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S-2 Tracker aircraft, type flown by Commander Donald Richard Hubbs
USS Yorktown
Episode 3229 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the MIA daughter who revisited her father’s ship. The featured story appeared on the WCSC-TV website and is titled: Daughter honors father who vanished on mission from USS Yorktown 58 years ago. It was submitted by Elijah Brown.
Brown reported that more than five decades after the disappearance of her father during the Vietnam War, Jill Hubbs returned to the USS Yorktown (CV-10) to honor his memory and the enduring sacrifice of those still missing in action. Her father, Commander Donald Richard Hubbs, vanished in 1968 when his S-2 Tracker aircraft lost contact during a routine mission. He and his three crewmates were never found, leaving their fate unresolved.
Hubbs’ visit, on the exact 58th anniversary of his final flight, was both deeply personal and symbolic. She revisited the ship she had explored as a child, recalling vivid memories of her last moments with her father—including his final words urging her to care for her mother. During a moving ceremony, she and her family cast four roses into the harbor, honoring each missing crew member by name and ensuring their legacy lives on.
Her lifelong journey reflects the painful reality faced by thousands of families whose loved ones remain unaccounted for. The search for MIA remains is not just about recovery—it is about closure, dignity, and fulfilling a national promise to never leave service members behind. Each effort to locate and identify the missing restores a piece of history and brings long-awaited answers to grieving families.
Hubbs’ story underscores that remembrance must continue across generations, and that the mission to find those still missing is as vital today as ever.
Listen to Episode 3229 and discover more about the MIA daughter who revisited her father’s ship.
