Robert Austin Stubberfield - Missing In Action

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Bill Dennis
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Robert Austin Stubberfield - Missing In Action

Post by Bill Dennis »

Bill, He is no longer a MIA, Patti Quinn, a classmate of mine, who now lives in Wilington, NC. told me she went to The Vietnam wall The one they move from town to town and he was on it,
STUBBERFIELD, ROBERT AUSTIN
Remains Returned - ID Announced 23 June 1989

Name: Robert Austin Stubberfield
Rank/Branch: O3/US Air Force
Unit:
Date of Birth: 30 November 1929
Home City of Record: Richmond NC
Date of Loss: 06 May 1965
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 170330N 1070110E
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: RF101C
Refno: 0080

Source: Compiled from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S.
Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families,
published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK in 1998.

Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)

REMARKS: BEEP HEARD - SEARCH NEG - J

SYNOPSIS: The RF101 first saw action in Vietnam in late 1961, flying photo
missions over the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the primary communist supply line
through southern Laos, and the Plain of Jars to the northwest where Soviet
transports were delivering supplies to communist troops. The Voodoo later
began conducting reconnaissaince over South Vietnam as well.

By February 1965, the RF101 had been modified, making it stronger and more
durable. The newer RF101C model, instead of taking pictures, navigated for
fighter/bombers for a brief period, then returned to photo reconnaissance.

The RF101C was an outstanding reconnaissance craft, and although it looked
"hot" and was fast enough (max. speed 1000 mph) to leave a MiG-17 far
behind, it could not race away from the faster MiG-21, and was gradually
phased out and replaced by the RF4C Phantom II with its greater speed and
superior survellience technology.

On May 6, 1965, Capt. Robert A. Stubberfield was the pilot of an RF101C
Voodoo on a mission which took him over Quang Binh Province, South Vietnam.
This northern province is the southernmost province in North Vietnam, and
its border to the south was the Song Ben Hai River. The five mile region
surrounding the river comprised the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

U.S. Military Rules of Engagement prohibited ground or artillery attacks
into this buffer zone established at the 1954 Geneva Conference, and it was
not long before the Vietnamese discovered they could move their heavy
artillery there and fire upon U.S. and South Vietnamese forces to the south
of the DMZ.

Capt. Stubberfield's mission was doubtless a reconnaissance mission relating
to these enemy activities. During the mission, Stubberfield's aircraft was
shot down just west of the city of Vinh Linh. Although Stubberfield's
emergency beeper was heard, indicating that he successfully ejected from the
aircraft and probably reached the ground, search and rescue efforts were
unsuccessful.

Stubberfield's wife and family knew there was a very good chance that he had
been captured, and waited for the war to end.

In 1973, 591 American prisoners of war were released from Hanoi, but
Stubberfield was not among them. The Vietnamese denied any knowledge of him.

As the years passed, reports began to flow in to the U.S. regarding the some
3000 Americans unaccounted for at the end of the war. By 1989, nearly 10,000
reports have been received, convincing many authorities that hundreds of
Americans are still alive in captivity in Southeast Asia.

Then on June 23, 1989, the U.S. announced that remains previously returned
by the Vietnamese had been identified as those of Capt. Robert A.
Stubberfield. For nearly 25 years, Stubberfield - alive or dead - was a
prisoner in enemy hands. While his family now can end their agonizing
uncertainty as to whether he is one of those said to be alive, they may
never know how - or when he died, or if he knew he had been abandoned by his
own country.
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Al Thompson
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Joined: Sun June 3, 2007, 1:31 pm
Location: Raleigh, NC
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Robert Stubberfield

Post by Al Thompson »

Thanks for the summary information on Capt. Stubberfield's last mission over Vietnam in 1965. Bobby was my first cousin on my mother's side. Bobby's wife was Dot Stubberfield and their two girls are Debbie and Linda. In late 1960's or early 1970, a memorial was held near Charleston SC for Bobby since he was officially declared missiing presumed dead at that point. There was a story with a picture of Bobby in the Richmond Cty Journal at that time. My father attended the memorial along with his immediate family and his mother (his father had died prior to this time).
When his remains were found and returned, he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors and the traditional flyover with the missing plane formation. My youngest son and I were able to attend along with his immediate family, brother and sister.
Bobby loved airplanes all his life. He used to make model planes as a boy and I remember his room was covered with models he had made. He was a true hero and flew many reconnaissance missions during the Vietnam War before he was shot down. He served his country well and we are grateful for his service.
Bill Dennis
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Post by Bill Dennis »

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial - North Carolina

Last Name First and Middle Rank Branch City, Town or Country

STEPHENS SONNIE PFC Army WHITE OAK

STEPP PAUL ROBERT JR CPL Army FLAT ROCK

STEWART BILLY GRAY PFC Marine Corps SWANNANOA

STEWART DONALD DAVID SSGT Air Force COATS

STEWART ROBERT COLE CPT Army CARTHAGE

STILES VERRELL DANIEL CPL Marine Corps BREVARD

STOCKARD ROBERT FERRELL CPL Army GREENSBORO

STOKES ODELL JR PFC Army NEWTON

STONE LARRY EVANS SP5 Army EAST LAURINBURG

STORY CHESLEY ALEXANDER LCPL Marine Corps MOUNT GILEAD

STOUT MITCHELL WILLIAM SGT Army SANFORD

STOWE ROY SP4 Army GASTONIA

STREET MICHAEL RAY SP4 Army RUTHERFORDTON

STRICKLAND BILLY LEWIS CPL Army HENDERSONVILLE

STRICKLAND CHARLIE R JR SGT Army ROCKY MOUNT

STRICKLAND HIRAM DILLARD PFC Army GRAHAM

STRICKLAND LESSIE KEITH SGT Marine Corps ZEBULON

STROUD ABLE CROOM III CPL Army LA GRANGE

STROUD ALLEN SHEFFIELD CPL Army GARNER

STUBBERFIELD ROBERT AUSTIN LTC Air Force RICHMOND
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David
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Post by David »

Jan. 1970

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David
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Re: Robert Austin Stubberfield - Missing In Action

Post by David »

Robert Stubberfield 1959OH.jpg
Robert Stubberfield 1959OH.jpg (257.79 KiB) Viewed 26344 times
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