lest we forget

HUMPHREY, JOHN RICHARD

Rank / Branch:

CAPTAIN, U.S. AIR FORCE

Date Of Birth:

1931-09-19

Country Of Loss:

SOUTH VIETNAM

Status:

NON HOSTILE-CRASH

Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:

DOUGLAS C-47

Other:

MARRIED

Unit:

7TH AIR FORECE

Date Of Loss:

1966-11-26

Loss Coordinates:

GIA DINH

Catagory:

BODY RETURNED

Awards & Decorations:

SEE BIO

VETERAN HAGI0GRAPHY

HUMPREY, JOHN RICHARD

AWARDS AND DECORATIONS

AIR FORCE PILOT WINGS, AIR MEDAL, AIR FORCE COMMENDATIONS MEDAL, AIR FORCE ACHIEVEMENT MEDAL, NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM SERVICE MEDAL, VIETNAM MILITARY MERIT MEDAL, VIETNAM CROSS OF GALLANTRY WITH PALM, VIETNAM CAMPAIGN MEDAL

BIOGRAPHY

John R. Humphrey was born in Cheptapa, Kansas. His family moved to Fair Oaks, California when he was in elementary school. Fair Oaks is a suburb of Sacramento. He was a fourteen-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He spent many years at Webb Air Force Base in Big Spring assigned to the 1540th Pilot Training Squadron as an instructor pilot. He was very involved with the Big Spring community.
When he departed for Vietnam, his wife, Kathleen Thelma and the two sons remained in Big Spring. His tour began May 5, 1966, and he was assigned to the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, 7th Air Force and the unit was based at Korat RTAFB in Korat, Thailand. He was a F-100 pilot. On November 26, 1966, he was a passenger on a C47B tail number 44-76574, and the aircraft departed Tan Son Nhut AFB near Saigon on an administrative flight. Shortly after take-off, the aircrew advised Tan Son Nhut they had an engine problem and were returning to that airfield. The first approach was aborted when the landing gear would not extend. The second approach ended in a fiery crash into a rice patty while on short final to the runway. The port engine's propeller engine was in the "feathered" position, indicating that engine had shut down before the crash. There were 25 personnel onboard and all died in the crash.
Captain John Richard Humphrey was buried with full military honors at the Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, California. He was survived by his wife, Shirley Thelma and two sons, Dale Allan and Scott Allan of Big Spring, Texas. After his death and as soon as the school year was completed, the Humphrey family moved to Fairfield, California near Travis Air Force Base.