6 June 1967 – Capt. Duane Scott Baker was serving with the 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 37th TFW then based at Phu Cat AB, SVN. He had been in-country since 24 Nov 66. His F-100D #553766 was hit by gunfire over Quang Ngai Province. His body was recovered and he is buried at Willamette National Cemetery.
From his son David…
Dad volunteered for Vietnam. In a letter to Mom (High School Classmate Lillian Hale), Dad talked about how hard it would have been for him to not go to Vietnam when others did. Dad arrived in Vietnam on Nov 24, 1966, assigned to the 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Bien Hoa. He believed in the war. He wrote Mom about what the North had done to people in the South and felt we would lose some of our own sense of morality if we did not help. Later, Dad was sent to help set up a new base for his squadron at Phu Cat. In addition to the administrative duties that were needed, he laid tile in the shower room because no one else knew how. In his letters, Dad talked about how much he wanted to get back to his daily flying missions.
For David Baker’s full story about his Dad see the following: