Vietnam
-
MIA
Fallen
Grand Forks, ND
Circumstances:
Hostile, Khammouan Province, Laos, died while missing, FIXED WING - CREW
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
On February 5, 1968, 1st Lt. William T. Potter and 1st Lt. Robert D. Edgar were crew members aboard an RF-4C reconnaissance aircraft. Robert Edgar was the navigator of the RF-4C aircraft which departed Udorn Airfield, Thailand, on a photo reconnaissance mission over Laos.
Upon arrival in the area, which was under control of the North Vietnamese, the pilot, William Potter contacted a controller for a specific target assignment. After being advised on weather and terrain, the pilot notified the controller that they were under the clouds and had located the target. He advised that he would position for photos and depart to the Northwest.
While orbiting in the area, the controller saw an explosion and immediate attempts to contact the RF-4C brought no response. The aircraft crashed on Phakap mountain, four kilometers south of Bau Phanup, and about 2.5 kilometers east of Napank Village, Khammouan Province, Laos. Search and Rescue forces saw no parachutes nor heard any electronic beacon signals.
Resistance fighters in the area gave reports of investigating the crash site, only to find the aircraft had burned and the skeletal remains of the pilot were still inside. Robert Edgar's missing status was changed at a presumptive finding of death hearing to Dead/Body Not Recovered.
From DPAA:
On February 5, 1968, a RF-4C Phantom II (serial number 66-0443, call sign Hemp) with a crew of two took off from Udorn Airfield, Thailand, on a nighttime armed reconnaissance mission in the vicinity of Napank village, Laos. As the aircraft moved to attack its designated targets, it crashed for unknown reasons and exploded. Another aircraft on the mission flew over the crash site, but found no evidence of survivors. After the war, the remains of the Phantom's navigator were returned to U.S. custody and identified; however, the plane's pilot remains unaccounted for.
1LT William Tod Potter, who joined the U.S. Air Force from North Dakota, was a member of the 14th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, and was the pilot aboard the Phantom when it crashed. He died in the crash, and his remains have not been recovered. William Tod Potter was posthumously promoted to the rank of Major. Today, Major Potter is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual's case to be in the analytical category of Active Pursuit.
If you are a family member of this service member, DPAA can provide you with additional information and analysis of your case. Please contact your casualty office representative.
Service Members Associated with MAJ WILLIAM POTTER's Loss
| EDGAR; ROBERT JOHN Florida | Capt | Accounted For |
Biography:
On May 28, 1987, The Joint Casualty Resolution Center passed on to Mrs. Edgar, information that was received from a former RLA Sergeant and then Resistance Fighter refugee who had departed Laos in 1976 that seemingly confirmed the crash and burn of the RF-4C on the mountain, and the finding of the pilot's skeletal remains still inside. William T. Potter's remains have not been turned over to the United States Government.