The following is an email by Dick Hollenbaugh, Hawk 38 about his best friend John Marshall Rucker.
The tragic loss of John is still felt to this day by family and his friends and fellow pilots from 39 years ago. More will be added here in the coming weeks.
John Rucker was my best friend at Phu Bai. I was flying a separate mission as wingman for Gary Sorrells (Hawk 31) the day that John was killed. We diverted to the crash site within minutes when we heard his radio call that his engine had quit. We had also just departed Phu Bai just ahead of John to begin our own separate mission. When we got to the site there was no place for us to land as heavy as we were. We orbited the crash site several hundred feet below us & watched helplessly as the tradgedy unfolded beneath us. Dave Price was the other Warrant Officer pilot flying John's front seat that day.
Apparently John was pretty low to the ground & heavy having just departed PhuBai on his mission when his engine quit. He went down in small rolling & steep hilly- grass covered terrain with a small shallow pond at the bottom. He really had no place to go & no time to react. It looked as if he had attempted to set down on the steep slope next to the water to save the aircraft. I can't recall what Dave told me but that memory stays with me. At any rate, the cobra rolled upside down in the shallow water with its skids and bottom of the aircraft sticking up. John somehow became trapped in the back seat. We watched as Dave desperately tried to kick the canopy open & make repeated attemps diving under the water in a frantic effort to get John out.
Shortly after that Gary & I were ordered to resume our mission so we departed. A few minutes later we received a radio call that Dave & John had been recovered & to my tremendous reflief..that John was ok. Moments later we received another radio call that John did not make it.
Being only 20 years old myself at that time & knowing the tight bond that John & I had it is easy to understand that I was devastated by what happened that day. John & I were unusually close friends during the short time that I knew him. We were both married & if I remember correctly John had a young son or daughter. John & I were both believers in Christ which was another bond that we had. There is no doubt in my mind where his is now. But even with that comforting knowledge, it still bothers me to this day what happened. John & I were planning an R&R to Australia together in just a few weeks to get away.
I remember John as a big ole good natured "country boy" with a very noticeable southern drawl. He was well liked by everyone..a great guy with a big heart who liked to laugh. He was the kind of guy that would give his life for a brother..a great pilot who was given an emergency landing with no where to go. He did his best...but it was his time. I will forever remember him & miss him. But I know I will see him again.
I hope this helps...I will try to find some old pictures I have of John & I at PhuBai. Please, if there is anything more I can tell you or if there are any questions you have I would be honored to try & answer them for you. But keep in mind this was 40 years ago. I will try to round up some names of some of the other guys we were with that may remember some other details for you..
May God bless & comfort you,
Dick Hollenbaugh (Hawk 38) Aug 68-69
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