THE WALL OF FACES

1Lt Lee Adams was cremated, and his remains were scattered at his family ranch at the place his parents' ashes were also scattered.

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
-Theodore Roosevelt, "Citizen in a Republic", April 23, 1910

Lt. Lee A Adams was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism and extraordinary achievement while engaged in aerial flight. He served as a Pilot, Tactical Aircraft, and was assigned to the 333rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 335th Tactical Fighter Group, 7th Air Force.
See https://airforce.togetherweserved.com/usaf/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=24450

First Lieutenant Lee Aaron Adams, Served with the 333rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, 7th Air Force.

1LT Lee A. Adams was a U.S. Air Force pilot of a Republic F-105D Thunderchief with the 333rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, assigned to the Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base (TRTAFB) in central Thailand. The 333rd supported the 355th TFW’s Operation Rolling Thunder strikes into North Vietnam, losing several aircraft and pilots during the increasing defenses around Hanoi in early 1966. On April 19, 1966, a combat flight mission consisted of a flight of four aircraft to Mugia Pass in North Vietnam. 1LT Adams was number four, radio call sign Volvo 4. This was his 90th combat mission, 10 more missions and he would be up for reassignment. According to official statements from flight leader CAPT James C. Sharp and wing man CAPT Straubinger, “The mission was uneventful and went as briefed leading up to the target.” After dropping their bombs on the target, they proceeded to reconnoiter the roads on “Route Package One.” While flying over the roads complex, 1LT Adams radioed a report that he had seen a truck pull off the road and tried to explain its location. The Wing Man said no one else was able to locate the spot so 1LT Adams was released to make the first pass. Volvo 4 then reported seeing two trucks on the road under camouflage. 1LT Adams turned the aircraft sharp and rolled in but was unable to get lined up for a strafing pass for his 20mm cannon. He said it was a bad pass and he was going up to try again. He returned for a more favorable pattern on his second pass, and dove the aircraft to pick up speed on a parallel course to the road. He pulled up sharply and rolled in on the trucks at a dive angle of 25 degrees. The Wing Man did the same maneuver and observed “a long burst from Volvo 4 tearing up the road and the two trucks.” The Wing Man glanced at his instruments. Lining up his own attack, he looked back and saw a large fireball, 1000 to 2000 feet up from the road. The Flight Leader asked for a flight check-in on the radio to determine who had crashed. He then made four low passes over the impact area but could not see a parachute nor did he hear an emergency beeper. No transmissions were heard prior to the impact. The Flight Leader stated, “I do not believe 1LT Adams ejected from the aircraft before it impacted.” The crash site was 40 miles north of the DMZ, near Van Loc, west-northwest of Dong Hoi, in North Vietnam. Search and rescue attempts were called off due to hostile threats in the area. Volvo 1, 2, and 3 then returned to base without Volvo 4. In 1993, forensic experts from the POW/MIA Accounting Agency interviewed two Vietnamese informants who said they witnessed the militia shoot down the airplane on April 19, 1966. The witnesses said they recovered human leg bones, which they buried at the site. Several days later, a farmer told investigators he had uncovered the bones in 1982 while plowing his field. He gave the Americans a small fragment of one of the bones that he had recovered and saved in the ossuary, (a container for bones of the dead). Blood samples were taken from Adams’ two brothers and DNA analysis confirmed the identity. 1LT Aaron had been listed as Missing in Action until his remains were discovered, identified, and returned to his family in Willits, California in 2005. [Taken from the book “Our Gallant Men” by Dennis Miner]