THE WALL OF FACES

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrances from your daughter Joanne are moving. As long as you are remembered you will remain in our hearts forever....

The family was living in Dayton, Ohio while our dad was in Guam. I am honored to know my Dad was ready to give his life for the freedoms we have here in the US. I was 9 yrs old at the time and after over 50 years it is hard to remember much about my Dad., but i am very proud of his sacrifice.

On July 27 1969, a U.S. Air Force Boeing B-52D Stratofortress strategic bomber (#56-0630) from the 17th Bomb Wing, 4133rd Bomb Wing, Strategic Air Command, crashed into the Pacific Ocean following the failure of the starboard wing after takeoff from Anderson Air Force Base in Guam. All eight personnel aboard were killed. The lost crewmen included aircraft commander MAJ Edward W. Wyatt, co-pilot CAPT John A. Albasio, radar navigator CAPT Donald J. Maccio, navigator CAPT Edward A. Miskowski, electronic warfare officer (EWO) 1LT Gary P. Leach, and gunner TSGT Clinton E. Tibbetts. The two other U. S. Air Force personnel reportedly on board the aircraft were LTC Robert H. Barr and TSGT Richard Piskula. The wing loss occurred about the time the nose wheel left the ground during takeoff. Eyewitness accounts reported that the plane continued momentarily in level flight, then made a violent bank below the sight of the cliff at the end of the runway, crashing into the ocean. Aircraft commander CAPT Wyatt attempted to eject, and his chute was found either fully or partially deployed. His remains were recovered. The remains of the four other crewmen and one passenger were also recovered. However, neither Leach’s nor Barr’s bodies were found. Tibbetts was posthumously promoted to Master Sergeant. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, aviation-safety.net, and web.archive.org]

I am a Viet Nam Veteran. Years ago in Ohio, a friend found an ID card, some military papers regarding Robert H Barr and 2 photographs. He recently gave them to me and asked if I could return them to the family. This post is the only clue that I have found. The ID card is for a young girl (`5 yrs) Joanne R. Barr. Provide an address and I will send them to you.

I was only a year old when my father was killed. It was much harder on my four brothers and sister and of course my beautiful mother and his mother.
I so wish that I could remember my dad. He was a wonderful family man as well as a fabulous pilot.
My mother tells me that he died doing what he loved. Flying