More than 50 years after disappearing during the Vietnam War, a Marine Corps captain’s remains have been discovered and identified by authorities.
According to a news release from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), officials recovered the remains of U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Ronald W. Forrester of Odessa, Texas in December of last year and just confirmed his identity. The 25-year-old pilot went missing while flying over the jungles of northern Vietnam in 1972 and has been missing ever since.
“In the winter of 1972, Forrester was assigned to Marine All-Weather Attack Squadron 533, Marine Attack Group 12, 1st Marine Air Wing. On Dec. 27, Forrester was piloting an A-6A Intruder, along with his co-pilot, during a nighttime combat mission over the northern part of the Democratic Republic of (North) Vietnam,” the agency said. “After entering the target area, Forrester’s aircraft ceased radio communications and never returned to base. Search and rescue teams could not locate any trace of the aircraft or the crew in the Le Thuy District, Quang Binh Province.”
Because Capt. Forrester was never found, in September 1978, the Marine Corps changed his status from Missing in Action to Killed in Action. But late last year, investigators found remains and other evidence that they believed were connected to the two missing soldiers.
“This recovered evidence has been associated with Reference Number (REFNO) 1973 incident and corresponding crash site (VN-02653),” officials said. “To date REFNO 1973 is the only A-6 loss within 30 kilometers of the crash site, which the DPAA Indo-Pacific Directorate believes is a direct correlation to the missing Marines.”
According to GMA, his hometown newspaper published a story about his disappearance in 1974 and his parents’ desire to see their son return home. Now, Forrester will be taken to his final resting place and buried in Arlington National Cemetery on Oct. 7.
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