KARINS, JOSEPH JOHN JR.

Name: Joseph John Karins Jr.
Rank/Branch: O3/US Air Force
Unit: (probably) 355th Combat Support Group, Takhli AB TH
Date of Birth: 21 April 1938
Home City of Record: Syracuse NY
Date of Loss: 11 March 1967
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 213300N 1055000E (WJ862830)
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F105D

Other Personnel in Incident: James E. Hiteshew; Charles E. Greene (both released
POWs); (both at close proximity on same day)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 April 1990 with the assistance of
one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources,
correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews.

REMARKS: DEAD/IR 1 237 0040 74

SYNOPSIS: The F105 Thunderchief ("Thud"), in its various versions, flew more
missions against North Vietnam than any other U.S. aircraft. It also suffered
more losses, partially due to its vulnerability, which was constantly under
revision. Between 1965 and 1971, the aircraft was equipped with armor plate, a
secondary flight control system, an improved pilot ejection seat, a more precise
navigation system, better blind bombing capability and ECM pods for the wings.
The D version was a single-place aircraft.

Capt. Charles E. Greene, Jr., Capt. Joseph J. Karins, Jr., and Major James E.
Hiteshew were all pilots of F105D Thunderchiefs. On March 11, 1967, they were
all dispatched on strike mission over North Vietnam. At a target area near the
city of Thai Nguyen in Vinh Phu Province, all three were shot down and declared
Missing in Action. Greene and Hiteshew ultimately landed in Vinh Phu Province.
Greene was about 5 miles southwest of the city of Thai Nguyen; Hiteshew was
about 8 miles southeast. Karins landed on the border of Vinh Phu and Ha Bac
Provinces, about 8 miles east-southeast of Thai Nguyen.

It was later learned that Greene and Hiteshew had been captured by the North
Vietnamese. Hiteshew's emergency beepers had been heard, and parachute was
observed, but rescue in this hostile territory proved impossible.

On March 4, 1973, 591 Americans were released from communist prisons in North
Vietnam. Greene and Hiteshew were among them. Karins was not. He remained
Missing in Action. According to information received by the Defense Intelligence
Agency, Karins died, but public information does not indicate how or when.
Whether this information was confirmed seems unlikely, as Karin's status was not
changed to Killed in Action, Body Not Recovered. In fact, it was several years
before he was found presumptively dead.

Since American involvement in Vietnam ended in 1975, nearly 10,000 reports
relating to Americans missing, prisoner, or otherwise unaccounted for in
Indochina have been received by the U.S. Government. Many officials, having
examined this largely classified information, have reluctantly concluded that
many Americans are still alive today, held captive by our long-ago enemy.

Karins is one of over 2,300 Americans who remain missing in Southeast Asia.
Whether he survived the crash of his aircraft to be captured seems unlikely, in
light of the DIA intelligence report. What is certain, however, is that we owe
these men our every effort to bring them to freedom. Hiteshew and Greene were
imprisoned nearly six years. For Karins, dead or alive, it will soon be 23
years. It's time we brought our men home.

