.
Located in the Valley of the Jolly Green Giant, Western Ohio
The Official Website of the USAF Pararescue Memorial Parkway
Developed by CheapWebsiteGuy.com
James Pleiman's Page
Airman First Class James E. Pleiman

Killed in Action: March 14, 1966

AiC James Pleiman was manning CROWN BRAVO in a HU-1B tail number 51-0071 (similar to the
aircraft pictured above), when an F-4C (tail number 64-0740) of the 480th Tac Fighter Squadron was
hit by AAA fire while conducting an armed reconnaissance mission south of Than Hoa. The F-4C
crew, Major James M. Peerson and Captain Lynwood C. Bryant, managed to get over water before
ejecting in the vicinity of a small island chain just offshore North Vietnam, almost equidistant from
Than Hoa to the north and Vinh to the south. The HU-16 and Navy SAR forces were activated with
Peerson and Bryant about a mile offshore.

The UH-16 was first on station, supported by fixed-wing aircraft. When Westenbarger landed, the
Albatross drew artillery and mortar fire from emplacements ashore as well as small-arms fire from
sampans headed out to capture the downed F-4 crewmen. As the UH-16 crew, with A1c Pleiman in the
water, attempted to assist Major Peerson aboard, the HU-16 was hit by an artillery shell and exploded
in flames, leaving eight men in the water. A Navy SH-3 helicopter from HS-4 was able to pick up Major
Peerson before being forced from the area with combat damage. A second SH-3 (also HS-4),
operating under cover of supporting fixed-wing aircraft, picked up Bryant, Westenbarger, Hall, and
Jackson, and a Navy UH-2 from HC-2 later picked up Captain Price. The rescued HU-16 crewmen
stated that A1c Hilton was killed before the Albatross was abandoned and that A1c Pleiman was
floating face-down in the water afterwards.