This page is dedicated to a "Real American Hero". I was a youngster when the Vietnam War was going on. I am a proud American and a stanch supporter ofour nation's military, and I feel privilaged to have adopted a fellow Texan as my POW/MIA........
Lieutenant Colonel Inzar William Rackley, Jr.
Name: Inzar
William Rackley, Jr.
Rank/Branch:
O4/UAF
Unit:
33rd Air Rescue/Recovery Squadron
Date
of Birth: 02 January 1933
Home
City of Record: Big Springs TX
Date
of Loss: 18 October 1966
Country
of Loss: North Vietnam (Tonkin Gulf)
Loss
Coordinates: 175500N 1070900E (YE278821)
Status
(in 1973): Missing In Action
Category:
4
Acft/Vehicle/Ground:
HU16
Refno:
0496
Other
Personnel In Incident: Steven H. Adams; John H.S. Long; Robert L.Hill;
John
R.Shoneck; Lawrence Clark; Ralph H. Angstadt (all missing)
Source:
Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 October 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.
REMARKS:
RADIO CONTACT LOST
SYNOPSIS:
At 11:01 a.m. on October 18, 1966, a HU16 Albatross (serial
#51-7145)
departed Da Nang Airbase, Republic of Vietnam, to rescue a downed
pilot
in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of North Vietnam.
The
crew of the aircraft consisted of Maj. Ralph H. Angstadt, rescue
commander
and pilot; 1Lt. John H.S. Long, co-pilot; SSgt. John R. Shoneck
and
TSgt. Robert L. Hill, flight mechanics; SSgt. Lawrence Clark, radio
operator;
and Capt. Inzar W. Rackley, Jr., navigator. Also onboard the
aircraft
was A2C Steven H. Adams, a parajumper/frogman and a member of an
elite
pararescue team ("PJs").
The
aircraft headed to the pilot's location, which was approximately 80
miles
off the China coast in the northern sector of the Gulf of Tonkin. Two
A1E
Skyhawks escorting the rescue aircraft remained on station until the
mission
was completed, then the Skyhawks returned to the base. The last
contact
with the HU16 was at 5:45 p.m., and at that time, there was no
indication
of any trouble. The Albatross was returning to base, and last
contact
was in the vicinity of coordinates YE278821, approximately 35 miles
off
the coast of North Vietnam.
All
contact was lost with the amphibious aircraft in marginal weather
conditions,
and although an extensive search for the aircraft was conducted,
there
were no sightings of the crew or the aircraft. Even though the HU16
was
believed lost over water, the men on board were not declared killed,
but
Missing
In Action. The possibility exists that they were captured by one of
the
numerous enemy vessels that were present offshore from North Vietnam.
Curiously,
the DIA enemy knowledge categories assigned to the men onboard
the
Albatross are not the same. Five of them were assigned Category 4 which
indicates
"unknown knowledge" and includes individuals whose time and place
of
loss incident are unknown. Angstadt was assigned Category 3 which
indicates
"doubtful knowledge" and includes personnel whose loss incident is
such
that it is doubtful that the enemy would have knowledge. Clark was
assigned
Category 2 which indicates "suspect knowledge" and includes
personnel
who were lost in areas or under conditions that they may
reasonably
be expected to be known by the enemy. No reason for the different
categories
can be determined.
The crew of the UH16 received promotions during the period they were
maintained
Missing in Action: Angstadt and Rackley were promoted to the
rank
of Lieutenant Colonel; Long to the rank of Captain; Clark and Hill to
the
rank of Chief Master Sergeant; Shoneck to the rank of Senior Master
Sergeant;
and Adams to the rank of Master Sergeant.
There
is no available information on the downed crewman the Albatross was
sent
to rescue.
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