Synopsis

Major Carl Berg Mitchell and Capt Vincent Joseph Hickman were assigned to the 1st Air Commando Squadron, arriving in-country to South Vietnam in November 1963.

Maj Mitchell, a 12 year Air Force Veteran and pilot, Capt Hickman, a navigator and 10 year Air Force veteran, and a Vietnamese Air Force observer took off in a B-26B aircraft (tail number 44-35566) out of Bien Hoa Air Base, SVN at 1800 on 14 Jan 1964 on a combat support mission. After completion of the first napalm drop on the target, their aircraft was observed to crash and burn at around 1815. Their wingman later confirmed they were shot down by ground fire. (This is according to a squadron mate.) There was no immediate evidence of survivors after the crash. A medical evacuation helicopter was immediately dispatched to the scene (Grid coordinates YT193330, approx 30 km northeast of Bien Hoa, 7 km north of Cau Tri An, Dong Nai Province). The medevac was unable to approach the crash site initially because of heavy hostile action in the crash area and ground troops could not secure the area until 19 Jan 64. They searched the crash site and found no evidence of survivors. From statements by eyewitnesses to the crash, it was believed that the crew was killed at the time of the crash. The status of Maj Mitchell and Capt Hickman was changed from missing to deceased on 21 Jan 64.

Interesting note: Because there was not a formal declaration of war by Congress, Mitchell and Hickman were listed by the Defense Department as non-combat deaths. At the time, Air Force personnel in Vietnam were there in the role of advisors (explaining the need for a Vietnamese observer on the aircraft).

Who Was Carl Berg Mitchell?

Major Carl Berg Mitchell was a distinguished graduate of the USMA (West Point) in the class of 1950 and was one of the original recipients of the Air Force Cross for Valor. During his USAF career, he also received the following awards:

• DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS
• AIR MEDAL (5)
• USAF COMMENDATION MEDAL
• PURPLE HEART

"The Air Force Cross is presented to Carl Berg Mitchell, Major, U.S. Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as an Advisor-Pilot of a B-26B aircraft on 14 January 1964. On that date, Major Mitchell voluntarily exposed himself and his aircraft during low level flights over hidden Viet Cong machine gun installations. Despite heavy machine gun fire, which repeatedly struck his aircraft, Major Mitchell aggressively continued his efforts to locate and destroy the machine gun installations until his badly damaged aircraft crashed and burned. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of hostile forces, Major Mitchell reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force." This is the text of Carl B. Mitchell's Air Force Cross award.

This is a personal remembrance of Carl Mitchell that Jeff Nash received. It's from Louis Schindler, a former Air Commando who was a close friend of Vince Hickman, Major Mitchell's navigator.

"I was stationed at Hurlburt Field during the period May 1962-Feb 1968. I was part of the 319th Air Commando Squadron, and later the 1st Air Commando Wing.

Carl B. Mitchell arrived at Hurlburt for B-26 training in Aug 1963. I believe he came out of the Strategic Air Command, possibly B-47's. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in the early 1950's His navigator in B-26's was Vincent J. Hickman, who was a close friend of mine. (We met at advanced Navigation and Bombing School at Mather AFB, CA in 1959.) We all finished training in November 1963 (I was a navigator in C-47's and checked out with a new crew prior to going to Vietnam).

We departed Hurlburt Nov 15, 1963 on a Military Air Transport Service C-118 and were flown to Bien Hoa, with intermediate stops at Travis AFB, CA; Hickam AFB, HI; Wake Island; and Clark AB, Philippines. I had 2 hours on the ground at Bien Hoa and had to go back to Clark to pick up a C-47 which had been repaired there. Mr. Kennedy was killed the day after we got back to Clark, Nov 22, 1963.

I saw Mitchell and Hickman daily during the rest of November. We lived next door to each other, ate at the dining hall, drank at the bar, shared the showers and latrine. I went TDY to Nha Trang during most of December and got back to Bien Hoa only briefly. We'd made arrangements to have a belated Christmas and New Year's party when I got finished with my TDY on Friday of the 2nd week in January. Mitchell and Hickman got killed on Tuesday of that week.

That was a difficult time for all of us. I'd made arrangements with our commander to accompany Hickman's remains back to the US. Because of the nature of the conflict, no remains were ever recovered."

This is from Thomas Mullen, Major, USAF (Retired):

"I met "Cully" at Travis AFB in March 1952. We were both assigned as B-29 co-pilots to the 5th Bomb Squadron of the 9th Bomb Wing. Cully Mitchell was one of the finest men and officers I met in my 21 years in the USAF. He was a West Point graduate who lived the Honor Code.

In May of 1953 the 9th Wing was transferred to Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. Cully and I became B-47 aircraft commanders at Mountain Home. I left Strategic Air Command in May of 1960. I can't remember when Cully left Mountain Home, before or after I did. As I remember, he was sent to the Air Force Institute of Technology for further advanced education. I think he went to an assignment with Air Force Logistics Command in the Los Angeles area, but I'm not positive as to date or assignment.

I learned of his death in Vietnam at some later date. I did not realize he was MIA."

The following is from Clay Marston:

I thank you very much for contacting me again. Am glad to hear that you are working on these 'Remembrances' of men like Barras and Mitchell.

When I was quite a bit younger, I had the opportunity to do a lot traveling between Canada and Florida and in so doing, was introduced to many people, one of whom was Carl Berg Mitchell. At that time it was about three years before he was lost in the war, but I knew at that time he should be been destined for greater things and should he have survived would most likely become a Major General or even higher.

Unfortunately, I have no real background information on him, other than the fact that he was one of the top flyers of that era. When he graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in the class of 1950, he stood at 104 out of 670 graduated. At this point, he chose to serve in the United States Air Force and he took his preliminary flight training in 1951 to receive his silver wings. He then served at Randolph Air Force Base, 1951-1952.

At the end of 1952, he was attached to the 5th Bombardment Squadron, 9th Bombardment Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base. From this point I believe he was involved in some test flying of aircraft such as the B-47, B-52, and other experimental or new designed aircraft.

This remembrance was sent to Jeff Nash by Ken Lengfield, who served with Cully Mitchell and Vince Hickman:

I saw your letter in the Air Commando newspaper about Cully and Vince. I knew both of them well but briefly. We were in the same Farmgate class at Hurlburt and went to Bien Hoa together. Cully and Vince were in B-26s and I was in T-28s.There were 12 of us in the class and it was a hard luck bunch. Only 3 of us made it back. Several of the losses were pure structural failure. The B-26s were on their third war and the T-28s were never designed for a combat roll. Midway through my tour we transitioned into A-1s. That was a far superior aircraft but it was too late for Cully, Vince and others. I'm not sure if Cully's aircraft loss was a result of structural failure or enemy ground fire. I know that it was called due to enemy action but doubt that this was ever established. We were getting a lot of flack in the media at that time about using worn out equipment and no losses were ever reported as other than enemy action.

I remember one incident on the way over to Viet Nam when we stopped at Wake Island for a day and night. We all went to the beach for a swim. We were warned that the current around the island was dangerous as it would carry you right past the island and out to sea. Vince found a bar on the beach and he was much more interested in that than he was in swimming. After several gin and tonics he looked around for Cully and couldn't find him. He was sure that Cully was carried away by the current and Vince felt responsible. He sounded the alarm and the base launched a search aircraft and several whale boats to look for Cully. Well, Cully had finished his swim and gone back to the BOQ for a nap. The search aircraft flew right over the Q and woke Cully up. He decided to see what was going on and went down to the beach. He saw everyone trying to push one of the boats into the surf and lent a hand. He asked who it was they were looking for as he knew that it must be one of our classmates. When he found out that it was Maj. Mitchell that was lost he was able to call the whole search off. Vince did not hear the end of that one but he didn't give up his gin and tonics either.

The Search For Carl Berg Mitchell

JTF-FA last sent a team to investigate Case 0027 in October 1995. At that time, the team inquired into three possible leads concerning the case. The first area was Ben Bao village, Song Be Province. The team could not gain access into this area since it was flooded, so it was recommended for rescheduling.

The second area visited was Phouc Thai village, Dong Nai Province. This village was previously known as Quan Chim. The team found one witness, a 29 year old named Dang Thi Mai, who was a life-long resident of the village. She related that on an unrecalled date, long after the war ended in 1975, government troops searched for remains of "Liberation" forces buried in the area. They found many sets of remains in black pajamas, similar to those worn by Viet Cong forces. They also found one set of remains in a green camouflage uniform. After burying the remains in black pajamas in a "Martyr's graveyard", the remains in the camouflage uniform were reburied one meter deep where they were originally found, in what is now an elementary school yard. The witness did not know if the remains were Vietnamese or American, or if the burial site had been disturbed since then.

The recovery team did a 20 x 20 meter surface search of the burial site, and dug a 1 x 1 x 1 meter test pit. All results were negative. It was determined that there was no correlation between the witness's story and Case 0027.

The team investigated the third lead, which was in Vihn An village, near the Tri An dam in Dong Nai Province. The team could not find any witnesses, and after searching a 100 x 100 meter area, could not find any signs of a burial site.

In summary, two out of three lead investigated with no personal affects, wreckage, or burial sites found. The team leader at the time recommended further investigation.

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