aircraft in a flight of two. Over Quang Binh Province, they sighted ground targets and radioed to their wingman that they were "rolling in." Shortly thereafter, the wingman saw a flash of yellow light followed by a fire and a cloud of black smoke. Attempts to contact Derrickson and Hardy were unsuccessful.
According to the Hardy family, many efforts were made to obtain information concerning what happened to Hardy and Derrickson that day with no success. It is known that their last known location was about 15 miles south of the city of Dong Hoi, some 25 miles north of the Demilitarized Zone in North Vietnam. Anti-aircraft resistance was heavy in this region. Both men were declared Missing in Action, and the U.S. believed the enemy probably knew their fates.
This Veteran has an (IMO) In Memory Of Headstone in The United States Air Force Academy Cemetery, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Aircraft/Missile Information
Specifications (T-33A)
General characteristics
* Crew: Two * Length: 37 ft 9 in (11.2 m) * Wingspan: 38 ft 10.5 in (11.5 m) * Height: 11 ft 8 in (3.3 m) * Empty weight: 8,300 lb (3,775 kg) * Max takeoff weight: 15,100 lb (6,865 kg) * Powerplant: 1� Allison J33-A-35 centrifugal compressor turbojet, 5,400 lbf (23 kN)
Performance
* Maximum speed: 600 mph (970 km/h) * Range: 1,275 miles ferry (2,050 km) * Service ceiling 48,000 ft (14,600 m)
Armament
* (AT-33) 2x 0.50 in (12.7 mm) Browning M3 machine guns with 350 rounds per gun * Up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) of ordnance on two underwing hardpoints. Weapons carried include bombs and rocket pods.
