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September 17, 2005

Vietnam KIA remembered on Memorial Day, 30 May 2005

By

Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) Class 67—C, Williams AFB, Arizona, 29 Oct 1966
 
Given below are the names of the individuals killed in the Vietnam War with whom I went through Air Force pilot training. Al Rodriguez, one of those lost, Ron Gieleghem and I graduated together from the University of Detroit in June of 1965. Al and Ron were mechanical engineers. I was an aeronautical. We were able to arrange it so we could attend  UPT together at Williams AFB. We were there for 53 weeks, from October of 1965 through October of 1966. John Crews, another of the KIA, was in 'Boomer' flight, the sister to 'Schatzi', where the others killed in action, as well as Ron and I, went through our advanced training in the supersonic T—38 Talon.

After that, we 'Three Engineers' went through Combat Survival School at Fairchild AFB near Spokane, Washington. Then it was on to Davis—Monthan AFB in Tucson for F—4 training. I went to Europe to stare down the Ruskies. Al and Ron went to Southeast Asia.
 
When my new wife, Karen, cooked her first Thanksgiving dinner, Ron and Al were our guests at our apartment in Chandler, a few miles due—west of 'Willie.' As two bachelors living on base in the BOQ, they loved it.
 
Stats for UPT Class 67—C, Williams AFB, Arizona
Received our pilots wings on 29 Oct 1966
 
Graduates 52
GAF 10
USAF 42
KIA 4
 
CREWS, JOHN HUNTER III (CPT/Air Force) ASHEVILLE, NC.

Lost over North Vietnam 22 May 1968, MIA, Remains unrecovered

BADLEY, JAMES LINSDAY (1LT/Air Force) HERMISTON, OR.

Lost 27 March 1968 over North Vietnam, Remains not Repatriated
 
CONNER, LORENZA (CPT/Air Force) CARTERSVILLE, GA.

Lost over North Vietnam 27 Oct 1967, MIA, Remains unrecovered
 
RODRIGUEZ, ALBERT EDUARDO (CPT/Air Force) FRANKLINVILLE, NY.

Lost 11 March 1968 over North Vietnam
Remains Repatriated 15 Dec 1988, Identified 20 July 1989
 
Links are to the VirtualWall.org  where family and friends have created individual memorial pages.
 
Complete listing of those who's names are inscribed on the Washington, D.C. memorial can be found here.

A brief history of Williams Air Force Base can be found here  

Glossary of acronyms — how the military speaks

  BOQ: Bachelor Officers' Quarters
  GAF: German Air Force — More affectionately known as the Luftwaffe
  KIA: Killed In Action
  USAF: United States Air Force
  UPT: Undergraduate Pilot Training

Dennis Sevakis    5 29 05