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CPT Charles Nathan Fox

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Birth	:	24 May 1933 Metamora, Franklin County, Indiana, USA
Death	:	16 May 1965 Vietnam
Burial	:	Maple Grove Cemetery, Brookville, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate	:	39.4216995, -85.0216980
Description	:	Son of Mr & Mrs Steve Fox, Metamora, Indiana. Husband of Mrs Phyllis Swartz, father of Christopher, Gregg, Daniel, Julie and Joni. Air Force (Reserve) Captain Pilot. 13th BOMB SQDN, 34th TAC GROUP, 13th AF. Killed in an explosion at the Bien Hoa Air Force base. Loaded B-57 exploded on flight line. Obituary: Palladium, Richmond Indiana, 27 May 1965. Vietnam Wall Panel 01E, Line 118 Ref. Coffelt Database. Awards and Decorations: NDSM, GCM, AFLSA w/2 Br OLC, AFRESM, APOUA. Ref. Letter of condolence of President LB Johnson to Mrs Charles N. Fox, 29 May 1965. (Coffelt Database) Read More	Son of Mr & Mrs Steve Fox, Metamora, Indiana. Husband of Mrs Phyllis Swartz, father of Christopher, Gregg, Daniel, Julie and Joni. Air Force (Reserve) Captain Pilot. 13th BOMB SQDN, 34th TAC GROUP, 13th AF. Killed in an explosion at the Bien Hoa Air Force base. Loaded B-57 exploded on flight line. Obituary: Palladium, Richmond Indiana, 27 May 1965. Vietnam Wall Panel 01E, Line 118 Ref. Coffelt Database. Awards and Decorations: NDSM, GCM, AFLSA w/2 Br OLC, AFRESM, APOUA. Ref. Letter of condolence of President LB Johnson to Mrs Charles N. Fox, 29 May 1965. (Coffelt Database)∼On November 1, 1964, Viet Cong squads shelled the airfield at Bien Hoa with mortars. The attack was effective as 27 aircraft were hit, and four U.S. and two Vietnamese were killed. Further Viet Cong mortar attacks led General William Westmoreland on February 19, 1965 to release B-57Bs for combat operations, including raids into North Vietnam. As the B-57 mission continued to increase it became an around-the-clock commitment. This forced the weapons storage facility at Bien Hoa to deliver ordnance well ahead of the frag orders. This resulted in bombs being stored underneath the wings of the B-57s sitting on the tarmac. The ordnance consisted of 250, 500, and 750-pound general purpose bombs, many armed with time-delay. There were also 750 lb. of napalm stored on the ramp. The pre-positioning of this ordnance was the basis for one of the "worst disasters in Air Force history". On May 16, 1965, while waiting to takeoff on a mission, a B-57B exploded on the ground. The B-57 was started with a black powder cartridge that fired when the pilot hit the starter switch, causing a small starter turbine to spin. These turbines sometimes spun loose and flew out of the starter housing. On this day, a loose turbine hit the fuse of an armed 500 lb. bomb, setting off a whole chain of secondary explosions. Five 50,000 gallon bladders of JP-4 jet fuel went up in smoke. When the explosions finally ceased, ten B-57s, one Navy F-8 Crusader and fifteen A-1Es were destroyed plus several ground support units. Twenty-seven men killed, including the following: SSGT Jesse R. Acosta, SSGT Jose R. Aragon, TSGT Secundino Baldonado, MAJ Robert G. Bell, SSGT Brian D. Brown, TSGT Claude M. Bunch, SSGT James M. Cale, SSGT Robert L. Clark, A1C William T. Crawford, SSGT Edgar S. Donaghy, A1C Terence D. Engel, TSGT Aaron G. Fidiam Jr., CAPT Charles N. Fox, CAPT Vernon L. Haynes, SMS William D. Hicks, SSGT David L. Hubbard Jr., CAPT Arthur C. Jepson Jr. CAPT Andrew M. Kea, CAPT Ernest McFeron, TSGT Charles W. Rachal, A1C Clifford H. "Hal" Raulerson Jr. TSGT Donald J. Seaman, CAPT Billy E. Shannon, TSGT Gerald A. Snyder, MAJ James E. Underwood, 1LT Lee C. Wagner Jr., and A1C Hayden E. Weaver. Over 100 were wounded. The most severely wounded were evacuated to Clark AB. After the explosions, a great number of generals and their staffs came to Bien Hoa to see for themselves what had happened. General Westmoreland along with retired General Maxwell D. Taylor, Ambassador to Vietnam, came to see the extent of damage so they could brief their superiors. General Westmoreland said that Bien Hoa looked worse than Hickam Field after the Pearl Harbor Attack. The Bien Hoa Air Base Conflagration/Fire Accident Investigation Board concluded the accidental explosion of a bomb on a parked B-57 at Bien Hoa triggered a series of blasts. The aircraft and the ammunition were stored too close together which allowed the fires and explosions to propagate. The accident investigation board recommended improvements. In the face of such experience, engineers initiated a major program to construct revetments and aircraft shelters to protect the valuable assets. [Taken from wikipedia.com

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is CPT Charles Nathan Fox's memorial?
CPT Charles Nathan Fox's memorial is located at: Maple Grove Cemetery, Brookville, Franklin County, USA.
When did CPT Charles Nathan Fox death?
CPT Charles Nathan Fox death on 16 May 1965 in Vietnam
Where are the coordinates of the CPT Charles Nathan Fox's memorial?
Latitude: 39.4216995
Longitude: -85.0216980

Family Members:

Parent

Steve Fox

(1904 - 1988)

Edna Hunter Fox

(1912 - 2004)

Siblings

Wanda Joyce “Joy” Fox Harris

(1939 - 2022)

Children

Daniel L. Fox

(1958 - 1996)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Maple Grove Cemetery
Brookville, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4216995, -85.0216980

2. Berg-Harding Cemetery
Highland Center, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4241667, -85.0113889

3. Old Brookville Cemetery
Brookville, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4248505, -85.0097122

4. Vincent Cemetery
Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4281000, -85.0328000

5. Saint Michael Cemetery
Brookville, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4308070, -85.0095360

6. Stringer Cemetery
Brookville, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4057270, -85.0126160

7. Infirmary Cemetery
Brookville, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4056000, -85.0125000

8. Martin Cemetery
Brookville, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4189000, -85.0478000

9. Warne Cemetery
Brookville, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4336000, -85.0472000

10. Stoops Cemetery
Brookville, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4249100, -85.0518900

11. Bradburn Family Cemetery
Brookville, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4138640, -84.9825850

12. Brookville Township Cemetery
Brookville, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4347000, -84.9828000

13. Woodworth Cemetery
Brookville, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4078000, -84.9811000

14. Elder Cemetery
Brookville, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.3986250, -84.9848120

15. Saint Philomena Cemetery
Brookville, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.3914250, -85.0485390

16. Meyncke Cemetery
Brookville, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.3881660, -85.0016050

17. Wilson Cemetery
Yellow Bank, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4303000, -85.0683000

18. Calpha Cemetery
Brookville, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4260990, -85.0706760

19. Little Cedar Public Cemetery
Mound Haven, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.3911066, -84.9868303

20. West Family Cemetery
Brookville, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4019300, -84.9700200

21. Utsler Cemetery
Brookville, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.3806000, -84.9961000

22. Little Cedar Grove Baptist Meeting House Cemetery
Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.3872414, -84.9817886

23. Halstead Cemetery
Brookville, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4357010, -85.0788050

24. Collett Cemetery
Yellow Bank, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 39.4417940, -85.0763440