R.I.P. Hervey Stockman

[MKopack]

A couple of days ago we lost Hervey Stockman. Sixty-eight missions flying Mustangs during WWII, one of the first handful of U-2 pilots including the very first flight over the Soviet Union, and later six years as a POW after his Phantom was lost over Vietnam.

Salute, Colonel!

From Gizmoto (a lot more at the link)

R.I.P. Hervey Stockman, First Pilot to Fly a Spy Plane Over Soviet Territory

Adrian Covert — Hervey Stockman passed away today, leaving behind a legacy as the first man to pilot a dedicated spy plane in Soviet airspace. Taking the Lockheed U-2 into Communist territory in the middle of the Cold War, Stockman was able to collect data on the USSR while evading MiGs trying to intercept him. Stockman also happened to be the uncle of Giz reader Willy Pell, who has graciously shared some personal anecdotes told to him by Stockman.

According to the CIA, Stockman began his career flying combat missions as an Air Force pilot in World War II. Pell says he lied about his age to enlist when he was 17. After the war he went to school for industrial design and became an automotive designer for GM. But after the Cold War ramped up in the 50s, Stockman was recalled back to the Air Force just as Lockheed was finishing up work on the first purpose-built spy plane, the U-2.

From the POW Network website (who I'd guess won't mind being quoted...)

HERVEY S. STOCKMAN

Colonel - United States Air Force

Shot Down: June 11, 1967

Released: March 4, 1973

Colonel Stockman, a native of New Jersey, attended Princeton University for two years, following which he entered the U.S. Army Air Corps, receiving his commission and wings in Texas in August 1943. He flew P-51 's in England in World War II, after which he withdrew from active duty to attend Pratt Institute Art School in Brooklyn, where he majored in Industrial Design. Soon he was working for General Motors in Detroit as an automotive stylist (Cadillac specialist!).

Recalled to active duty in April of 1951, Colonel Stockman enjoyed a lengthy and varied career including duty with Strategic Fighter Wings, Armed Forces Staff College, as well as a Staff Officer in NATO. December of 1966 saw him at Da Nang as Squadron Commander of the 366th TFW from which he was shot down on June 11, 1967. Colonel Stockman resided in all major prisons of Hanoi: Heartbreak, Las Vegas. Plantation, and Unity.

02/2011

Hi CC: We were saddened to hear that Hervey Stockman passed away today, one day short of his 89th birthday. He was born Feb 23, 1922. He was preceeded in death by his wife, Sally. Hervey Studdiford Stockman was the pilot of a F4C, 64-0786, from the 390 TFS, 366 TFW, Da Nang, SVN when downed over NVN on 6/11/67. His back seater was Ron Webb. He and Ron were released 3/4/73 from Hanoi during Operation Homecoming.

Hervey was the CO of the 366th TFW when he and another F4C piloted by Maj Donald Martin Klemm and 1Lt Robert Harvey Pearson collided at 14,000 feet about 10 miles northeast of Kep during a MigCAP mission. Klemm and Pearson were KIA. Hervey was flying his 310th combat

mission.

During the Second World War Lt Col Stockman had flown P-51 Mustangs from England with the Eigth Air Force while Capt Webb had been a navigator in KB-50 tankers in the early 1960s.

Hervey was a P-51 pilot in WW II, 504 FS. WW II missions 68. Hervey was one of the first six pilots trained to fly the high-altitude reconnaissance craft, the U-2 for the CIA. Carmine Vito is the only U-2 pilot to fly directly over Moscow. His flight was the third operational flight over potentially hostile territory, or what the pilots called "hot" flights. Carl Overstreet flew the first such flight of the U-2 on 20 June 1956. The mission covered Poland and East Germany. Then Hervy Stockman flew over Soviet territory on 4 July, going as far north as Leningrad to photograph naval shipyards and then west to the Baltic States to cover jet bomber bases. The fourth, fifth, and sixth missions were flown by Marty Knutson, Glen Dunaway, and Jake Kratt. All were successful. Vito died 8-27-03.

Erich Anderson writes the following Tribute to Hervey:

Hervey Stockman was born February 24, 1922 in Andover, New Jersey. He attended Princeton University for two years before enlisting in the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Forces on September 17, 1942. Stockman was commissioned a 2d Lt and awarded his pilot wings on August 30, 1943. He was assigned to the 504th Fighter Squadron of the 339th Fighter Group in England during World War II, flying the P-51 Mustang. During the war, Lt Stockman was credited with destroying 2 enemy aircraft in aerial combat and flew 68 combat missions before leaving active duty and joining the Air Force Reserve on November 5, 1945. He then attended the Pratt Institute of Art Shool, where he majored in Industrial Design, followed by work at General Motors as an automotive design stylist. Stockman was recalled to active duty on April 1, 1951, and was assigned to the 561st Fighter-Escort Squadron of the 12th Fighter-Escort Wing (later redesignated the 561st Strategic Fighter Squadron and the 12th Strategic Fighter Wing) at Bergstrom AFB, Texas, where he flew F-84 Thunderjets until May 1953. Stockman then transferred to the 522nd Strategic Fighter Squadron of the 27th Strategic Fighter Wing, also at Bergstrom, where he served until January 1956, when he became one of the six original U-2 pilots, flying clandestine CIA missions over the Soviet Union between 1956 and February 1958, including the very first mission over the USSR on July 4, 1956. He next flew F-102 Delta Daggers with the 95th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Andrews AFB, Maryland, from February to July 1958, followed by duty with the 482nd Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, from July 1958 to February 1961. Stockman next attended Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Virginia, from February to July 1961, and then served with the 1141st Special Activity Squadron at Ramstein AB, West Germany, from July 1961 to August 1964. He served with the 435th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 479th Tactical Fighter Wing at George AFB, California, from August 1964 to December 1966, when he began flying combat missions in Southeast Asia with the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing at DaNang AB in the Republic of Vietnam. Col Stockman was made commander of the 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron at DaNang in May 1967, and he was forced to eject From his F-4 Phantom II over North Vietnam and was taken as a Prisoner of War while flying his 310th combat mission on June 11, 1967. After spending 2,093 days in captivity, Col Stockman was released during Operation Homecoming on March 4, 1973. He recovered from his injuries at Malcolm Grow Medical Center at Andrews AFB until August 1973, when he began Air War College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. After graduating in August 1974, Col Stockman served with NATO in Europe followed by service as Director of Joint Test and Evaluation with the Air Force Test and Evaluation Center at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, where he retired from the Air Force on December 31, 1978.

[Breckey]

Him Him

[Spoo]

The U-2 he flew over the USSR hangs in the Air & Space Museum on Smithsonian row.

To the Colonel!

[Stitch]

From one former Boar to another-

Him, Him

[Guest Dutchman]

Rest in Peace, dear friend. I will always remember the many missions we flew together after your return from Hanoi. What a fine person you were. And all the great "packed lunches" your sweet "Sal" made for us to share in the cockpit. Sir, you taught me so much about life and family and priorities; I could never have repaid you. If ever there was a Colonel who led by example, it was you. It's been almost 33 years since we shared a cockpit, and still I miss you! After takeoff checklist complete.