BUCHANAN, HUBERT ELLIOT

Name: Hubert Elliot Buchanan
Rank/Branch: O2/USAF
Unit: Ubon, Thailand
Date of Birth:
Home City of Record: Indianapolis IN
Date of Loss: 16 September 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 211157N 1062558E (XJ487447)
Status (in 1973): Released POW
Category:
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: F4C

Other Personnel In Incident: John L. Robertson (missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 October 1990 from one or more of
the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with
POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews.

REMARKS: 730304 RELSE BY DRV

SYNOPSIS: Maj. John L. Robertson was a highly valued member of the Inspector
General's team that checked combat readiness of the nation's air bases when he
wrote a 28-page letter requesting Vietnam service. When his request was granted
and he was assigned to Ubon Air Base, Thailand, he was so elated that he did
cartwheels and back flips around the family pool.

On September 16, 1966, a four-plane squadron headed from Ubon for a railroad
bridge in the Red River Delta. Robertson's plane was in the number three
position designated "Moonglow 3", and his systems operator on the flight was
1Lt. Hubert E. Buchanan. The squadron came under heavy fire, Robertson's plane
was hit and went down. Buchanan successfully ejected, and was taken prisoner.

John Robertson's fate is unknown. When he was released in 1973, Buchanan
supplied more information about the events of September 16, 1966. During his
descent after ejection, Buchanan could not see above his parachute (the
back-seater ejects first) to verify that Robertson had also ejected. He saw a
large fire about one half mile away, but could not say with certainty that it
was the plane or jettisoned fuel that was burning.

Buchanan later reported that because the Vietnamese did not display any strong
reaction to the lies he told them regarding his mission, he presumed that they
were only hearing one (his) story. Further, another returned prisoner, Maj.
Douglas B. Peterson, was shown Robertson's ID card during an interrogation
session.

If Robertson went down in a burning plane, how did his ID card survive? If he
survived the crash, what happened to him?

The Vietnamese have certain knowledge of the fate of John Robertson. Robertson's
wife and four children still work to find information that will answer their
questions. They wait as sightings of live Americans mount into the thousands.
Barbara Robertson says, "I don't think about if it's Johnny (that's alive), but
rather that there are live prisoners over there. My husband is so special, but
each one of those men is so special, and each one is someone's husband or father
or son."

John L. Robertson was promoted to the rank of Colonel during the period he was
maintained Missing in Action. Hubert E. Buchanan was promoted to the rank of
Captain during his captivity.

