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Casualty Info
Home Town Stacyville
Last Address Stacyville
Casualty Date Aug 17, 1972
Cause MIA-Finding of Death
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Land
Location Vietnam, North (Vietnam)
Conflict Vietnam War
Location of Interment Visitation Catholic Cemetery - Stacyville, Iowa
Commander John R. Pitzen was an F-4J pilot and Lieutenant Orland J. Pender Jr. a Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) assigned to Fighter Squadron 114 onboard USS KITTY HAWK. On August 17, 1972, the two were assigned to fly escort protection for A-6A Intruder attack bombers against a target near Haiphong, North Vietnam. Their function would be to fly night MIG combat air patrol, protecting the attack aircraft.
Pitzen's aircraft was about one minute behind the Intruders when they crossed the enemy coastline. The Intruder reported four surface-to-air missiles (SAM) fired from the Haiphong area. Either Pitzen or Pender radioed to the pilot of an A-6, "Viceroy 507, are you at point alpha?" The A-6 pilot responded, "Affirmative," indicating that he was at the coast-in point. Pitzen and Pender were still about one minute behind the Intruder flight, and continued north to Hon Gay.
Pitzen's aircraft reached Hon Gay at 0140 and the KITTY HAWK radar lost contact with the aircraft at this time. At 0144, another SAM was observed by the A-6 in the Haiphong area. The missile flew five to ten seconds in level flight at approximately 11,000 feet and then was observed to explode into two large fireballs. When the F-4 did not call "feet wet" indicating its return out to sea along the coastline, an immediate electronic surveillance was initiated which was continued throughout the next day with no results.
Linfield 211, an F-4J (BuNo 157262), CDR John R. Pitzen and LT Orland J. Pender, Jr., VF-114, was shot down by an SA-2 SAM while on night MiG combat air patrol (MIGCAP) north of Haiphong, near 21º1â??N, 106º34â??E, at 0200. Both Linfield 211 and Viceroy 507, an A-6A of VA-52 it was covering while the latter struck a railroad target, received fire from four other SAMs, together with â??heavyâ?? AAA.
Promed while missing from CDR to CAPT
Service #: 482348880
Official Casualty Date: 03/01/1978
Remains status: Body Not Recovered. Found later.
Repatriated: 11/29/1994 (Returned to U.S. soil)
Identified: 02/20/1996
Comments/Citation:
Also has a memorial in Arlington National Cemetery from before his body was recovered
