Class of 1963
Clarence Joseph Hemmel
"Joe"
d 1967
| Service United States Air Force |
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| Highest Rank Captain |
Years of Service 4 |
Combat Yes |
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Biography as of: Oct 29, 2013
Joe lettered 3 years in football and track at Helias High School in Jefferson City, MO. At the Academy he was a squadron commander, was on the Superintendent's Merit List every semester but 1, and graduated 40th in the class.
After completing pilot training at Williams AFB, AZ, Joe moved over to Luke AFB for 8 months of Combat Crew Training in the F-100. His first operational assignment was at Cannon AFB, NM, for six months. Three of those months were a TDY assignment to Bien Hoa AB, South Vietnam, for his first missions in combat as the war began to expand. In November 1965 his duty station changed to Clark AB in the Philippines. In January 1966 he was TDY again to Vietnam, returning to Clark in April 1966.
Since his temporary duty assignments didn't count as credit for an unaccompanied tour in the combat zone, at some point Joe transferred to the 612th TFS at Phu Cat AB, near the coast in central South Vietnam. Most of his combat missions would have been in support of ground forces in South Vietnam and normally under direct control of a forward air controller (FAC). Phu Cat was east of the border between Laos and Cambodia, so he likely flew missions in southern Laos, as well.
On 21 October 1967 Joe was number 2 in a 4-ship flight of F-100s attacking a target near the coast about 30 miles SE of Danang in South Vietnam. A FAC controlled the strike. Normally the FAC maneuvers over or very near the target while the fighters are cleared in one at a time to drop bombs where the FAC directs. The fighters are usually in a loose, extended trail formation following lead in a big rectangular pattern. They stay far enough apart so when one aircraft's bombs hit, the next plane is almost in position to attack. The FAC gives a quick correction from the bombs that just exploded, and the next fighter rolls in aiming for the new spot. Once the pattern is established, the FAC and the pilot rolling in focus on the target. Unless a pilot reports problems coming off target, no one is watching his aircraft because he's expected to continue in the pattern by locating the aircraft ahead and taking up spacing for his next bomb run.
This all comes into play because after Joe attacked the target, he seemed to pull off normally without any distress call. The FAC turned his attention to number 3 and getting him on target. At some point shortly thereafter, the FAC spotted an explosion and fire in the water offshore. Radio checks quickly confirmed Joe was missing. The FAC likely called off the strike, and everyone started looking for Joe's parachute while the FAC confirmed the fire likely was from the crash of Joe's aircraft.
No parachute was seen, and no beeper was heard. Normally a beeper packed in the parachute starts broadcasting a sound on the emergency frequency as soon as the risers on the parachute extend after ejection. The absence of a beeper and a parachute suggests Joe likely was wounded coming off the bomb run, and the aircraft continued across the coast out of control and crashed.
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