THE WALL OF FACES

Larry,

It was mentioned that nothing was recovered at the sight of the crash. I do want you to know that a helmet and a few pieces of metal were found and the members of VAW-116 all went silent and to tears each time we passed them. I was supposed to be on that flight with you my friend and am looking forward to seeing you again.

You were a year ahead of me in high school. Will remember you till I join you in heaven!

I will always remember you. A great officer, and a greater friend.
One of the best E2A pilots ever.

Larry Coleman Knight - Because of his initials (L.C.), he was known in the squadron as "Elsie". He always had a smile on his face and a witty remark. A real character who was loved and respected by all who served with him.

One of the aircraft that launched from the decks of the USS CORAL SEA was the Grumman E-2A Hawkeye. It was a strange-looking aircraft, with twin turboprop engines, four vertical stabilizers (three of which were actually necessary for controlled flight, the remaining surface being added for appearance's sake), and a large, 24-foot diameter radome which rotated at six revolutions per minute, on a pylon directly above the fuselage. The E-2A mission was airborne early warning, vectoring fighters and strike bombers to and from targets on the ground, as well as airborne threats of MiG interceptors. The Hawkeye was literally the aerial nerve center of the fleet, controlling bomber strikes and MiG-killing missions with equal facility. LTJG Charles B. Pfaffmann was an E-2A pilot assigned to Carrier Early Warning Squadron 116 onboard the USS CORAL SEA. On April 9, 1970, he and his co-pilot LT Larry C. Knight and technicians AN Brian L. Bushnell and AMH3 Andrew A. Horchar Jr. were launched in their E-2A Hawkeye on a routine mission over Vietnam. Immediately after launch, the aircraft crew reported a fire and their intention to return to the ship. LT Pfaffmann's aircraft impacted the water about three miles ahead of the CORAL SEA. A rescue helicopter and escort destroyer were on the scene within minutes. No survivors were seen, and no remains were recovered. [Narrative taken from pownetwork.org; image from wikipedia.org]

The attack carrier USS Coral Sea formed part of Task Force 77, the carrier striking force of the U.S. Seventh Fleet in the Western Pacific. One of the aircraft that launched from the decks of the Coral Sea was the Grumman E-2A Hawkeye was a strange-looking aircraft, with twin turboprop engines, four vertical stabilizers (three of which were actually necessary for controlled flight, the remaining surface being added for appearance's sake), and a large, 24-foot diameter radome, which rotated at six revolutions per minute on a pylon directly above the fuselage. The E-2A mission was airborne early warning, vectoring fighters and strike bombers to and from targets on the ground, as well as airborne threats of MiG interceptors. The Hawkeye was literally the aerial nerve center of the fleet, controlling bomber strikes and MiG-killing missions with equal facility. LTJG Charles B. Pfaffmann was an E-2A pilot assigned to Carrier Early Warning Squadron 116 onboard the USS Coral Sea. On April 9, 1970, he and his co-pilot LT Larry C. Knight and technicians AN Brian L. Bushnell and AMH3 Andrew A. Horchar Jr. were launched in their E-2A Hawkeye on a routine mission over Vietnam. Immediately after launch, the aircraft crew reported a fire and their intention to return to the ship. LT Pfaffmann's aircraft impacted the water about three miles ahead of the Coral Sea. A rescue helicopter and escort destroyer were on the scene within minutes. No survivors were seen, and no remains were recovered. [Taken from pownetwork.org]