Name: Richard Abbot
Kibbey
Rank/Branch: O3/US Air
Force
Unit:
Date of Birth: 02
June 1934
Home City of Record: Delmar
NY
Date of Loss: 06 February 1967
Country
of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates:
174600N 1054800E (WE847643)
Status (in 1973): Missing in
Action
Category:
2
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: HH3E
Other Personnel
in Incident: Donald J. Hall; Patrick H. Wood; Lucius L. Heiskell
(all missing)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II
Project 15 March 1991 from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S.
Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published
sources, interviews. Copyright 1991 Homecoming II
Project.
REMARKS: SYNOPSIS: On February 6, 1967,
Capt. Lucius L. Heiskell was a pilot and was flying an O1F
aircraft on a visual reconnaissance mission with another O1F when his aircraft
was struck by enemy fire forcing him to bail out. His parachute was followed to
the ground and voice contact with him indicated that immediate rescue was not
feasible due to enemy troops in the area.
Beeper signals continued and later
an HH3E helicopter flown by Maj. Patrick H. Wood was dispatched to
recover Heiskell. He was at this time located near the border of Laos and North
Vietnam about 5 miles from the Mu Gia Pass. Wood's crew that day included
Capt. Richard A. Kibbey and SSgt. Donald J.
Hall.
Heiskell was hoisted aboard, but as the helicopter was
departing the area, it was hit by ground fire causing it to explode and crash.
The helicopter pararescueman survived and was treated for burns. The remainder
of the crew, Hall, Kibbey and Wood, as well as
Heiskell, were not located.
When 591 Americans were released in
1973, the crew of the HH3E was not among them. They were numbered with nearly
3000 Americans who remained missing, prisoner, or unaccounted for at the end of
the war.
Since American involvement in Vietnam ended in 1975, over 10,000
reports relating to Americans missing, prisoner, or otherwise unaccounted for in
Indochina have been received by the U.S. Government. Many officials, having
examined this largely classified information, have reluctantly concluded that
many Americans are still alive today, held captive by our long-ago enemy.
Whether Kibbey and the crew of the HH3E survived the crash of their aircraft
to be captured is not known. It is not known if they might be among those
thought to be still alive today. What is certain, however, is that as long as
even one American remains alive, held against his will, we owe him our very best
efforts to bring him to freedom.
Richard A. Kibbey was promoted
to the rank of Colonel during the period he was maintained "Missing in
Action."
Graphics courtesy ofRon Fleischer
Graphics courtesy ofJoni's Patriotic Graphics