Posted on 07/10/2012 6:05:39 AM PDT by moonshot925
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) Ever since Sherrie Hassenger's husband went missing with five other U.S. airmen over Laos in 1965, her purpose has been to wish and to hope he would come home. When those men's remains were buried in a single casket Monday at Arlington National Cemetery, she said, some of that purpose was taken away. "All I listen to is '50s, '60s music," she said. "When I saw those Air Force men in those dress blues, just like back then, I just wanted to go up and hug them and kiss them. It felt like maybe I could find a piece of my husband in them." The charred remains of the six airmen identified not through DNA matches but through dental records, personal items and other circumstantial evidence were buried in a single casket with full military honors, as is common in situations where remains can't be conclusively linked to a specific individual. The remains are representative of six Air Force servicemen: Col. Joseph Christiano of Rochester, N.Y.; Col. Derrell B. Jeffords of Florence, S.C.; Lt. Col. Dennis L. Eilers of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Chief Master Sgt. William K. Colwell of Glen Cove, N.Y.; Chief Master Sgt. Arden K. Hassenger of Lebanon, Ore.; and Chief Master Sgt. Larry C. Thornton of Idaho Falls, Idaho.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
It was a fitting tribute to the ultimate sacrifice made by these brave heros.
God bless those that fly and fight.
/johnny
Thank you for posting.
God bless!
In addition, Operation Lam Son 719 (1971-Highway 9) was conducted west of Lao Bao into Sepone. Very, very heavy casualties on the part of all sides. Heavily bombed. And previously sprayed with unknown quantity of Rainbow Herbicides...
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