On December 30, 1969, an F-4D Phantom (tail number 66-7590, call sign "Laredo 03") with a crew of two embarked on an armed reconnaissance mission over Laos. The potential target was an enemy storage facility. The crew located the storage area, reported back to the forward air controller and were cleared to strafe the target. On the Phantom's third pass over the target, the aircraft crashed in the vicinity of (GC) UH 413 101. Other aircraft in the area reported seeing a large fireball over the target, with wreckage scattered over the area. No parachutes were observed, and no rescue beepers were heard. An electronic search for survivors was unsuccessful, and enemy activity in the area precluded a ground search for remains.

Captain Fielding Wesley Featherston III, who joined the U.S. Air Force from Ohio, served with the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 432rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. He was the aircraft commander aboard the Phantom when it crashed, and his remains were not recovered. Today, Captain Featherston is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual's case to be in the analytical category of Active Pursuit.

If you are a family member of this serviceman, DPAA can provide you with additional information and analysis of your case. Please contact your casualty office representative.