KETCHIE, SCOTT DOUGLAS

Name: Scott Douglas Ketchie
Rank/Branch: O2/US Marine Corps
Unit: VMA 224, Detachment C
Date of Birth: 19 August 1947
Home City of Record: Birmingham AL
Date of Loss: 09 April 1972
Country of Loss: Laos
Loss Coordinates: 164800N 1062900E (XD565572)
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: A6A
Other Personnel in Incident: (pilot rescued)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 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.
Date Compiled: 15 March 1990

REMARKS:

SYNOPSIS: The Grumman A6 Intruder is a two-man all weather, low-altitude,
carrier-based attack plane, with versions adapted as aerial tanker and
electronic warfare platform. The A6A primarily flew close-air-support,
all-weather and night attacks on enemy troop concentrations, and night
interdiction missions. Its advanced navigation and attack system, known as DIANE
(Digital Integrated Attack navigation Equipment) allowed small precision
targets, such as bridges, barracks and fuel depots to be located and attacked in
all weather conditions, day or night. The planes were credited with some of the
most difficult single-plane strikes in the war, including the destruction of the
Hai Duong bridge between Hanoi and Haiphong by a single A6. Their missions were
tough, but their crews among the most talented and most courageous to serve the
United States.
  
On April 9, 1972, 1Lt. Scott D. Ketchie was the co-pilot of an A6A Intruder
which was sent on a mission in Laos near the DMZ. At a point about 10 miles
inside Laos' Savannakhet Province, the aircraft was hit by antiaircraft fire
and crashed. The pilot successfully ejected and was subsequently rescued, but
Ketchie was not. He was listed Missing in Action.

The Defense Intelligence Agency further expanded Ketchie's classification to
include an enemy knowledge ranking of 2. Category 2 indicates "suspect
knowledge" and includes personnel who may have been involved in loss incidents
with individuals reported in Category 1 (confirmed knowledge), or who were lost
in areas or under conditions that they may reasonably be expected to be known by
the enemy; who were connected with an incident which was discussed but not
identified by names in enemy news media; or identified (by elimination, but not
100% positively) through analysis of all-source intelligence.

Since the war ended, nearly 10,000 reports relating to Americans missing in
Southeast Asia have been received by the U.S. Government. Many authorities who
have examined this largely classified material have reluctantly concluded that
there are still hundreds of these men alive today.

Although the Pathet Lao stated on several occasions that they held "tens of
tens" of American prisoners, not one American was ever released that was held
in Laos. Laos was not part of the peace agreements ending American involvement
in Southeast Asia, and the U.S. has never negotiated for these prisoners since
that time.

It is not clear what happened to Scott D. Ketchie on April 9, 1972. According to
a list composed by the National League of Families of POW/MIA in Southeast Asia,
Scott Ketchie survived the crash of his aircraft. Perhaps he was killed by enemy
fire upon ejection. Perhaps he is one of the hundreds of Americans many experts
believe are still alive today. If so, what must he be thinking of us?

