28 Feb 03 Major Peter M. Cleary was my Dad. He was Missing In Action for almost 30 years and has finally been returned and laid to rest. Thank you for never forgetting the Missing and those that loved them.

 

Major Peter M. Cleary received three awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross, as well as ten awards of the Air Medal. The Distinguished Flying Cross Citations follow: Citation for the Distinguished Flying Cross "The Distinguished Flying Cross is awarded for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as an F-4D Aircraft Commander over hostile territory on 26 July 1972. On that date, Major Cleary controlled six flights of strike aircraft in the heavily defended Quang Khe area of North Vietnam. In spite of nearly unworkable weather conditions and heavy antiaircraft fire from the region, he directed the destruction of one petroleum pumping station, two ferry landings, one river craft storage area, and one large river craft." Citation for the Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of the second Distinguished Flying Cross "The Distinguished Flying Cross (First Oak Leaf Cluster) is awarded for heroism while participating in aerial flight as an F-4D Aircraft Commander deep within hostile territory on 7 October 1972. On that date, Major Cleary was assigned to an extremely hazardous and important forward air controller mission in an F-4 Phantom aircraft over Quang Khe, North Vietnam. He successfully located and directed the destruction of a hostile surface-to-air missile site. With complete disregard for personal safety, in the face of numerous rounds of antiaircraft fire, Major Cleary intentionally exposed himself in order to offer more protection to other flyers as they expended their ordnance." Citation for the Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of the third Distinguished Flying Cross "The Distinguished Flying Cross (Second Oak Leaf Cluster) is awarded for extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight as an F-4D Aircraft Commander over hostile territory on 18 June 1972. On that date, Major Cleary flew an important and extremely hazardous strike mission directed against a heavily defended hostile military supply depot deep within hostile territory. Despite intense antiaircraft artillery fire and the constant threat of lethal surface-to-air missiles, Major Cleary delivered all ordnance precisely on target, resulting in the destruction of vast quantities of military supplies and equipment of critical value to the opposing armed force."

 

Mission Notes From November 1965 to August 1973, the 523rd Tactical Fighter Squadron was assigned to the 405th Fighter Wing stationed at Clark AB, Philippines, with a detachment at Tainan AB, Taiwan. The squadron deployed to Udorn, Thailand, from April to October 1972 flying combat missions in support of the South Vietnam. On 10 October 1972, Captains Peter M. Cleary, pilot, and Leonardo C. Leonor, weapons system operator, departed Udorn RTAFB in F-4E tail number 67-0254 on a "fast FAC" mission to direct strikes against targets in Quang Binh Province, North Vietnam. Upon completion of their mission, Cleary and Leonor reported to the airborne command post ("Hillsboro") that they were switching frequencies and returning to base. They were tracked on radar crossing the North Vietnamese coast in the vicinity of Ron - but then disappeared from Hillsboro's radar screens. Subsequent search and rescue operations failed to locate either aircraft or crew, and both crewmen were classed as Missing in Action. The Secretary of the Air Force eventually approved Presumptive Findings of Death for the two men, for Major Leonor on 20 July 1978 and for Major Cleary on 17 May 1979 ... and so matters stood for two decades. In the early 1990's, the joint US/Vietnam task force undertook excavations of an F-4 crash site and recovered both aircraft parts sufficient to positively identify the aircraft as 67-0254 and human remains; the remains were repatriated on 7 October 1994. On 25 February 2002 the remains were officially identified as those of Majors Cleary and Leonor. Major Cleary's family buried him in Arlington National Cemetery on 12 April 2002.

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