BRUCE C FRYAR
Hometown:
RIDGEWOOD
County:
Bergen
Status:
Missing In Action
Rank:
LT
Branch of Service:
Navy
Country of Incident:
LAOS
Date of Casualty:
January 02, 1970
Date of Birth:
March 28, 1944
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Bruce Carlton
Fryar was born March 28, 1944, in Seattle, WA. His home of record is
Ridgewood, NJ.
Bruce entered the US Navy where he attained the rank of Lieutenant
(LT). He was assigned to the Attack Squadron 196 - USS RANGER
(CVA-61).
He is listed as missing in action since January 2, 1970.
Synopsis (from the POW Network) as to the circumstances behind being
listed as MIA:
On the second day of 1970, warplanes were launched from the American
aircraft carrier USS Ranger, passed over the South China Sea and
central Vietnam and began once again the almost impossible task of
trying to close the Ho Chi Minh Trail with bombs and guns.
The planes included A6 Intruders, at the time the best all-weather,
ship-based attack aircraft in the world. Sophisticated radar and other
advanced technology allowed the strangely shaped planes to bomb
through the clouds as well as they could on a clear day.
Flying one particular A6, the A model, was Lt. Bruce Fryar. The
primary missions of the A models were close-air support, all-weather
and night attacks on enemy troop concentrations, and night
interdiction. Flying with Fryar was Lt. Nicholas G. Brooks, the
Bombardier/ Navigator (BN). At an altitude of approximately 7,000 ft,
during a visual dive-bombing attack on target, the aircraft was struck
by enemy anti-aircraft fire. The Intruder immediately began breaking
up and subsequently impacted the ground, exploded and burned.
Both the strike control aircraft and the downed aircraft’s wingman
observed two parachutes, and heard the beeper signals from two
survival radios. Both crewmen had safely ejected from the crippled
aircraft.
Search and Rescue (SAR) efforts began immediately. Incident to SAR
efforts, one man was sighted on the ground in a prone position with
the parachute still attached. A SAR helicopter crewman was lowered to
the ground and attempted to attach a hoist to the prone man. Heavy
enemy ground fire forced the helicopter to depart prior to hoisting
the downed flyer. The SAR crewman had scarcely seconds to attempt the
recovery, but was able to identify the downed flyer as Lt. Fryar. The
SAR crewman indicated that the flyer was unconscious but did not have
time to determine if he was dead or alive. Darkness precluded further
rescue attempts that day.
Upon resumption of rescue efforts at first light on January 3, the SAR
helo returned to the location of the prone man to find that he and the
parachute were no longer in sight. An emergency beeper was heard
during the morning, but attempts to have any pattern of transmission
or voice contact were unsuccessful. SAR efforts were eventually called
off several days later. Both men were classified missing in action.
Sources: POW Network and NJVVMF.
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