| Date: 31 May 1968 |
| Aircraft type: A-1H Skyraider |
| Serial Number: 52-135282 |
| Military Unit: 602 ACS, 56 ACW |
| Service: USAF |
| Home Base: Nakhon Phanom |
| Name(s): |
| Capt Edward W Leonard (POW) |
| When Lt Fields was shot down near Ban Kate, a USAF Skyraider, which was already in the area, was directed to search for the downed airman. Night was drawing in rapidly but Capt Leonard came down to 500 feet in an effort to protect the Corsair pilot until the rescue forces arrived. Unfortunately the Skyraider (call sign Sandy) was hit by automatic weapons fire about 10 miles to the southwest of Lt Fields’s position. Capt Leonard ejected but was captured by North Vietnamese soldiers. He was eventually sent to Hanoi and was released on 28 March 1973. Capt Leonard had flown over 250 missions in Southeast Asia and had been shot down during a mission over northern Laos on 18 March but managed to fly most of the way back to base before having to eject on that occasion. |
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