Name: Joseph Edward Bower Rank/Branch: O4/US Air Force Unit: 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron, McConnell AFB KS Date of Birth: 21 June 1929 Home City of Record: Ely NV Date of Loss: 03 August 1965 Country of Loss: North Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 182459N 1055159E (WF930880) Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered Category: 3 Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F105D Refno: 0120 Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing) Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 30 April 1990 from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK 1998. SYNOPSIS: The F105 Thunderchief ("Thud"), in its various versions, flew more missions against North Vietnam than any other U.S. aircraft. It also suffered more losses, partially due to its vulnerability, which was constantly under revision. Between 1965 and 1971, the aircraft was equipped with armor plate, a secondary flight control system, an improved pilot ejection seat, a more precise navigation system, better blind bombing capability and ECM pods for the wings. While the D version was a single-place aircraft, the F model carried a second crewman which made it well suited for the role of suppressing North Vietnam's missile defenses. Major Joseph E. Bower was an F105D pilot assigned an operational mission over North Vietnam on August 3, 1965. During the mission, Bower's aircraft was struck by hostile fire and Bower radioed that he was heading for sea (to facilitate easier rescue). Shortly afterward, the aircraft became uncontrollable. Bower ejected from the aircraft. He was at that time about 20 miles southeast of the city of Vinh in Ha Tinh Province, North Vietnam, very near the coastline. Observers say that Bower's parachute did not open until just prior to his impact with the water. Air Force narratives do not describe search and recovery efforts, but Bower was not recovered, and was declared Missing in Action. Because of the proximity to the coastline, there was every reason to suspect that, if he survived the ejection, Bower might have been captured by any of the multitude of enemy vessels which dotted the coastline. On August 9, unspecified information was received by U.S. intelligence that Bower died at the time of the incident. He was then declared Killed in Action/Body Not Recovered. Because his remains have not been recovered and returned, Bower is listed by the Department of Defense as unaccounted for in Southeast Asia. Bower's unit in Vietnam is not recorded by the Air Force. His last known duty assignment was with the 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas.

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