THE WALL OF FACES

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us….

Never forget.

Semper Fortis

Petty Officer Third Class William Farrell Farris Jr., Served with Patrol Squadron 26 (VP-26), Task Force 72 (TF-72), 7th Fleet.

Dear Ax3 William Farris,
Thank you for your service as an Aviation Antisubmarine Warfare Technician 3rd Class. You are still MIA - PLEASE COME HOME.
Another national holiday is coming, and we honor you this Labor Day. It has been too long, and it's about time for us all to acknowledge the sacrifices of those like you who answered our nation's call. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness. Be at peace.

At 0900 hours on February 5, 1968, a P-3 "Orion" aircraft assigned to Patrol Squadron 26 at U Tapao Airbase, Thailand, left on a "Market Time" mission over the Gulf of Thailand (Gulf of Siam). They were scheduled to return to their base at about 0900 hours the following morning. The crew on board the aircraft included LT Thomas P. Jones, LTJG Lynn M. Travis, LTJG Roy A. Huss, AXCS Donald F. Burnett, AX3 Armando Chapa Jr., AX3 William F. Farris (AX designates Antisubmarine warfare technicians and related duties), AOC Donald L. Gallagher, AMH2 Homer E. McKay, ADR1 James C. Newman Jr., AE1 Melvin C. Thompson (A designates in many cases, aviation personnel, i.e. AE1 is Aviation Electrician's Mate First Class). As antisubmarine warfare was all but unknown in Vietnam, there were a variety of duties handled by those trained in antisubmarine warfare. As marking submarines, and/or destroying them involved the use of marking buoys, electronic "ears" and other technical equipment suited for target marking, antisubmarine teams were frequently used for search missions. They also sometimes assisted in attacks on small enemy water craft. Shortly after midnight on February 6, the Orion reported a surface contact. Some two hours later it reported another contact somewhat further east. The last report received from the Orion was after 0300 hours. No subsequent communication was received. An emergency communication alert for the aircraft was declared shortly after daybreak and a full search and rescue (SAR) was declared. In the late afternoon of February 6, wreckage and debris were sighted and identified. On February 7 search and rescue operations were terminated at sundown. Salvage operations were conducted from February 11 through March 21. The investigating officer concluded that the Orion had impacted with the water, and that the aircraft had been completely destroyed, and that all of the crewmembers had died instantly. The Orion went down about 50 miles off the shores of South Vietnam's An Xuyen Province in the Gulf of Thailand. Presumably, all the crew aboard are "buried" at sea - an honorable burial for a naval man. This crew is listed with honor among the missing because no remains were ever found. [Narrative taken from pownetwork.org; image from wikipedia.org]