Hubert Buchanan

This was Major Robertson's 29th day in Southeast Asia and 1st Lt. Buchanan's 17th mission.

The flight departed Ubon at 15:00 hours to conduct an armed reconnaissance mission against the Dap Cau Railroad and Highway Bridge located approximately 17 mi southeast of Kép Air Base, between the major cities of Hanoi and Haiphong, North Vietnam.

Shortly after the flight departed Ubon, one of the Phantoms developed fuel problems and was forced to return to base.

The rest of the flight continued with their mission.

At 15:40, Moonglow flight was nearing their target when they were engaged in aerial combat by a flight of four MiG-17s.

The Phantoms jettisoned their external ordinance before engaging the enemy fighters.

As the dogfight progressed, Roscoe Epperson, a good friend of Major Robertson who was flying an air cover for another mission, recognized Robbie Robertson's voice over the radio and listened to the transmissions of the air battle.

He heard Major Robertson state, "This is Moonglow 3, I see the MiGs. I am engaging MiGs!"

He heard the entire battle from sighting the enemy aircraft through the dogfight.

He also heard his friend report, "I am hit, and I'm heading for the water!"

In the chaos of battle, no parachutes were seen and no emergency radio beepers were heard.

Because of the location being deep within enemy-held territory, no search and rescue (SAR) operation was possible.

At the time of loss both Robbie Robertson and Hugh Buchanan were listed missing in action.

Moonglow flight had been jumped by a flight of four MiG-17s that launched from Gia Lam Air Base on the northeast edge of Hanoi.

The #3 MiG was flown by North Vietnamese ace Nguyễn Văn Bảy, who was credited with seven kills by the end of the war.

Hubert E. Buchanan (born April 24, 1941) is a former United States Air Force captain and fighter pilot in the Vietnam War who was shot down, captured, and spent 2,362 days as a prisoner of war in Hanoi and surrounding areas.

He was one of the first American POWs to return to Vietnam after the war, and visited the man credited with his capture.

Buchanan was born in Scottsburg, Indiana, to Mary and Hubert Buchanan.

He graduated from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Buchanan entered Officer Training School on February 14, 1964, earning his commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, on May 12, 1964.

Buchanan next attended Undergraduate Pilot Training and was awarded his pilot wings at Laredo Air Force Base, Texas, in June 1965, followed by Pilot Systems Operator Training and F-4 Phantom II Combat Crew Training from June to December 1965.

His next assignment was as an F-4 Pilot Systems Operator with the 16th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, from December 1965 to August 1966, followed by service as an F-4 Pilot Systems Operator with the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, from August 1966.

On 16 September 1966, Major John L. "Robbie" Robertson, pilot, and then-First Lieutenant Buchanan, weapons systems operator, comprised the crew of the #3 aircraft (F-4C-20-MC, s/n 63-7643) in a flight of four, call sign "Moonglow 3".

In a 1997 meeting between the North Vietnamese pilot and Ralph Wetterhahn, another friend of Robbie Robertson who was also assigned to this strike mission and flying in another flight of F4C aircraft from the 555 TFS, the following information was established.

The MiGs were scrambled early in the afternoon.

Nguyen Van Bay was the first one to spot the American flight far ahead of them.

He asked permission to attack the Phantoms.

The MiG's flight leader gave permission to give chase, but expressed doubt that they could catch the much faster American aircraft.

As the MiG-17s moved toward the Phantoms, Nguyễn Văn Bảy saw Moonglow 3 initiate a climbing left turn.

That turning maneuver allowed the MiG pilot to cut the diameter of the circle and close the distance between the opposing aircraft to 100 to 150 m to achieve an appropriate angle of attack.

Nguyễn Văn Bảy aimed, then fired his 37mm and 23mm cannons at the Phantom.

Buchanan reported to Robertson, "This guy's pulling right in on us. He's going to shoot any time now."

At that moment a salvo of orange golf ball-size rounds passed over Moonglow 3's canopies.

Robbie Robertson pulled hard on The Stick, then eased his turn.

Hugh Buchanan saw the MiG close again.

He said, "This is going to be it. He's corrected the problem."

Nguyễn Văn Bảy lined up, fired again and saw a wheel come out from beneath the F4's wing and sail past his canopy.

For 1st Lt. Buchanan everything went black.

According to the WSO, "It could have been from so many G forces pulling the blood away from my eyes, I'm not sure. My helmet was bouncing around - I really don't have a clear memory of ejecting, however, I do sort of have a dream - I can kind of imagine pulling the handle the F4 had between your legs."

He went on to say, "I also ejected so I must have done it. I could hear loud booms, like the canopy blowing off. And I felt the wind. The next thing I knew, my parachute was opening. When I got down low, I could see people running around on the ground in a little village. I could see a guy off to the right. He looked like he had a uniform on and a rifle and he was running in my direction."