United States Marine Corps Aircrew – 18 March 1967

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David Whittier Morrill
Lieutenant Colonel, United States Marine Corps

David Whittier Morrill was born on November 3, 1930 and joined the Armed Forces while in San Carlos, California.

He served in the United States Marine Corps.  In 14 years of service, he attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

MORRILL, DAVID WHITTIER

• LT COL   US MARINE CORPS
• VETERAN SERVICE DATES: 05/31/1952 – 03/18/1967
• DATE OF BIRTH: 11/03/1930
• DATE OF DEATH: 03/18/1967
• DATE OF INTERMENT: 07/18/2001
• BURIED AT: SECTION 60  SITE 7910
• ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

MORRILL, DAVID WHITTIER

• LT COL   US MARINE CORPS
• VETERAN SERVICE DATES: 05/31/1952 – 03/18/1967
• DATE OF BIRTH: 11/03/1930
• DATE OF DEATH: 03/18/1967
• DATE OF INTERMENT: 07/23/2001
• BURIED AT: SECTION 60  SITE 7909
• ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

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Maxim Charles Parker
Second Lieutenant, United States Marine Corps

Maxim Charles Parker was born on April 10, 1943 and joined the Armed Forces while in Rolling Hills, California.

He served in the United States Marine Corps.  In 4 years of service, he attained the rank of Second Lieutenant.

PARKER, MAXIM CHARLES

• 2ND LT   US MARINE CORPS
• VETERAN SERVICE DATES: 03/11/1966 – 03/18/1967
• DATE OF BIRTH: 04/10/1943
• DATE OF DEATH: 03/18/1967
• DATE OF INTERMENT: 07/18/2001
• BURIED AT: SECTION 60  SITE 7910
• ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

PARKER, MAXIM CHARLES

• Remains Identified 06/2001
• Name: Maxim Charles Parker
• Branch/Rank: United States Marine Corps/O1
• Unit: VMFA 314 MAG 13
• Date of Birth: 10 April 1943
• Home City of Record: ROLLINGS HILLS CA
• Date of Loss: 18 March 1967
• Country of Loss: South Vietnam
• Loss Coordinates: 162336 North  1072357 East
• Status (in 1973): Killed In Action/Body Not Recovered
• Category: 5
• Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4B #15271
• Missions:
• Other Personnel in Incident: LT. Col. David W. Morrill
• Refno: 0625
• Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews and CACCF = Combined Action Combat Casualty File. Updated with information from David Morrill, son of Lt. Col David Morrill, and nephew of Lt. Col. Merwin L. Morrill.REMARKS:

CACCF/CRASH/AIRCREW/QUANG TRI/4 YRS UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

Synopsis:

Major Morrill was the pilot of one of two Marine Corps F4B Phantoms of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron VMFA314, which left Chu Lai, South Vietnam on a close air support mission of Marine Corps ground troops in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam.  Major Morrill's aircraft was observed to pull off target on the fourth pass and then contact was lost.  The pilot of the lead aircraft observed a ground explosion about one and one half miles from the target. No parachutes were seen.  Major Morrill and his Radar Int ercept Officer Lieutenant Maxim C. Parker were listed as missing in action. In August of 1967, the wreckage of Major Morrill's aircraft was located by Marine Corps engineers building a road in the are of Dong Ha village.  The aircraft was identified by tail and bureau numbers. A search of the crash found Lt. Parker's dog tags and two sets of human  remains, which were later identified as Marine ground troops killed in the battle.

Major Morrill and Lieutenant Parker's status was changed to killed in action/body not recovered. Major Morrill was posthumously promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and awarded the Air Medal and Purple Heart. In 1993, the site was excavated by a joint  Vietnamese/American task force. Major Morrill's wedding ring and human remains were recovered at the site. Major Morrill's wedding ring was subsequently identified and returned to his family.  No identification of the remains has been made. Lieutenant Colonel Morrill was a 1952 graduate of Ole Miss.  He attended the Naval Post Graduate School and obtained a Masters Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Princeton University.  He was a test pilot and was selected from, three thousand initial candidates, as one of the final thirty candidates for the Apollo Astronaut Program. Brother: Lt. Col. Merwin L. Morrill, USAF.  San Carlos, CA. (KIA 08-21-67 in NV).

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Leutenant Colonel Merwin “Mel” Lamphrey Morrill, USAF. — San Carlos,

California. On 8-21-67, Captain Morrill was the pilot of one of four Air Force F105s, which left Tekhli Royal Thai Base to strike the Yen Vien rail yard six miles northeast of Hanoi.  During the strike, the F105s of Captain Morrill and his wing man Captain Lynn Kesler Powell were seen to explode, when struck by anti aircraft fire.  No parachutes were seen; however, two emergency electronic signals were heard.  Captain Morrill and Captain Powell were listed as missing in action. During the time he was missing in action, Captain Morrill was promoted along with his class to Major and then Lieutenant Colonel. In April of 1978, Captain Morrill's status was changed to killed in action/body not recovered. In 1985, his remains were returned by the government of Vietnam. Lieutenant Colonel Morrill was a member of the United States Military Academy at West Point Class of 1958 and he is buried there.  He was Posthumously awarded the Silver Star, Air Medal (First and Second Oak Leaf Clusters) and the Purple Heart. Brother: LT. Col. David W. Morrill, USMC. San Carlos, CA. (KIA 06-18-67,SVN)

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UPDATE LINE: June 29, 2001According to the Department of Defense, the number of Americans missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War is 1,973. On June 20th, the League was informed that six Americans were recently accounted for. David W. Morrill and Maxim C. Parker, both USMC, were jointly recovered in South Vietnam June 9, 1993. The remains of Victor J. Apodaca, Jr., USAF, were repatriated April 27, 1989. The November 14, 1991 joint recovery of the remains of Harry A. Amesbury, Jr., USAF, brought an accepted identification. And, the remains of Harley B. Pyles, USAF, and Winfield Wade Sisson, USMC, were jointly recovered in South Vietnam on April 8, 1993. The accounting for these six US personnel brings the number now missing and unaccounted for in Vietnam to 1,481, with 417 in Laos, 67 in Cambodia and 8 in the territorial waters of the PRC.  Over 90% of the 1,973 Americans still missing from the Vietnam War were lost in areas under Vietnam's wartime control.