Paul Leonard Foster - Revision history

WikiSysop at 06:24, 23 February 2021

2021-02-23T06:24:20Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:24, 23 February 2021
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	[[Category:B-26K]]		[[Category:B-26K Crew]]

WikiSysop at 15:22, 18 February 2021

2021-02-18T15:22:36Z

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	==Images==		==Images==
	[[File:PaulLeonardFoster.jpg]] [[File:PaulLeonardFoster1.jpg]] [[File:PaulLeonardFoster2.jpg]]		[[File:PaulLeonardFoster.jpg]] [[File:PaulLeonardFoster1.jpg]] [[File:PaulLeonardFoster2.jpg]]

			==Records and Personnel Information==
			Personnel Data on these pages came from the following sources: <br>
			*Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund - Wall of Faces (www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces)
			*Honor States (www.honorstates.org)
			*Together We Served (http://airforce.togetherweserved.com/usaf)

			Because we are not direct kin to this service member the Office of Personnel Management and the National Archives charge us between $75-150 to request the official military records for this member. We do not have the budget to purchase those records for every service member. If you are a family member of this person and you have additional records or information you can share with us, please contact us so that we can update our files. If you are a direct kin (parent, sibling, or child) and you would like to request this service members records from OPM, contact us and we can help walk you through the process. (OPM does not charge a fee to provide records for next of kin).


	[[Category:B-26K]]		[[Category:B-26K]]

WikiSysop: /* Crew */

2021-02-16T15:42:23Z

Crew

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	==Crew==		==Crew==
	[[Carlos Rafael Cruz]]<br>		[[Carlos Rafael Cruz]]<br>
	[[William Joseph Potter Jr]]		[[William Joseph Potter Jr.]]

	==Disposition==		==Disposition==

WikiSysop: /* Missions */

2021-02-16T15:42:12Z

Missions

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	===Missions===		===Missions===
	29 Dec 1967 - Pilot Capt [[Carlos Rafael Cruz]], co-pilot Capt [[William J. Potter Jr.]], and crewmember SMS [[Paul Leonard Foster]] comprised the crew of an A-26A Invader ([[64-17641]]) assigned a mission in Laos December 29, 1967. The three flew from Nakhon Phanom from the [[606th Air Commando Squadron]] to a target area along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. At 1358 hours, as the Invader made an attack pass on its target, it was struck by enemy ground fire and seen to crash on the east side of a mountain with a jungle covered valley. The last known location for the plane was about 15 miles northwest of the city of Muang Xepone (Sepone) in Savannakhet Province. This is just about due west of the DMZ in Vietnam. No parachutes were seen, and no emergency radio beeper signals were heard by aircraft in the area. A day or so before the Invader was shot down, Lao Premier Souvanna Phouma reported that North Vietnamese troops had started a general offensive against Lao government forces in southern Laos. North Vietnam denied this report on December 29th, the day the Invader was shot down. The three men onboard the Invader were declared Missing in Action. The U.S. believes the enemy may know their fates. Unfortunately, although the Pathet Lao stated publicly that they held American prisoners, the U.S. never negotiated for their freedom. Consequently, no American held in Laos has ever been released. For decades the fates of the crew of the Invader remained unknown. Then on October 18, 1995 it was announced that remains had been recovered and positively identified as the lost crewmen. (Taken from pownetwork.org)		29 Dec 1967 - Pilot Capt [[Carlos Rafael Cruz]], co-pilot Capt [[William Joseph Potter Jr.]], and crewmember SMS [[Paul Leonard Foster]] comprised the crew of an A-26A Invader ([[64-17641]]) assigned a mission in Laos December 29, 1967. The three flew from Nakhon Phanom from the [[606th Air Commando Squadron]] to a target area along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. At 1358 hours, as the Invader made an attack pass on its target, it was struck by enemy ground fire and seen to crash on the east side of a mountain with a jungle covered valley. The last known location for the plane was about 15 miles northwest of the city of Muang Xepone (Sepone) in Savannakhet Province. This is just about due west of the DMZ in Vietnam. No parachutes were seen, and no emergency radio beeper signals were heard by aircraft in the area. A day or so before the Invader was shot down, Lao Premier Souvanna Phouma reported that North Vietnamese troops had started a general offensive against Lao government forces in southern Laos. North Vietnam denied this report on December 29th, the day the Invader was shot down. The three men onboard the Invader were declared Missing in Action. The U.S. believes the enemy may know their fates. Unfortunately, although the Pathet Lao stated publicly that they held American prisoners, the U.S. never negotiated for their freedom. Consequently, no American held in Laos has ever been released. For decades the fates of the crew of the Invader remained unknown. Then on October 18, 1995 it was announced that remains had been recovered and positively identified as the lost crewmen. (Taken from pownetwork.org)

	The following correspondence to Carlos Cruz's daughter sheds more light on the final mission: <br>		The following correspondence to Carlos Cruz's daughter sheds more light on the final mission: <br>

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Missions

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 ===Missions===
 Dec 1967 - Pilot Capt [[Carlos Rafael Cruz]], co-pilot Capt [[William J. Potter Jr.]], and crewmember SMS [[Paul Leonard Foster]] comprised the crew of an A-26A Invader ([[64-17641]]) assigned a mission in Laos December 29, 1967. The three flew from Nakhon Phanom from the [[606th Air Commando Squadron]] to a target area along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. At 1358 hours, as the Invader made an attack pass on its target, it was struck by enemy ground fire and seen to crash on the east side of a mountain with a jungle covered valley. The last known location for the plane was about 15 miles northwest of the city of Muang Xepone (Sepone) in Savannakhet Province. This is just about due west of the DMZ in Vietnam. No parachutes were seen, and no emergency radio beeper signals were heard by aircraft in the area. A day or so before the Invader was shot down, Lao Premier Souvanna Phouma reported that North Vietnamese troops had started a general offensive against Lao government forces in southern Laos. North Vietnam denied this report on December 29th, the day the Invader was shot down. The three men onboard the Invader were declared Missing in Action. The U.S. believes the enemy may know their fates. Unfortunately, although the Pathet Lao stated publicly that they held American prisoners, the U.S. never negotiated for their freedom. Consequently, no American held in Laos has ever been released. For decades the fates of the crew of the Invader remained unknown. Then on October 18, 1995 it was announced that remains had been recovered and positively identified as the lost crewmen. (Taken from pownetwork.org)
 ==Citations & Awards==

WikiSysop at 06:24, 16 February 2021

2021-02-16T06:24:30Z

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	==Images==		==Images==
	[[File:PaulLeonardFoster.jpg]] [[File:PaulLeonardFoster1.jpg]] [[File:PaulLeonardFoster2.jpg]]		[[File:PaulLeonardFoster.jpg]] [[File:PaulLeonardFoster1.jpg]] [[File:PaulLeonardFoster2.jpg]]

			[[Category:B-26K]]

WikiSysop at 05:59, 16 February 2021

2021-02-16T05:59:48Z

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			{\| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left: 10px;"
			!colspan="4"\|MSgt Paul L. Foster
			\|-
			\|[[File:PaulLeonardFoster.jpg\|200px\|center]]
			\|-
			\|}

	==Military Service==		==Military Service==
	*Rank: Senior Master Sergeant (Promoted while missing)		*Rank: Senior Master Sergeant (Promoted while missing)

WikiSysop: /* Images */

2020-10-02T21:06:59Z

Images

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	==Images==		==Images==
	[[File:PaulLeonardFoster.jpg]]~~<br>~~		[[File:PaulLeonardFoster.jpg]] [[File:PaulLeonardFoster1.jpg]] [[File:PaulLeonardFoster2.jpg]]
	[[File:PaulLeonardFoster1.jpg]]~~<br>~~
	[[File:PaulLeonardFoster2.jpg]]

WikiSysop: /* Crew */

2020-10-02T21:06:40Z

Crew

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:06, 2 October 2020
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	==Crew==		==Crew==
	[[Carlos Rafael Cruz]]<br>		[[Carlos Rafael Cruz]]<br>
	[[William Potter]]		[[William Joseph Potter Jr]]

	==Disposition==		==Disposition==

WikiSysop: Created page with "==Military Service== Rank: Senior Master Sergeant (Promoted while missing) Serial Number: 408769264 Type: Combat Controller Squadron: 606th Air Commando Squadron Paul..."

2020-10-02T21:06:19Z

Created page with "==Military Service== *Rank: Senior Master Sergeant (Promoted while missing) *Serial Number: 408769264 *Type: Combat Controller *Squadron: 606th Air Commando Squadron Paul..."

New page

==Military Service==
*Rank: Senior Master Sergeant (Promoted while missing)
*Serial Number: 408769264
*Type: Combat Controller
*Squadron: [[606th Air Commando Squadron]]

Paul was a roommate to Larry Owen at Nakhon Phanom.

===Missions===
29 Dec 1967 - Pilot Capt [[Carlos Rafael Cruz]], co-pilot Capt [[William J. Potter Jr.]], and crewmember SMS [[Paul Leonard Foster]] comprised the crew of an A-26A Invader ([[64-17641]]) assigned a mission in Laos December 29, 1967. The three flew from Nakhon Phanom from the [[606th Air Commando Squadron]] to a target area along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. At 1358 hours, as the Invader made an attack pass on its target, it was struck by enemy ground fire and seen to crash on the east side of a mountain with a jungle covered valley. The last known location for the plane was about 15 miles northwest of the city of Muang Xepone (Sepone) in Savannakhet Province. This is just about due west of the DMZ in Vietnam. No parachutes were seen, and no emergency radio beeper signals were heard by aircraft in the area. A day or so before the Invader was shot down, Lao Premier Souvanna Phouma reported that North Vietnamese troops had started a general offensive against Lao government forces in southern Laos. North Vietnam denied this report on December 29th, the day the Invader was shot down. The three men onboard the Invader were declared Missing in Action. The U.S. believes the enemy may know their fates. Unfortunately, although the Pathet Lao stated publicly that they held American prisoners, the U.S. never negotiated for their freedom. Consequently, no American held in Laos has ever been released. For decades the fates of the crew of the Invader remained unknown. Then on October 18, 1995 it was announced that remains had been recovered and positively identified as the lost crewmen. (Taken from pownetwork.org)

==Citations & Awards==
* Purple Heart
* National Defense Service Medal
* Vietnam Campaign Medal
* Vietnam Service Medal
* Air Force Presidential Unit Citation
* Vietnam Gallantry Cross
* Air Force Good Conduct Medal

==Planes==
[[64-17641]]

==Crew==
[[Carlos Rafael Cruz]]<br>
[[William Potter]]

==Disposition==
*MIA 29 Dec 1967
*Remains recovered 17 Mar 1993
*Remains identified 18 Oct 1995

He is listed on the Vietnam Wall, Panel 32E, Line 93.

==Personal Life==
Paul Leonard Foster was born on November 20, 1945 to William and Mary Foster. Paul grew up in Knoxville, TN. He attended Vestal Elementary School as a kid where he was part of the Safety Patrol. He graduated from Young High School in 1963. He was a member of the Spanish Club, the Science Club, and JETS (Junior Engineering Technical Society). Paul also earned an academic letter at Young High. His cousins describe him as very sweet, quiet spoken, and considerate.

Foster is buried in a joint grave in Arlington Cemetery with his crewmembers, [[Carlos Rafael Cruz]] & [[William Joseph Potter Jr.]].

===Family===
William & Mary Foster (Parents)<br>
Paul was the eldest child in his family.

==Images==
[[File:PaulLeonardFoster.jpg]]<br>
[[File:PaulLeonardFoster1.jpg]]<br>
[[File:PaulLeonardFoster2.jpg]]

Paul Leonard Foster - Revision history

WikiSysop at 06:24, 23 February 2021

WikiSysop at 15:22, 18 February 2021

WikiSysop: /* Crew */

WikiSysop: /* Missions */

WikiSysop: /* Missions */

WikiSysop at 06:24, 16 February 2021

WikiSysop at 05:59, 16 February 2021

WikiSysop: /* Images */

WikiSysop: /* Crew */

WikiSysop: Created page with "==Military Service== *Rank: Senior Master Sergeant (Promoted while missing) *Serial Number: 408769264 *Type: Combat Controller *Squadron: 606th Air Commando Squadron Paul..."

WikiSysop: Created page with "==Military Service== Rank: Senior Master Sergeant (Promoted while missing) Serial Number: 408769264 Type: Combat Controller Squadron: 606th Air Commando Squadron Paul..."