4 January 1969 – On January 4, 1969, two F100C aircraft departed Tuy Hoa on a combat mission, presumably over North Vietnam. Capt. Mitchell S. Lane was the pilot of one of the aircraft and Major Bobby G. Neeld the pilot of the other. There is a possibility that a mid-air collision of F-100C 54-2030 and F-100C 54-2051 22 miles N-NE of Phan Rang AB was the cause of the loss.
Mitchell Sim Lane, who joined the U.S. Air Force from Colorado, served with the 188th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 31st Tactical Fighter Wing. On January 4, 1969, 1st Lt Lane piloted a single-seat F-100 Super Sabre (tail number 54-2051, call sign “Taco 82”) as the second aircraft in a flight of two on a close air support mission over South Vietnam. After hitting the target, the flight was directed to proceed to Phan Rang Air Base due to inclement weather at their home base, Tuy Hoa. Radar contact with the F-100 was lost in the vicinity of grid coordinates BP 860 291 en route to Phan Rang, and the aircraft never arrived at the base. A three-day search and rescue effort failed to locate the aircraft. After the incident, the Air Force promoted First Lieutenant Lane to the rank of captain. Today, Captain Lane is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Col Bobby Gene Neeld was born on October 8, 1928. He joined the Air Force from New Mexico, served with the 188th Fighter Squadron, 31st Tactical Fighter Wing. On January 4, 1969, he piloted a single-seat F-100 Super Sabre (tail number 54-2030) that left Tuy Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam, as the lead aircraft in a flight of two on a close air support mission over South Vietnam. After hitting their target, the flight was directed to divert to Phan Rang Air Base due to inclement weather at Tuy Hoa. Radar contact was lost with the F-100 en route to Phan Rang, and the aircraft was not seen again. An extensive three-day search and rescue effort was conducted as soon as the weather cleared, but the aircraft was not located. After the incident, the Air Force promoted Major Neeld to the rank of colonel. Today, Colonel Neeld is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: Dewey’s list, The Wall of Faces – Vietnam War