Major Hughes was my mother’s cousin’s husband. I have a memory of him letting me as a small child (maybe 4 or 5 at the time?) sit in a parked F-4 at (I think) Patrick AFB, and I was fortunate to be at Aunt Shirley’s home in Cocoa Beach two years after his death to see Apollo 11 lift off in person.
On 08/11/1967 Major Hughes was returning his F-4 from a mission north of Hanoi and had a non-combat systems failure (I can’t find any details) as he was approaching the base at Quang Nam. His WSO ejected safely, but the aircraft crashed as he attempted a landing.
Major Hughes and his wife are both interred at Arlington National Cemetary.
Rest In Peace, and thank you for your service.