<p>U.S. Navy aircraft of Anti-Submarine Air Group 53 (CVSG-53) aboard the aircraft carrier USS <i>Kearsarge</i> (CVS-33). Visible are (l-r): A Douglas EA-1E <i>Skyraider</i> (BuNo 139584) of Airborne Ealry Warning Squadron VAW-11 Det.R "Early Eleven"; a Kaman UH-2A <i>Seasprite</i> (BuNo 149739) of Helicopter Utility Squadron HU-1 Det.R "Pacific Fleet Angels"; and a Grumman S-2F <i>Tracker</i> of Anti-submarine Squadron VS-29 "Tromboners". All squadrons were assigned to CVSG-53 aboard the <i>Kearsarge</i> for a deployment to the Western Pacific and Vietnam from 19 June to 16 December 1964.<br></p>
The EA-1E 139584 was later converted to an A-1E attack plane and transferred to the U.S. Air Force as s/n 52-139584. It served with the 602nd Air Commando Squadron, 56th Air Commando Wing and was hit by flak near Ban Alao, Savannakhet Province (Laos), on 1 June 1968. The pilot tried to fly back to Nakhon Phanom air base (Thailand) but the engine failed. He bailed out and was rescued.
U.S. Navy
U.S. Navy photo <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.navysite.de/cruisebooks/cv33-64/022.htm">[1]</a> from the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.navysite.de/cruisebooks/cv33-64/index_003.htm">USS <i>Kearsarge</i> (CVS-33) 1964 cruise book</a> available at <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://navysite.de/cruisebooks/index.html">Navysite.de</a>