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USS ORISKANY
CV/CVA-34)
Her Shield - His Shield
My Adopted
POW-MIA-KIA
(no photo available at this time)
Malcolm Arthur "Art" Avore Rank/Branch: Lieutenant/US Navy
Unit: Attack Squadron 163, USS Oriskany (CVA-34)
Date of Birth: 25 August 1938
Home of Record: Hallowell, ME
Date of Loss: 18 July 1965
Country of Loss: South Vietnam/Over Water Loss Coordinates: 091959N 1085057E (BL638323) Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered Category: 5 Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: A4E Refno: 0110 Other Personnel in Incident: (none missing)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 June 1990 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. NETORK.
REMARKS: SANK AFT CATAPULT CVA 34 - J
SYNOPSIS: The USS ORISKANY was a World War II-era carrier on duty in Vietnam as early as 1964, when the first clash between U.S. and North Vietnamese forces occurred in the Gulf of Tonkin. The ORISKANY at one time carried the RF8A (number 144608) flown by Maj. John H. Glenn, the famous Marine astronaut (and later Senator) flew in his 1957 transcontinental flight. In October, 1966 the ORISKANY endured a tragic fire which killed 44 men onboard, but was soon back on station. In 1972, the ORISKANY had an at-sea accident which resulted in the loss of one of its aircraft elevators, and later lost a screw that put the carrier into drydock in Yokosuka, Japan for major repairs, thus delaying its involvement until the late months of the war.
Malcolm Arthur Avore graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1960.
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On the ORISKANY's 1965 tour, she started off at Dixie Station conducting training operations. While the carrier was offshore, an explosion occurred at an Air Force base, calling aircraft from the ORISKANY into a greater, if temporary, role in the south, flying tactical missions the Air Force normally would have flown. Attack Squadron 164 onboard the ORISKANY flew seven days a week, but with nobody shooting at them.
Oriskany departed San Diego 5 April 1965 for Westpac, arriving Subic 27 April. By this time more United States troops had landed in South Vietnam to support Vietnamese troops against increased Viet Cong pressure to destroy the independence of that nation.
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There were other hazards inherent to carrier aviation that would claim the life of one of the Saints of VA 164 on that tour of duty.
"A4E-Skyhawk"
(Photo from taskforceomegainc.org)
On 18 July 1965, Lt. Malcolm A. "Art" Avore launched from the deck of the USS Oriskany in an "A4E-Skyhawk", aircraft number BU-151089, to conduct a combat mission over the southern-most region of South Vietnam. At the time the Skyhawk was launched, the aircraft carrier was approximately 139 miles southeast of Vung Tau and 175 miles southeast of Saigon.
During the launch sequence, a malfunction occurred with the ship's catapult system resulting in the Skyhawk not having enough speed to complete a successful launch. The aircraft initially, slightly rose from the deck before loosing altitude and ditching in the South China Sea. Search and rescue (SAR) helicopters, which are always standing by during flight launch and recovery operations in case of an emergency, were on-site within minutes, but were unable to rescue Lt. Avore before the Skyhawk sank below the waves.
Naval personnel, using aircraft and small boats, searched the area in which the A4E disappeared on the outside chance he was able to exit the aircraft and swim to the surface. Unfortunately, no trace of Lt. Avore was found. At the time the initial search effort was terminated, Art Avore was reported as Killed in Action/Body Not Recovered and probably not recoverable.
While the fate of Art Avore is not in doubt, death a certainty, he has a right to have his remains returned to his family, friends and country if at all humanly possible. Above all else, he has the right not to be forgotten by the nation for which he gave his life.
Oriskany added her weight to the massive American naval strength supporting the freedom of South Vietnam in combat operations that brought her and embarked Carrier Wing 16 the Navy Unit Commendation for exceptionally meritorious service between 10 May and 6 December 1965, she carried out over 12,000 combat sorties and delivered nearly 10,000 tons of ordnance against enemy forces.
This was what Lt. Malcome Avore was part of, history... this would be his legacy to the American people, his shipmates, and to all those that served.
If anyone out there has, or had, served with this Patriotic American, I would certainly like to hear from you. I am in the process of trying to contact the family and hope to have a picture of Art to post on this his page.Any help would be appreciated as this will be a tribute of his service to country, and to his life.
"Fair winds, and Following Seas"
For hundreds of others, however, simple answers are not possible. Adding to the torment of nearly 10,000 reports relating to Americans missing in Southeast Asia is the certain knowledge that some Americans who were known to be prisoners of war were not released at the end of the war. Others were suspected to be prisoners, and still others were in radio contact with would-be rescuers when last seen alive. Many were known to have survived their loss incidents, only to disappear without a trace.
The problem of Americans still missing torments not only the families of those who are missing, but the men who fought by their sides, and those in the general public who realize the full implication of leaving men unaccounted for at the end of a war.
Tragically, many authorities believe there are hundreds of Americans still alive in captivity in Southeast Asia today. What must they be thinking of us? What will our next generation say if called to fight if we are unable to bring these men home from Southeast Asia?
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