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Name: Daniel Lewis Carrier Rank/Branch: O2/US Air Force Unit: Date of Birth: 09 November 1942 Home City of Record: San Diego CA Date of Loss: 02 June 1967 Country of Loss: North Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 175000N 1062700E (XE532722) Status (in 1973): Missing in Action Category: 3 Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4C Other Personnel in Incident: Alton C. Rockett, Jr. (missing) Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 March 1990 with the assistance of one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews.
UPDATE: Remains Returned 20 November 1989
SYNOPSIS: 1Lt. Daniel L. Carrier and Capt. Alton C. Rockett Jr. were pilots of an F4C Phantom fighter/bomber assigned a mission over North Vietnam on June 2, 1967. The Phantom, used by Air Force, Marine and Navy air wings, served a multitude of functions including fighter-bomber and interceptor, photo and electronic surveillance. The two man aircraft was extremely fast (Mach 2), and had a long range (900 - 2300 miles, depending on stores and mission type). The F4 was also extremely maneuverable and handled well at low and high altitudes. The F4 was selected for a number of state-of-the-art electronics conversions, which improved radar intercept and computer bombing capabilities enormously. Most pilots considered it one of the "hottest" planes around. At a point on the coast of North Vietnam's Quang Binh Province, about 5 miles north of the city of Ron, Rockett and Carrier's aircraft was shot down and they were declared Missing in Action. The Defense Intelligence Agency further expanded the Missing in Action classification to include an enemy knowledge ranking of 3. Category 3 indicates "doubtful knowledge" and includes personnel whose loss incident is such that it is doubtful that the enemy wound have knowledge of the specific individuals (e.g. aircrews lost over water or remote areas). On November 20, 1989, the Vietnamese returned remains to the U.S. which were subsequently identified as being those of Daniel L. Carrier. For his family, there can finally be a homecoming, a funeral, and long-delayed healing. For Rockett's family, and for thousands of others, however, conclusions remain elusive. Over 2300 men and women are still maintained on "unaccounted for" lists. Further, since the war ended, nearly 10,000 reports have been received by the U.S. Government relating to Americans missing in Southeast Asia. Many authorities who have reviewed this classified material have reluctantly concluded that hundreds of Americans are still alive, held prisoner in Southeast Asia. Whether Daniel L. Carrier was ever held prisoner of war is unclear. What is certain, however, is that as long as there is even one American held against his will in Southeast Asia, we owe him our very best efforts to bring him home.