[Vision2020] Where Are They Now? (CDR Roderick L. Mayer)

[Tom Hansen]

A copy of the following email has been provided to the appropriate elected
officials at:

Governor Butch Otter
http://gov.idaho.gov/ourgov/contact.html

Senator Larry Craig
http://craig.senate.gov/webform.cfm

Senator Mike Crapo
http://crapo.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

Representative Mike Simpson
http://www.house.gov/simpson/emailme.shtml

Representative Bill Sali
http://sali.house.gov/

Emails concerning those unaccounted for veterans whose home of record is
within Idaho's 1st Congressional District will be provided to Representative
Sali if/when he becomes accessible to the citizens of Idaho.

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Subject:  Where Are They Now? (CDR Roderick L. Mayer)
 
Dear - ,
 
As a retired veteran and citizen in the state of Idaho I would like to know
what is being done to determine the fate of the following veteran who
remains unaccounted for:

Commander Roderick Lewis Mayer (Lewiston, Idaho), U.S. Navy

On 17 October 1965, then Lt. Roderick Mayer, pilot; and Lt. JG David R.
Wheat, Radar Intercept Officer, comprised the crew of an F4B that launched
from the deck of the USS Independence. They were participating in a day
strike mission against the Thai Nguyen bridge located approximately 38 miles
north of Hanoi in an attempt to curb the amount of war material being
transported over it.

At 1150 hours, their aircraft was struck by intense enemy anti-aircraft
artillery (AAA) fire as they made a pass on the bridge. The crew of the
crippled Phantom turned their aircraft due east in an attempt to returned to
the USS Independence. Lt. Mayer and Lt. JG Wheat were able to keep their
aircraft airborne for nearly 55 miles before it became clear the damaged jet
would stay in the air no longer. Both men were seen by other aircrews in
their flight to eject before it crashed near the town of Quang Lang ,
approximately 54 miles north of Haiphong and 65 miles northeast of Hanoi. 

Search and rescue (SAR) efforts were immediately initiated, but were
hampered by enemy small arms fire and were never able to get close enough to
determine the fate of either crewman. At the time the SAR operation was
terminated, both Roderick Mayer and David Wheat were listed presumed dead. 
Later the status of both men was changed to Prisoner of War when it was
learned they both had, in fact, been captured.  Although David Wheat had ben
returned to US control, Roderick Mayer remains unaccounted for. 

Additional information and a detailed account of Commander Mayer's
activities on October 17, 1965, prior to his disappearance, are available
at:

http://www.IdahoCares.net/Mayer.htm

Please advise me of any action that is being taken by you or any other
elected or appointed official to determine his fate.

In the event there is nothing being done, please explain why not, and tell
me how you, personally, plan to correct this and prevent it from ever
happening again.

Information related to other Idaho citizen-veterans who remain unaccounted
for may be accessed at:

http://www.IdahoCares.net

Yours most sincerely,

Thomas P. Hansen
SFC, US Army (Retired)
201 Taylor Avenue
Moscow, Idaho

Cc:
Lewiston Tribune
Moscow-Pullman Daily News
Spokesman Review

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Pro patria,

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil
and steady dedication of a lifetime." 

--Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.