THE WALL OF FACES

The Department of Defense conducted a ceremony at the Pentagon on Friday, 20 September 2019 in recognition of POW/MIA Recognition Day. Deputy Defense Secretary David L. Nordquist remembered the 1,587 MIAs from the Vietnam War as well as all those still unaccounted for from WWII, the Korean War, the Cold War and other conflicts. Since the 2018 Ceremony, DPAA has positively identified 7 Vietnam War MIAs. Lieutenant Commander John Eugene Bartocci, USNA Class of 1957, is one of those 1,587 MIAs unaccounted for in Southeast Asia from the Vietnam War. He is one of 2 graduates from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis class of 1957 who is still MIA. The other USNA 1957 graduate who remains MIA is Maj. David Wright, USAF.

This is the link to the DoD story about the ceremony:

https://www.defense.gov/explore/story/Article/1967474/prisoners-of-war-missing-in-action-remembered-at-pentagon-ceremony/

This is the link to the C-Span video of the ceremony:

https://www.c-span.org/video/?464524-1/pentagon-hosts-national-powmia-recognition-day-ceremony

On August 31, 1968, LCDR John E. Bartocci was the pilot of a U.S. Navy Vought F-8H Crusader (#147897) from Fighter Squadron 24 (VF-24) making a night landing on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hancock (CVA-19). The approach to the ramp appeared normal until arriving close in when the pilot unexpectedly and for unknown reasons made an extreme correction by simultaneously lowering the nose and reducing power. The aircraft broke up on contact with the flight deck. No ejection was witnessed, and the pilot was not recovered from the debris on the carrier. The wing and aft section with its engine still intact had to be push overboard to ready the deck for aircraft still waiting to land. The destroyer USS Brinkley Bass (DD-887) conducted search and rescue efforts and recovered the pilot’s kneeboard, navigation bag, and a badly damage helmet. Bartocci’s remains were not found. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org]

I lived on Kobe Dr in San Diego, down the street from the Bartocci's and across from Boo Iott.The day the Bartocci's moved in, all us kids rode our bikes around to check out the new family. Mr Bartocci called us over and introduced us to his kids, Bart and Allison. My bike was always throwing the chain, and Mr Bartocci found his tools, packed away in a box,and fixed it for me. What a great guy. Bart was a couple years younger than I but we became good friends, running the neighborhood with all the kids. So sad when we heard his father was lost at sea. I was 13-14 years old then, but remember it well, the kindness Ltcd Bartocci showed me.

DEAR LIEUTENANT COMMANDER BARTOCCI,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS A PILOT - UNRESTRICTED LINE OFFICER FROM THE U. S. S. HANCOCK. I WAS BORN IN NEW YORK CITY TOO. YOU ARE STILL MIA. PLEASE COME HOME. WE MISS YOU. WATCH OVER THE U.S.A., IT STILL NEEDS YOUR COURAGE. ADVENT IS HERE, AND CHRISTMAS IS APPROACHING. WE ARE THANKFUL FOR YOU. THE NEW YEAR IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER, WHICH MAKES IT FAR TOO LONG FOR YOU TO HAVE BEEN GONE. GOD BLESS YOU. MAY THE SAINTS AND ANGELS BE AT YOUR SIDE.

That night John died, I was a 23 year old LTJG in an A-4 Skyhawk 1/4 mile behind him and the next to land on Hancock after John cleared the landing area. The flight deck burst into flames and the debris slid up the deck and over the side. After wandering around for awhile trying to get hooked up with a tanker, I was finally vectored to the USS America where I landed with less than 500 lbs of fuel on board.
It was a hell of a night.
Because I was an LSO, I knew John well. Nice guy.
I think of him often and visit him at our Wall South.