OFFICIAL STATUS: CAPTURED

CASE SUMMARY: SEE ATTACHED

RATIONALE FOR SELECTION: After landing, Lt. Dodge established radio contact with his wingman. He stated he was surrounded by enemy troops. North Vietnamese news media described the downing of LT Dodge's aircraft and his immediate capture. There is no evidence to indicate his death.

REFNO: 0685 19 Apr 76

(U) CASE SUMMARY

1. On 17 May 1967 LT Ronald W. Dodge was the pilot of an F8E aircraft, (BUNO #149138), as lead in a flight of two on a flak-suppression mission over North Vietnam. For no apparent reason, LT Dodge ceased a radio transmission and his aircraft made a descending nose-down maneuver. He ejected from his aircraft at 7,500 feet. (The aircraft crashed at grid coordinates (GC) WF 419 795.) LT Dodge's parachute was seen in the vicinity of (GC) WF 421 789, near the aircraft wreckage. He established radio communication with his wingman and reported that he was surrounded by enemy troops. He said that he was moving up the hill, as he was surrounded and was going to break up his radio. LT Dodge was never seen on the ground, but the wingman did see a group of people gathered on a hillside near the crash site. Search and rescue efforts were called off on the assumption that LT Dodge had been captured. (Ref 1)

2., In the 18 May 1967 edition of the Nhan Dan newspaper, an article described the downing of LT Dodge's aircraft, and stated that the pilot had been captured. A 17 May 1967 Radio Hanoi broadcast also described the downing of LT Dodge's aircraft, and stated that he was captured as soon as he reached the ground. (Ref 2 & 3)

3. The Paris newspaper MATCH, in its 9 September 1967 edition,, showed a photo taken in North Vietnam of a captured US pilot. LT Dodge's wife positively identified the man in the photo as her husband. (Ref 3)

4. During the existence of JCRC the hostile threat in the area precluded any visits to or ground inspection of the sites involved in this case. Details of this case together with information indicating enemy knowledge of the case were turned over to the Four-Party Joint Military Team on 6 August 1973 with a request for any information which would assist in determining status and resolution. No response was forthcoming LT Dodge's currently carried in the status of Captured.

REFERENCES USED

1. MSG (U), USS HANCOCK, 171505Z May 67.

2. News Article (U), Dan Newspaper, (Extract), pages I and 4. 18 May 67.

3. RPT (U), File Record Summary for FPJMT, undated.