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CDR James Lloyd Griffin was born on 27 December 1932 in Gates, Lauderdale, Tennessee, United States of America. [1]
He attended the University of Tennessee at Martin, Weakley, Tennessee before entering the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland from which he graduated in 1955.
Jim attended the United States Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California and received a Masters Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1963. [2][3]
On 11 June 1955 he married Dora Bessie Smith (born about 1934) in Haywood County, Tennessee.[4]
In 1955 he entered flight training in Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida and received his wings as a Naval Aviator in 1956.
In 1958 he deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Essex and flew missions with the VA-83 Squadron into Lebanon during the Lebanon Crisis. He was assigned another cruise in 1959 to 1960 aboard the USS Forestal.
After an assignment to obtain his Masters Degree, he joined RVAH-13 Squadron and flew RA-5C Vigilantes in 1964. He served on two cruises to Southeast Asia between 1965 and 1967. He was one day away from the USS Kitty Hawk returning to the United States. He had completed over 100 combat missions when he was forced to eject over Hanoi, North Vietnam on Ho Chi Minh's Birthday 19 May 1967. He had been flying reconnaissance at low-altitude. During the time that their status was POW, the rank of both men changed. Griffin to Commander and Walters to Lieutenant Commander.
Prisoner of War from 19 May 1967 to 21 May 1967. [5]
He was a Lieutenant Commander when his RA-5C was shot down over North Vietnam on 19 May 1967 and taken as prisoner on that day. His injuries were critical and he died on 21 May 1967. On the day of his capture, a radio broadcast from Hanoi announced that Commander Griffin and his navigator, then Lieutenant Jack Walters, Jr. had been captured. Although he was gravely injured, he read a statement that was broadcast. His wife, Dora, has said that a photo of his military ID card was displayed in a museum in Hanoi and that there is a plaque marking the event of his shoot down on the corner of a building in downtown Hanoi which gives the date he was captured.
The full ribbon set is available here.
He died on 21 May 1967, 2 days after he was taken captive when he ejected over North Vietnam. The North Vietnamese government did not tell his family or the United States government that he was dead until January 1973; so he was listed as MIA (Missing in Action) until then. On 16 January 1974 the Secretary of the Navy verified that he had died while a POW, according to Dora Smith Griffin Bell.
His remains returned to the United States government in April 1974.[6] He was buried with full military honors in the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington, Virginia in 1974. Plot: Section 11, Site 113-2. Find A Grave: Memorial #94221776 A headstone photo is available. Inscription: James L. Griffin Tennessee CDR US Navy Vietnam Dec 27 1932 May 21 1967. [7]
Darlene Scott Kerr created Griffin-5340 profile on 4 October 2015, added bio and sources. Part of personal Vietnam POW project. Not a family member of mine. If a family member who is a member of WikiTree wishes to take this over and has more information, please let me know.
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Categories: 4th Allied P.O.W. Wing | Wounded in Action, United States of America, Vietnam War | Missing in Action, United States of America, Vietnam War | Aviators | RA-5 Vigilante Pilots | Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) | Purple Heart | Air Medal | Navy Commendation Medal | United States Naval Academy | Gates, Tennessee | University of Tennessee | Martin, Tennessee | Weakley County, Tennessee | Lauderdale County, Tennessee | Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia | Killed in Action, United States of America, Vietnam War | Prisoners of War, United States of America, Vietnam War | United States Navy, Vietnam War