F4E Phantom II

67-2092

27th December 1972

Shot down by MiG-21

On 27 December 1972, Desoto 03, piloted by
Major Carl Jefcoat and Lt. Jack Trimble was hit by hostile fire of an
unknown origin forcing the crew to bail out over North Vietnam. Several days later, they were confirmed as POWs. Lt. Trimble and Major Jefcoat were released on 29 March 1973 along with the fourth and last group of POWs to be released by the North Vietnamese.

I knew and flew with Carl at Luke AFB,AZ in the middle 60's when I  went through F-100 training. He was an instructor there. I later flew with him in the 494th TFS,48th TFW, at RAF Lakenheath,  Suffolk,UK in the late 60's.
In the early 70s I received a call from Carl who was passing through  and wanted to get together.

I knew that he had been shot down and couldn't believe that it was  done by a MIG! He said that immediately after he landed he was captured and held for  about 90 days. He told me that he was pretty much left alone as he  was being held with numerous B-52 crew members who had also been shot  down about the same time.

I don't remember much else of the evenings  conversation as we consumed copious amounts of oysters on the half  shell and an equal amount of liquid refreshment! Carl later died as a result of a physiological incident in a civilian F-100.

Don Schmenk

(in email March 2006)