Captain Robert Russell Barnett comes home
Debra Coffey was 9 years old when her father, Air Force Captain Robert Russell Barnett was lost over Laos in 1968. On Friday, the Air Force met with her and her family and gave her details on the discovery of his earthly remains and how they will finally return those remains over to her according to Fox4;
In the nearly four-hour meeting, Coffey says the Air Force described the efforts to search a crash site the size of three football fields.
“They found the tail number of the B57 so it was absolutely his plane. It was absolutely that crash site,” she explained. “And they just took us through a massive inventory of things that they found.”
The inventory included pieces of glass from the plane, the co-pilot’s dog tag and a tooth. It was compared to Air Force medical records and confirmed to belong to Captain Barnett.
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“We are so appreciative and just so grateful and thankful to our country that they did this for us,” Coffey said. “We’ll be at peace, and our dad will be at peace. Our dad will home. He’s a Texan, and he needs to be brought back to Texas.”
Thanks to Tom for the link.
Category: We Remember
Welcome home, Brother.
R.I.P, Captain Barnett.
Welcome home, CPT.
Rest well.
Damn’ amazing work- need to find and bring all our brothers and sisters home. Thank you for your service.
Welcome home Sir. Rest well in your home soil. God be with your family.
Another check mark next to a name in the Directory of Names. Page 34.
For those who do not have a copy. seek one out from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.
My copy is the 10th printing March, 1994.
For further reading about our losses in Laos
read “Tragic Mountains the HMONG, the Americans, and the Secret Wars for Laos, 1942-1992 by Jane Hamilton-Merritt
Rest in Peace, Captain Barnett.
Ms Coffee said, “We are so appreciative and just so grateful and thankful to our country that they did this for us,”. Ma’am, it is us who is grateful. What was done for your father was the least this country could do for you and for him.
Rest in peace, sir. May your family find closure and comfort.
Welcome home Captain Barnett. Rest in Peace.
Mission accomplished, rest easy Sir.
RIP
Thanks to all who made this happen, allowing the family some closure.