| Date: 8 August 1966 |
| Aircraft type: F-4C Phantom |
| Serial Number: 64-0687 |
| Military Unit: 557 TFS, 12 TFW |
| Service: USAF |
| Home Base: Cam Ranh Bay |
| Name(s): |
| Capt Charles Milton Walling (KIA) |
| 1Lt Aado Kommendant (KIA) |
| A flight of Phantoms from Cam Ranh Bay was vectored to a position about 20 miles north of Bien Hoa to bomb suspected VC positions in support of US ground forces. Soon after Capt Walling (call sign Boxer) completed his fourth run against the target, the FAC who was controlling the bombing noticed an explosion on the ground five miles east of Phuoc Vinh. Failing to raise Capt Walling on the radio, the FAC and the other Phantom flew to the position of the explosion but could not see any wreckage due to very dense foliage. Ground troops could not reach the suspected wreck as it was heavily defended by VC troops. No parachutes were seen or SAR beepers heard so it was assumed that the crew had perished in their aircraft, which was either shot down by small arms fire or had simply flown into the ground.
In 1994 the crash site was excavated and Capt Walling’s ID tag was discovered but it was not until 2010 that a second excavation took place and human remains were found. Exactly 46 years after their deaths the remains of Capt Walling and 1Lt Kommendant were buried in a joint grave in Arlington National Cemetery on 8 August 2012. |
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