In August, 1966, a US F-4C crashed.\u00a0 There were no parachutes observed at the time of the crash, and the crew was presumed lost.<\/p>\n
The crash occurred in Song Me province, South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.\u00a0 Efforts were made to recover the crew’s remains. Unfortunately those initial efforts were not successful.<\/p>\n
The crash and the missing crew were not forgotten.\u00a0 But for years it wasn\u2019t feasible to revisit the area.\u00a0 This remained true even long after the Vietnam War had ended.<\/p>\n
However, eventually relations between the US and Vietnam warmed.\u00a0 In 1992 a joint US-Vietnamese team was able to revisit the crash site.\u00a0 Two years later ID tags were recovered – but still no remains.<\/p>\n
Efforts continued, however.\u00a0 And in 2010 human remains were finally recovered from the site.\u00a0 Modern technology confirmed the identification of the remains somewhat over a year.\u00a0 They were indeed the remains of the missing flight crew.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week Lt. Col. Charles M. Walling, of Phoenix, AZ, and Maj. Aado Kommendant, of Lakewood, NJ, US Air Force, were honored at a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery<\/a>.\u00a0 The ceremony was held on August 8 \u2013 the 46th anniversary of their deaths.<\/p>\n Welcome home, my elder brothers-in-arms.\u00a0 Rest now in peace \u2013 at home.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Notes:\u00a0 the ranks given in the linked Military Times articles apparently include two posthumous promotions for each individual.\u00a0 Their ranks at the time of their loss were Captain and 1st Lieutenant.\u00a0 Also, the Military Times story incorrectly identifies Kommendant\u2019s home of record.\u00a0 His home of record was Lakewood, NJ.<\/em><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.pownetwork.org\/bios\/w\/w005.htm<\/a>
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