30 September 1950 – The International Astronautical Federation (IAF) was founded in 1951, when scientists from the field of space research gathered in an attempt to ensure a constant dialogue between the space nations, regardless of political turmoil. In its early years, the Federation and its annual International Astronautical Congresses – better known as the
Maj. Michael O. McElhanon (Misty 46) and Maj. John F. Overlock (Misty 51) were pilots assigned to the 309th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Phu Cat, South Vietnam. The missions they generally flew were Misty FAC operations over North Vietnam. McElhanon was rated as a pilot and Overlock as a co-pilot.
On August 16, 1968, McElhanon and Overlock were on an early mission and had already refueled once (the maximum range for the F100 is nearly 1500 miles), and had radioed the Airborne Control that they were enroute to rendezvous with a tanker over the Gulf of Tonkin for the second refueling. That was the last contact Airborne Control had with Overlock and McElhanon. They were not missed until some fifty minutes later, when a flight of fighter aircraft tried to locate them to get a fix on their target. The plane is assumed to have gone down somewhere near the city of Dong Hoi in North Vietnam’s Quang Binh province.
No one knows for sure what happened to Overlock and McElhanon. If they went down close to the city, they could have been captured. If they went down over the Gulf, they may never be found.
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. Finally, in late 1975, the U.S.
Government declared the men dead, based on no specific information that they were alive.
At the time of his death, Michael was married with children.
Michael O. McElhanon was promoted to the rank of Colonel and John F. Overlock was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel during the period
they were maintained missing. (1)
The McElhanon’s had a long history of service to the United States, starting with Captain John McElhanon in the Revolutionary War; Ode Ross McElhanon Sr in WWI, Ode Ross McElhanon, Jr in WWII, and Mike McElhanon in the Vietnam War.(2)
Michael Owen McElhanon has a grave marker at Greenwood Memorial Park and Mausoleum Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas, USA and is memorialized at Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. He is also honored on the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington DC. His name is inscribed at VVM Wall, Panel 48w, Line 29.
Source: Bio info/photo – HonorStates.org; (1) POW/MIA Network.org: (2) TheWallofFaces submitted by Janet McElhanon
