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He was shot down and captured in Laos Apr 29, 1965. It is not known when and where he died. Stories did get back that he was an incorrigible prisoner while with the Pathet Lao and due to that, he was reportedly transferred to North Vietnam. He even beat to death 3 of his guards who were mistreating him. His remains were not recovered.
He is memorialized in Arlington with a headstone in Section 36 Grave 123. He is also memorialized at the Colonel Charles E. Shelton Freedom Memorial in Owensboro, KY, his home town.
Sources differ as to how his death is listed. Some give his shootdown date of Apr 29, 1965; and some give the date he was officially declared dead on Sep 19, 1994. However, witnesses and reports say that his death had to occur between those 2 dates; but exactly when is unknown.
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
RB-66 Destroyer The RB-66 reconnaissance aircraft and the B-66 medium bomber were the most advanced of their types in the United States Air Force when introduced in 1954 and 1955. In speed, range and capacity, the B-66 twin-jet with a three man crew met all tactical requirements for delivering the most potent weapons. The RB-66 was modified for use in night photo reconnaissance, electronics reconnaissance and weather reconnaissance. The B-66 "Destroyer" was developed from the Navy A-3D "Skywarrior" for USAF use as a tactical light bomber and photo reconnaissance aircraft, with production ending in 1958. The RB-66B recon version was the first production series and totaled 155 of the 294 B-66 built. The B-66 was the last tactical bomber built for the USAF, and only the B-66B was designed exclusively as a bomber, others served as tactical recon aircraft while the final version, the WB-66D, was designed for electronic weather reconnaissance. The RB-66B was modified for service in Vietnam having cameras mounted along the bottom of the fuselage and a chaff dispenser replaced the tail gun turret.
On 10 March 1964 an American RB-66 was shot down over East Germany.
Specifications Manufacturer: Douglas Aircraft Company Designation: RB-66 Nickname: Destroyer Type: General Reconnaissance Crew: Three Length: 75' 2" Height: 23' 7" Wingspan: 72' 6" Empty Weight: 43,476 lbs Gross Weight: 59,550 lbs Max Weight: 83,000 lbs No. of Engines: 2 Powerplant: Allison J71-A-13 turbojets (and) 12 - 1,000 lb JATO Bottles Thrust (each engine): 10,000 lbs Cruise Speed: 525 mph Max Speed: 585 mph Service Ceiling: 43,000 ft Range: 1,800 mi Guns: 2 - 20mm cannons Bombs: 8,044 lbs of photo flash bombs
