LOHEED, HUBERT BRADFORD

Name: Hubert Bradford Loheed
Rank/Branch: O5/US Navy
Unit: Commanding Officer, Attack Squadron 146, USS RANGER (CVA 61)
Date of Birth: 15 October 1924 (Brockton MA)
Home City of Record: Middleboro MA
Date of Loss: 01 February 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam/Over Water
Loss Coordinates: 190000N 1053700E (WG648007)
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 3
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: A4C

Other Personnel In Incident: (none missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 April 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:

SYNOPSIS: Commander Hubert B. Loheed was the Commanding Officer of Attack
Squadron 146. On February 1, 1966, he launched in his A4C Skyhawt attack
aircraft leading a flight of four aircraft from the aircraft carrier USS RANGER
(CVA 61).

Once the flight reached their target over North Vietnam, Cdr. Loheed and his
wingman made a section run on the target, releasing their ordnance. Both
aircraft then entered a steep climb. Cdr. Loheed's aircraft then rolled port and
entered a steep dive with his wingman 200-300 feet behind him. Cdr. Loheed's
plane was last seen as it dove into cloud overcast at an altitude of 1000 feet.
The last known location of the aircraft was in Nghe An Province, North Vietnam,
about 5 miles from the coast, and about 5 miles northwest of the city of Phu
Dien Chau.

Search efforts were conducted, but were unsuccessful in making radio or visual
contact with Cdr. Lohhed. It was the opinion of his wingman and others that he
could not have survived the possible crash or ejection of his aircraft. He was
placed in Missing In Action status, and nine years later, presumed to be dead.

When the war ended, and 591 Americans were released in Operation Homecoming in
1973, military experts expressed their dismay that "some hundreds" of POWs did
not come home with them. Since that time, thousands of reports have been
received, indicating that many Americans are still being held against their will
in Southeast Asia. Whether Loheed is among them is not known. What is certain,
however, is that if only one American remains alive in enemy hands, we owe him
our best effort to bring him home.


During the period he was maintained missing, Hubert B. Loheed was promoted to
the rank of Captain.
