Another Two Belatedly Return Home

In August, 1966, a US F-4C crashed.  There were no parachutes observed at the time of the crash, and the crew was presumed lost.

The crash occurred in Song Me province, South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.  Efforts were made to recover the crew’s remains. Unfortunately those initial efforts were not successful.

The crash and the missing crew were not forgotten.  But for years it wasn’t feasible to revisit the area.  This remained true even long after the Vietnam War had ended.

However, eventually relations between the US and Vietnam warmed.  In 1992 a joint US-Vietnamese team was able to revisit the crash site.  Two years later ID tags were recovered – but still no remains.

Efforts continued, however.  And in 2010 human remains were finally recovered from the site.  Modern technology confirmed the identification of the remains somewhat over a year.  They were indeed the remains of the missing flight crew.

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.  The ceremony was held on August 8 – the 46th anniversary of their deaths.

Welcome home, my elder brothers-in-arms.  Rest now in peace – at home.

Notes:  the ranks given in the linked Military Times articles apparently include two posthumous promotions for each individual.  Their ranks at the time of their loss were Captain and 1st Lieutenant.  Also, the Military Times story incorrectly identifies Kommendant’s home of record.  His home of record was Lakewood, NJ.

http://www.pownetwork.org/bios/w/w005.htm

http://www.pownetwork.org/bios/k/k036.htm

Category: No Longer Missing