THE WALL OF FACES

LT Knochel was stationed aboard the aircraft carrier INTREPID when his plane (a Skyraider) was shot down by enemy ground fire over North Vietnam.

Although we never met personally, I want to thank you Charles Allen Knochel, for your continued vigilant and faithful service, to this great country of ours!

Your Spirit is alive--and strong, therefore, you shall never be forgotten!

Again, thank you Lieutenant, for a job well done!

MAYBE ONE DAY SOON.....UNTIL THEN.....HEAVENLY PEACE MY FRIEND

I have not forgotten you. I chair the Adoption Committee for The National League of Families of Prisoners of War and Missing in Action in Southeast Asia. We will always remember the 1,889 Americans still unaccounted for in Southeast Asia and the thousands of others that lost their lives. We will not stop our efforts until all of you are home where you belong.

We need to reach the next generation so that they will carry on when our generation is no longer able. To do so, we are attempting to locate photographs of all the missing. If you are reading this remembrance and have a photo and/or memory of this missing American that you would like to share for our project, please contact me at:

Candace Lokey
PO Box 206
Freeport, PA 16229
[email protected]

If you are not familiar with our organization, please visit our web site at :

www.pow-miafamilies.org

LIEUTENANT


CHARLES ALLEN KNOCHEL



who served with

ATTACK SQUADRON 176

onboard the aircraft carrier

USS INTREPID ( CVS-11 )



WAS A DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE OF THE

UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY

AT ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND

IN THE CLASS OF 1962



Lieutenant Knochel was a pilot assigned to Attack Squadron 176

onboard the aircraft carrier USS INTREPID.


On 22 September 1966, he was launched in his A1H SKYRAIDER

attack aircraft on an armed reconnaissance mission in the

southern part of North Vietnam.


Lieutenant Knochel was leading a two plane section of aircraft

against enemy supply lines. After completing their mission,

both aircraft were on their way out of the area and within 3

miles of the coast, when they were hit by a barrage of anti-

aircraft fire.


Lieutenant Knochel radioed that his aircraft was hit in the

right wing and began to gain altitude and head out to sea.


Once over the water, the right wing started to burn as the

ammunition from the wing guns started to explode.


Lieutenant Knochel then radioed his wingman that he was going to

bail out over the water.


All indications were that Lieutenant Knochel was not injured as

he descended in his parachute.


Rescue helicopters and amphibian aircraft were immediately

called in for assistance.


Lieutenant Knochel's parachute was swinging a bit as he entered

the water, and at a point when the parachute was at a maximum

swing, he hit the water, as if lying on his back.


The wingman saw that Lieutenant Knochel made no effort to

release himself from his chute harness or inflate his life

preserver, and felt that the impact had knocked him unconscious.


Within 12 minutes of the time that Lieutenant Knochel entered

the water, the rescue amphibian was on the scene. Upon landing,

the chute could no longer be seen on the water and the rescue

diver could not locate Lieutenant Knochel.


It was believed that he had drowned while unconscious.


Lieutenant Knochel had freedom and safety within his grasp when

he lost his life due to a tragically ironic accident.


He is listed among the missing because his body was never

recovered.





///// --- MISSING IN ACTION --- \\





~~~ EX SCIENTIA TRIDENS ~~~





~~~ NON SIBI SED PATRIAE ~~~





YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN

NOR SHALL YOU EVER BE





30815 - 1962