Scope and Contents

The collection consists of approximately a quarter of a linear foot of materials pertaining to the MIA case (later confirmed KIA, with remains returned April 10, 1986) of Navy Reserve pilot Lieutenant (Junior Grade) David Christian, who was shot down while conducting a ground strike during Operation Rolling Thunder on June 2, 1965. The materials include case files from various sources including the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), Naval Safety Command, and KGB Agent Viktor Sharapov; Congressional inquiries; reports and analyses; notes; memos and correspondence; data sheets; articles and clippings; images; and electronic media. The materials are dated 1965-2024.

Biographical / Historical

David Marion Christian was born in 1941 in Oakland, CA and moved to Lane, KS where his family helped with their relatives' farms and other businesses. After his family moved back to California, he stayed in Kansas to attend Emporia State University and later Kansas State University. He then enrolled in Naval Aviation Officer Candidate School at NAS Pensacola. Once commissioned, he went through ground school and flight training in the T-28 Trojan, followed by jet training in the T-2 Buckeye. He went on to receive final ground attack and carrier landing training in the A-4 from the Fleet Replacement Squadron at NAS Lemoore before assignment to the deploying squadron VA-23 (Black Knights) in March 1965. He flew ground attack missions in the A4-E Skyhawk stationed on the USS Midway at Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin. His call sign was Law Case 348. He received numerous awards including the Purple Heart, the Navy Presidential Unit Citation, and the Vietnam Gallantry Cross.

On June 2, 1965, while executing a ground attack mission during Operation Rolling Thunder, LTJG Christian was shot down by ground fire and crashed near the coast of Thanh Hoa Province. His squad mate Lt. John Bryan McKamey and the four-man crew from VAW-13 assisting Christian's rescue mission were also shot down. Witnesses stated that they thought that LTJG Christian ejected but did not observe any parachute deployment. No trace of him was found during subsequent search and rescue attempts. On October 11, 1965, the Russian newspaper Pravda publishd an article in reference to his personal effects, causing concerns about his possible survival and capture. However, an investigation determined that his crash was not survivable and he was declared KIA. His remains were later recovered and were returned on April 10, 1986.