Overlock, John F. – KIA

On 16 August 1968 Majors John F. Overlock (Misty 11) and Michael O. McElhannon (Misty 46) “were both assigned to the 309th Tactical Fighter Squadron, but on temporary duty with the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing at Phu Cat Airbase. They were conducting a MISTY mission over the area of North Vietnam just north of the DMZ. Their aircraft, F-100F (tail number 56-3865) belonged to the 612th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Phu Cat Airbase.”(1)

“There were scattered clouds in the area at 2,000 feet and broken clouds to 9,000 feet; visibility was unrestricted. At 0845, Misty 11 reported its position to Cricket Control as 106 degrees 50 minutes east, 17 degrees 31 minutes north. At 0858 they reported to Cricket Control that they were leaving the area to rendezvous with a tanker over the Gulf of Tonkin, but they did not give their position nor indicate they were experiencing any difficulty. This was their last radio transmission, as their next scheduled report at 0925 was not received.

At 0950, another FAC arrived in the area and attempted to contact Misty 11 for possible target information. When contact could not be established, the FAC initiated a check with other airfields to determine if Misty 11 had diverted, but received negative replies. He then contacted the refueling tanker and learned that the aircraft had not arrived to refuel. Misty 11 was presumed to be down in the area along a line from the point of last contact east to the tanker. At approximately 1035, the FAC and other search aircraft initiated a visual and electronic search over the intended flight path and continued to search until dusk with negative results. The search area was varied, consisting of rugged, forested mountains, a highly populated flat coastal plain containing small villages, and a portion of the Gulf of Tonkin . The search was resumed at dawn, but was formally terminated on the evening of August 17 due to negative results.

The 37th TFW was informed at 1045 on August 16 that Misty 11 was presumed down and the status of the pilots was unknown. The 37th Combat Support Group (CSG) at Phu Cat Air Base initiated a Casualty Report (Initial, Missing in Action, Battle ), which stated that a visual and electronic search was initiated at 1105 and was continuing.

For the next 5 years, their families waited to see if McElhanon and Overlock had been captured. When 591 prisoners were released in the spring of 1973, the two were not among them. Experts said that there were hundreds who were expected to be released and who were not.”(1)

Both crewmen were carried as Missing in Action until the Secretary of the Air Force approved Presumptive Findings of death for Overlock on 09 Oct 1975 and McElhannon on 06 Feb 1979. During this time McElhannon was promoted to Colonel and Overlock to Lieutenant Colonel. (2)

In 1989, a U.S. search team began investigating reports of the wreckage of a U.S. aircraft located “at XE676418, in an open area of sand which slopes slightly to the east, at the northern edge of Ly Nhon Bac Hamlet. The soil shows evidence of recent disturbance (it is both darker in color than the surrounding sand, and its surface is rougher. A number of small pieces of plastic, rubber, and fabric lie scattered about the area. Use of the metal detector produced numerous readings indicating the presence of a substantial amount of sub-surface metal. The team took photographs of the site and fixed its location by compass readings.

At a private home in Ly Nhon Bac Hamlet, local residents displayed for the team two small pieces of wreckage which they claimed to have removed from the crash site as souvenirs.”

The research team was meeting with Ngo Xe (pronounced NGOO XEE), former leader of the Nhan Trach Village Militia who said he saw an airplane crash on August 16, 1968.

On August 31, 1990, the JCRC, Casualty Data Division, generated a biographic/site report on RefNo 1250-0-02, John Francis Overlock.[27] In this report, new information not presented in earlier documents included:

Blood Chit No: 06398
Military Region: 4
Mission Province: Quang Binh
Engine Type: Pratt & Whitney J57-21A
Engine Serial Number: F603786″ (3)

In 2005, a newspaper report stated:

“Lt. Col. John Overlock might be coming home at last. Nearly 36 years after he was shot down over the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a military group created to find POW/MIAs has contacted his sister, Pat Mohos,
to tell her remains that might be her brothers have been found. The most promising evidence is the serial number from his plane’s ejection seat, near where the remains were found. But DNA testing, which could take years, may help to confirm it……

By DANIELLE T. FURFARO, Staff writer
First published: Tuesday, June 7, 2005” (1)

No further information was published regarding the find.

John Francis Overlock is buried or memorialized at Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial and is honored on the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington DC. Name inscribed at VVM Wall, Panel 48w, Line 29.

Sources: Bio info/photo – HonorStates.org; (1) POW/MIA network; (2)TheVirtualWall; (3) TogetherWeServed.com