Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1957 Lucky Bag:

JOHN DARLINGTON PEACE III

Paul was known to his classmates as a great sports enthusiast— body and soul for that big “E” for efficiency. Jack was very discriminating, in a social sort of a way, choosing conservative Ivy League dress and a rather dry martini. Jack’s athletic interests centered around soccer, where he played on plebe, company and batt teams during his four years at Navy’s Trade School. Above and beyond his sterling qualities as a leader, his resourcefulness will prove an asset to any who have the privilege of working with him.

Loss

John was killed in action on December 31, 1967 when the A-6 Intruder attack jet he was piloting was shot down while on a strike over Vietnam.

Other Information

From Find A Grave:

LCDR John D. Peace III was an Intruder pilot and LT Gordon S. Perisho his Bombardier/Navigator; both were assigned to the 75th Attack Squadron onboard the KITTY HAWK.

On December 31, 1967, Peace and Perisho were launched from the carrier on a mission to strike a cave storage area in Vinh, North Vietnam.

The storage area was heavily defended by light and medium anti-aircraft fire as well as automatic weapons. It was also covered by one known surface-to-air missile (SAM) site.

Shortly after launch, the aircraft experienced radio difficulties and requested that another aircraft relay his position crossing the coastline inbound on his attack. This was accomplished and Perisho proceeded on his mission.

At approximately 1430 hours, the aircraft gave an “execute” transmission which activated electronic counter-measures (ECM) support in the target area.

This was the last transmission received from him. The aircraft was tracked by radar just north of Vinh and then disappeared from the radar scope at approximately 1431 local time.

Rescue aircraft were vectored immediately to within eleven miles of the last known position of Peace’s and Perisho’s aircraft.

However, no distress or emergency radio beeper signals were received. The rapidly deteriorating weather precluded rescue aircraft from proceeding further inland. Electronic surveillance was later initiated.

At no time was any emergency transmission heard by any of the search and rescue aircraft.

Both Perisho and Peace were declared Missing in Action.

From the October 1974 issue of Shipmate:

Cdr. John Darlington Peace, III, USN, was presumed killed in action on 31 December 1967 while on a combat mission over North Vietnam.

At the time of his death, Cdr. Peace was assigned to Attack Squadron Seventy-Five serving in USS Kitty Hawk. His aircraft disappeared from radar coverage in an area where heavy surface to air missiles and anti-aircraft fire had been detected.

Cdr. Peace was a native of Queens, New York City and maintained a home in Akron, Ohio during his Service career.

He is survived by his widow, Mrs. James Parry, 825 N. Hamstown Rd., Akron, OH 44313 and by his son, John D. Peace, IV of the same address; also by his father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. John D. Peace, Jr., White Sound, Hope Town, Abaco, Bahamas.

From researcher Kathy Franz:

John graduated from Western Reserve Academy.

He was nominated to the Naval Academy by Representative Ayres. The family lived in Hudson, Ohio.

John married Sonya Helene Thomas on June 20, 1957, in Westminster Presbyterian Church in Akron, Ohio. They left the church under the traditional Arch of Saber.

In June 1962, John was one of ten Navy men chosen for the October training at Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent. The training fulfills one of the requirements for spacemen. The Akron Beach Journal published an “Intercepted Letters:” Dear John: I can see the headlines now. PEACE circles the Earth.

John was promoted while in a missing status and declared dead on January 16, 1974.

Photographs

Aboard USS Essex in 1960, as a Lieutenant Junior Grade Source

Source

From The Akron Beacon Journal on June 23, 1957

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