CA CA - Douglas Richard Smith, 23, Mountain View, 25 Nov 1968

[MadMcGoo]

NamUs #MP7048
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Douglas “Doug” Richard Smith

09/1965, 09/1965, 08/1966, 07/1967

Date of Last Contact: November 25, 1968
Missing From: Mountain View, Santa Clara County, California
Race / Ethnicity: White / Caucasian
Sex: Male
Age: 23 Years
Height: 5' 9" (69 Inches)
Weight: 150 lbs
Hair Color: Brown
Head Hair Description: Short
Body Hair Description: Sparce
Facial Hair Description: Clean shaven
Eye Color: Blue
Scar/mark: Appendectomy scar
Distinctive physical characteristic: Mole on left side of chin

Circumstances of Disappearance: LTjg Douglas Smith was an officer in the U. S. Navy stationed with VP-19 at Moffett Field, CA. He was last seen on 25 November 1968, but failed to report for duty on 26 November. His car disappeared at the same time. He has not been seen or heard from since.

Transportation: 1967 Volkswagen 113
Style: Coupe
Color: White
State: California
License Plate: HXJ 292
Comments: Car disappeared at same time.

Investigating Agency:
Mountain View Police Department
(650) 903-6344
City of Mountain View - Police Department Home
Agency Case Number: 2100057

 

[glamourkitty1922]

His car disappeared. I wonder if he drove off a canyon or into a body of water.

 

[renaebri]

Bumping since I'm here!
Added to my map of missing people with vehicles.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Douglas Richard Smith – The Charley Project

 

[Atombudd]

Douglas Richard Smith​

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Smith, circa 1968

• Missing Since 11/25/1968
• Missing From Mountain View, California
• Classification Missing
• Sex Male
• Race White
• Date of Birth 02/21/1945 (80)
• Age 23 years old
• Height and Weight 5'9, 130 pounds
• Associated Vehicle(s) White 1967 Volkswagen 113 coupe with the California license plate number HXJ 292
• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Brown hair, blue eyes. Smith's nickname is Doug. He has a scar on his lower abdomen, a scar on his chin and a mole on the left side of his chin.

Details of Disappearance​

Smith was last seen in Mountain View, California on November 25, 1968. He was an officer in the U.S. Navy stationed with VP-19 at Moffett Field, California and was supposed to report for duty on November 26, but never showed up and has never been heard from again.

His car, a white 1967 Volkswagen 113 coupe with the California license plate number HXJ 292, disappeared at the same time he did. Few details are available in Smith's case.

Douglas Richard Smith – The Charley Project

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

 

[snooptroop88]

Think it's possible it's 1970 Marin County CA John Doe, whose decomposed body was found July 2 floating off the shore near Stinson Beach. 5'11" est, 150lbs, light brown hair; ball point pen"Federal Savings"; green windbreaker; dark blue trousers; plaid shirt; black belt; white t-shirt; purple socks; white "cut down" tennis shoes (? whatever that means, I'm seeing some runners may cut the soles of their shoes for various reasons related to performance, and navy didn't issue gym shoes to members at this time)

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

Federal Savings is a veteran owned bank that specializes in VA loans for veterans, active military & their spouses, but as I'm searching, I'm seeing this founded in 2000, another source says 2011. Searching to see what this organization would have been known as prior to that time.

 

[Richard]

Doug was either a Naval Aviatior or Naval Flight Officer (NFO) trained to fly in four engined P-3 Orion patrol planes, home based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Moffett Field, just north of Mountain View.

As an Ensign (O-1), he had probably been in the Navy for only two years. His previous bases would have been NAS Pensacola, Florida and NAS Corpus Christ, Texas for training.

 

[Richard]

LTJG Douglas Richard Smith, US Navy, age 23
Missing since 26 November 1968

This disappearance is an active cold case being investigated by the Mountain View Police Department.

Doug had been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant junior grade (O-2) before he went missing. He was a Naval Aviator (pilot) assigned to Patrol Squadron 19 which was home based at Moffit Field, CA. He had made prior deployments to: NAS Iwakuni, Japan, NS Sangley Point, Philippines, U-Tapao Royal Thailand Air Force Base, Thailand and NAF Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam.

At the time, VP-19 flew the Lockheed P-3B Orion aircraft. Their primary mission was Anti-Submarine Warfare, but Maritime surveillance and Search and Rescue (SAR) missions were also flown.

A Lockheed P-3B Orion Patrol Plane - this one flown by VP-6 out of Barbers Point Hawaii in the 1970's.

If you have any information on this case, contact:

Officer Kirsten Roberts, #77
[email protected]
Mountain View Police Department

LINK:

VPNAVY - Notices Page

VPNAVY is dedicated to the men and women of the United States Navy flying ASW VP/VPB Patrol Aircraft past and present. VPNAVY has attempted to collect every available piece of information via the InterNet. Everything and anything relating to U. S. Navy ASW Patrol Squadrons is posted with...

vpnavy.com

 

[Richard]

Views of a white 1967 Volkswagen Beetle similar to the one owned by Doug Smith. His car, a white 1967 Volkswagen 113 coupe with the California license plate number HXJ 292, disappeared at the same time he did.

 

[Richard]

Douglas Richard Smith, age 23, Missing since 26 November 1968

LINKS:

Mapthemissing

Douglas Richard Smith - Today marks 56 years missing Douglas, age 23, was last seen in Mountain View, California on November 25th, 1968. He was an officer in the U.S. Navy stationed with VP-19 at...

www.facebook.com

Douglas Richard Smith

oag.ca.gov

Vanished in Plain Sight: The Unsolved Disappearance of Navy Officer Douglas Smith

A Promising Life InterruptedDouglas Richard Smith, born on February 21, 1945, was a 23-year-old U.S. Navy officer stationed with Patrol Squadron 19 ...

crimesolverscentral.com

Douglas Richard Smith – The Charley Project

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Douglas Richard Smith, age 23, Missing since 26 November 1968

LINKS:

Mapthemissing

Douglas Richard Smith - Today marks 56 years missing Douglas, age 23, was last seen in Mountain View, California on November 25th, 1968. He was an officer in the U.S. Navy stationed with VP-19 at...

www.facebook.com

Douglas Richard Smith

oag.ca.gov

Vanished in Plain Sight: The Unsolved Disappearance of Navy Officer Douglas Smith

A Promising Life InterruptedDouglas Richard Smith, born on February 21, 1945, was a 23-year-old U.S. Navy officer stationed with Patrol Squadron 19 ...

crimesolverscentral.com

Douglas Richard Smith – The Charley Project

So... I gather he was NOT doing any specific military operations-activities like flying at the actual time he was declared missing???

It is just so hard to even try to imagine what was going on in so many of these missing cases....
There must be files of data with interviews of his friends, work colleagues etc.

That is why there has been such rapid interest in true crime over recent decades...
We ALL get to see sooooo much more of the data so we can become keyboard "experts", and master speculators!! Ha
Well...that's my excuse anyway.

 

[Richard]

So... I gather he was NOT doing any specific military operations-activities like flying at the actual time he was declared missing???...

No, he wasn't flying or doing anything related to other military duties as far as any information I have seen.

He was assigned to a squadron (VP-19) based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Moffet Field, California. He would first have been there going through Replacement Air Group (RAG) training in the P-3 aircraft with squadron VP-31 - also at Moffet Field. So, he had probably been living in Mountain View in an apartment for at least 6 months before he disappeared.

It is not entirely clear from various case summaries if he had actually checked in for duty at VP-19 and was seen in squadron spaces on Monday 25 November 1968, and then failed to show up on Tuesday the 26th (perhaps for a flight?) - OR - If he had been given transition and travel leave after checking out VP-31 and then failed to report to his new squadron, VP-19. I tend to think the first scenario would be more accurate, since he was reportedly seen by someone (who?) on the 25th.

Because quarters on base were very limited, Naval Aviators and Flight Officers were given a Basic Allowance for Quarters (BAQ) and allowed to live off base (usually in the neighboring communities of Mountain View, Palo Alto, or Sunnyvale) and commute by personal vehicle to the base.

It would be good to know more specifics about LTJG Smith's disappearance. Obviously, the investigators would have more information in their file, since they have posted a good deal of information, such as his car description. Where was his family's hometown and state? Where did he attend college? Who were his friends and associates in Mountain View? What was his off base address? What was his car's VIN and has it ever turned up? What were his interests and off-duty activities?

Also, who is the current Case Officer? None of the posted contact points or email addresses seem to work.