Ok, I don't want to be accused of sea lawyering (and I won't accuse you of the same), the initial strike was launched on the late evening of 16th, he was lost in the early morning of the 17th. Wetzel/Zaun flew the evening of the 17th.
I appreciate your e-mail back. I was University of Virginia and intelligence. Not to belabor the point, but you should have the facts on Spike's flight. From the official incident report on Speicher's accident, his flight began at 1:35:39:5 on 17 January (ZULU). Weight off wheels was 1:36:18:44. The mishap was roughly two and a half hours into the flight. The Wetzel/Zaun incident occurred later that day, 17 January, at 2000Z, which would have felt like the next night to those of you on the first strikes, some of which went weight off wheels near midnight on 16 January.
For several years--and to this day--I am a frequent visitor to the U.S. Naval Academy.