Robert Russell Sennett

The database page for Robert Russell Sennett

30 Dec 2001 "To live in the hearts we leave behind, is never to have died." (Thomas Campbell, circa 1888) From his daughter, Nicki Sennett Nickster2422@cs.com

17 April 2002 I am Bob's wife. We both served in the U.S. Navy stationed at NAS Seattle; that is how we met in 1960. Bob was my husband, lover, very best friend and confidante and the love of my life. In addition to the information already submitted, our family was notified some many years ago, when the information was finally declassified and released, that Bob's military ID card was found in a "war museum" in Hanoi. Now how is that possible, if the plane was shot down, exploded in a ball of fire, and there were no survivors, according to the commanding officer of the island in the Gulf of Tonkin? This bit of information has been a thorn in my side ever since I learned of it. In order to go on and have some kind of normal life, one has to let go at some point, and carry on as Bob would have wanted. There is not a day in my life that he is not in my thoughts ... and he is always in my prayers. He was a wonderful husband and a terrific Daddy, for the short time he was ours. My children know all about their Dad because from the time he went missing, I kept him "alive" for them. They know every bit of information about their Dad from the time he was just a child himself. Every time I look into the faces of my children, I see their Dad; our daughter Nicki is the picture of her dad when he was just 15 years old; our son Tim is the spitting image of his Dad, only much taller. Bob has been missed every day of our lives. We still love him very much. Thank you for the opportunity to let me tell you just a very little about the man I loved and still love. From his wife, Mrs. Lucille A. Sennett gemluvr@cox.net

27 May 2007 Great site. I have worn Robert's bracelet since 1999. I have read a lot about the incident. I appreciate all the sites and information. God bless all his relatives on this Memorial Day weekend and "Never Forget" Ron Armstrong Nashville, TN ronlarmstrong@comcast.net

Notes from The Virtual Wall During the early morning hours of 22 January 1966, an S-2F anti-submarine warfare aircraft from VS-35 launched on a night visual surveillance mission along the coast of North Vietnam in support of the SAR destroyers stationed off the coast. There were four men aboard the aircraft: LT William S. Forman, pilot; LTJG Edwin B. Templin, copilot; ADR2 Robert R. Sennett; and AMHC Edmund H. Frenyea. At about 6 AM, toward the end of the mission, the aircraft disappeared from the destroyers' radar scopes. That wasn't unusual; if the aircraft descended to low altitude to investigate a contact, it would frequently go below the ships' radar horizons. However, when radio contact could not be made with the S-2F, search and rescue efforts were begun. Eventually, after some days, a life raft -- inflated, undamaged, and apparently unused -- was found, as was LTJG Templin's helmet. North Vietnam never claimed these men as captured or killed, although within a few hours of the disappearance Radio Hanoi reported that an aircraft had been shot down near Bach Long Vi Island, North Vietnam. The four crewmen had simply disappeared. Since there was no proof of their deaths, they were classed as Missing in Action. When the American POWs were released in February 1973, none of them had any knowledge of Forman or his crew. On 10 May 1973, the Secretary of the Navy approved Presumptive Findings of Death for the four men, changing their status to Died while Missing/Body not Recovered. Additional information is available on the POWNet.org and Task Force Omega sites.

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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 30 Dec 2001
Last updated 08/10/2009