OK Obits

Thank You For Your Service!

Stanley Edward Olmstead

photo © Tom Reece

Notes from The Virtual Wall

On 17 October 1965, USS INDEPENDENCE flew a normal combat schedule ... but it turned out to be anything but a normal day for the PHANTOM flyers of VF-41 and VF-84. Instead, they lost three aircraft and six crewmen.

All three Phantoms went down in Long Song Province, NVN, northeast of the city of Thai Nguyen, and within a few miles of each other.

VF-41 BLACK ACES

LT Roderick Mayer, pilot, and LTJG David Wheat (Radar Intercept Officer or RIO) of VF-41 were part of a day strike mission on the Thai Nguyen bridge northeast of Hanoi. Both men were seen to eject from their aircraft after it was hit by anti-aircraft fire. Combat SAR was hampered by enemy fire, but the on-scene forces were able to observe one crewman (later determined to be LT Mayer) lying prone in his parachute for a period of two hours. Both Mayer and Wheat had disappeared from sight and enemy troops were in the area before rescue helicopters could reach the scene. Both men were placed in MIA status, but LTJG Wheat later was confirmed to be a prisoner and was released in 1973. On 31 October 1977 a Presumptive Finding of Death was issued for Roderick L. Mayer.

VF-84 JOLLY ROGERS

LTJG Ralph Gaither and LTJG Rodney A. Knutson flew one of the two VF-84 Phantoms that went down. Both men were captured by the North Vietnamese, spent nearly 8 years as prisoners, and were released on February 12, 1973 in Operation Homecoming. Knutson had been injured and was not fully recovered at the time of his release.

LCDR Stanley E. Olmstead, pilot, and LTJG Porter A. Halyburton, RIO, were in the third Phantom, which was hit by hostile fire while on a bombing mission. No transmissions were heard, nor was there any sign of ejection by either crewmember. Other US aircraft passed over the crash site and determined that there was no possibility of survival. Both men initially were classed as Missing in Action, but Halyburton had ejected, was captured, and was released in 1973. After his release, Halyburton stated that after the aircraft was hit LCDR Olmstead was slumped forward and unresponsive, and that after ejecting he (Halyburton) was able to watch his aircraft, with Olmstead still aboard, until it impacted. On 6 April 1973 a Presumptive Finding of Death was issued for Stanley Olmstead.

At the end of 17 October, the Phantom squadrons were mourning the loss of six men, four of whom would eventually be released. Roderick Mayer and Stanley Olmstead have not yet come home.

© 1997-2015 www.VirtualWall.org Ltd.
Submitted by: Glenn & Jo

Stanley Edward Olmstead

Commander
VF-84, CVW-7, USS INDEPENDENCE, TF 77, 7TH FLEET
United States Navy
November 12, 1933 ~ April 06, 1973
(Incident Date October 17, 1965)

Cenataph
South IOOF Cemetery
Marshall
Logan County
Oklahoma, USA


photo, medals and insignia


 name on the wall
Placement on the Wall: Panel 02E Line 125


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