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| USAF |
Pilot Captain George R. Spitz (MIA / KIA, BR) Asheville, NC Co-Pilot 1st Lt. Lt. Severo J. Primm III (MIA / KIA, BR) New Orleans, LA 3rd Pilot 1st Lt. Robert E. Bernhardt (MIA / KIA) Navigator Capt. Arthur R. Bollinger (MIA / KIA) Radio SSgt Todd M. Melton (MIA / KIA) Radio Sgt Joseph A. Matejov (MIA / KIA) Radio Sgt Peter R. Cressman (MIA / KIA) Technician Sgt Dale Brandenburg (MIA / KIA) Crashed February 5, 1973 Aircraft History Built by Douglas Aircraft Company. Constructors Number 25897. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as C-47B-5-DK Skytrain serial number 43-48636. On September 18, 1947 became part of the U.S. Air Force (USAF). Converted into a EC-47Q. Assigned to the 361st Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron. Call sign "Baron 52". Mission History On February 5, 1973 in the early morning took off from Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base on a night mission radio direction finding mission to monitor signals over the Ho Chi Minh Trail to track tanks moving southward. The four flight crew were from 361st Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron. The four radio direction crew were from 6994th Security Squadron, Detachment 3. Over Laos, hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed at Lat 15°37'55.0"N Long 106°59'58.0"E roughly 50 miles east of Salavan in Saravane Province in Laos, roughly 20 miles from the border with Vietnam. When this plane failed to return it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Wreckage As this plane crashed, both wings were ripped off and the fuselage landed upside down in the jungle. Search On February 7, 1973 the crash site was photographed. A team of three pararescuemen and an intelligence expert reached the crash site and spent roughly an hour at the site and found and recovered three bodies including Spitz, Primm and Bollinger in the cockpit, still strapped in their seats. Outside of the wreckage, they found Lt. Bernhardt's body. In the rear of the plane they observed that the jump door had been removed (it was never located), the crew's safety belts were unbuckled, and all of the top secret sensitive equipment was missing as were the rear crew's parachutes Recovery of Remains The remains of four crewmen were recovered from the crash site, but those of the remaining four have never been found. On October 27, 1995 the Department of Defense (DoD) identified Primm. Memorials The crew and passengers were buried in a group burial at Arlington National Cemetery in section 34, site 4402. Spitz is memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing. He is also memorialized on the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial, panel 1W, line 114. Spitz also has a memorial marker at United States Air Force Academy Cemetery (USAF Academy Cemetery) in memorial section, row 2, site 18. Primm memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing. He is also memorialized on the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial, panel 1W, line 115. Primm also has a memorial marker at Baton Rouge National Cemetery at section MA, site 1 in Baton Rouge, LA. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - C-47B-5-DK 43-48912 "48636 (MSN 25897) converted to EC-47Q. Shot down over Saravane Province, Laos Feb 5, 1973. Crew of 8 MIA." FindAGrave - Capt George Ross Spitz (photos, Arlington group burial photo) FindAGrave - Capt George Ross Spitz (photo, courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Cpt George Ross Spitz (photo, National Vietnam Veterans Memorial) FindAGrave - Capt George Ross Spitz (photos, memorial marker USAF Academy Cemetery photo) FindAGrave - 1LT Severo James Primm III (photo, Arlington group burial photo) FindAGrave - 1LT Severo James Primm III (photo, courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - 1LT Severo James Primm III (National Vietnam Veterans Memorial) FindAGrave - Severo James Primm III (memorial marker) DPAA Service Personnel Profile - 1st Lt. Lt. Severo J. Primm III FindAGrave - FindAGrave - FindAGrave - FindAGrave - Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated November 14, 2025 |
 EC-47  MIA 8 Missing |
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