| Date: 4 June 1968 |
| Aircraft type: F-4J Phantom |
| Serial Number: 155554 |
| Military Unit: VF-33 |
| Service: USN |
| Home Base: USS America |
| Name(s): |
| Lt Eric Parker Brice (KIA) |
| Lt(jg) William A Simmons (Survived) |
| When the USS America arrived off Vietnam on 12 May it was carrying the first squadron of the new F-4J variant of the Phantom to reach the theatre. The F-4J was a development of the Navy’s F-4B and had a more powerful engine, strengthened undercarriage and modifications to the tailplane and wing to permit better handling on take off and approach. A flight of F-4Js was attacking a road intersection near Don Cay, 15 miles south of Vinh, when one of the aircraft was damaged by 37mm AAA. Lt Brice’s aircraft (call sign Root Beer 204) was hit as he was pulling up through 4,500 feet, having just dropped his Mk82 bombs on the target. The utility hydraulics failed and the controls were damaged with the throttles stuck in full military power. Lt Brice managed to fly the aircraft using rudder only for control. The aircraft crossed the coast safely but about 25 miles out to sea the Phantom caught fire. Lt Brice ordered his NFO to eject but the pilot’s canopy then failed to jettison and Eric Brice was last seen desperately trying to push the canopy free so that his ejection seat could fire. Sadly, this was one of many instances when Phantom front-seaters failed to escape from their aircraft.
HC-7 Rescue Helicopter Combat Support Squadron SEVEN (HC-7) was established September 1, 1967. While simultaneously providing several fleet support activities in the Gulf of Tonkin, HC-7 assumed the responsibility for North Vietnam naval combat search and rescue. HC-7 prepared for action using UH-2B Kaman Sea Sprite helos inherited from HC-1 and were stationed in detachments aboard small boys, destroyers (DDs) and Guided Missile Frigates (DLGs), patrolling off the coast of North Vietnam primarily for the purpose of Search and Rescue (SAR) duty. The information at the following link was compiled by Ron Milam, the historian for HC-7, from ship's deck logs, official HC-7 Rescue Reports, other official and unofficial documents, interviews with crew members and survivors, and other sources, including the Chris Hobson book upon which this site is based. The details for the rescue associated with this fixed wing loss can be accessed by clicking on this link. |
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