Ens. Bruce Merle Patterson
United States Navy
Bruce Merle Patterson was born March 6, 1945. Home
city of record is Portland, Oregon. Ensign Patterson was lost offshore of North
Vietnam July 27, 1967.
Tami was only 9 years old when her brother-in-law
Ens. Patterson's aircraft went down. She still expects to see Bruce walk in the
door in his dress whites- the way he was the last time Tami saw him. To Tami he
is still very much alive. They were riding in his baby blue sunbeam with the
top down, close to the road laughing. She was amazed at how close the road was-
she could see the rocks. Bruce once told Tami he wondered what her family's
large German Shepard would do if he ever caught Bruce's little car. For Tami
the war will never be over. Bruce will always be that young laughing man and
she will always cry for him. Tami's family lost contact with Bruce's birth
family and would like them to know that the family he married into also misses
him fiercely.
Ensign Bruce M. Patterson and AE2 Charles D. Hardie were part of the crew of a U.S. Navy KA3H tanker aircraft. On July 27, 1967, their aircraft was airborn about 200 miles due east from the Demilitarized Zone when it encountered difficulties requiring the three crewmen to parachute from the crippled aircraft. The crew safely parachuted from the plane, but only the pilot was rescued. Patterson and Hardie were never found. It was assumed they were drowned. Both were classified Killed, Body Not Recovered.
Patterson and Hardie may or may not have survived the events of July 27, 1967. Hundreds of families wait expectantly and in the special agony only uncertainty can bring. Hundreds of men may wait in caves, cages and prisons. How much longer will we allow the abandonment of our best men? It's time we brought them home.
Personal notes from Ens.
Patterson's sister-in-law Tami- thank you for your contribution making his page
more personal.
All Biographical and loss
information on POW/MIAs provided by Operation Just Cause have been supplied by
Chuck and Mary Schantag of POWNET. Please check with
POWNET regularly for
updates.
POW/MIA Graphic by Ron Fleischer.