THE WALL OF FACES

Operation Linebacker II was a U.S. 7th Air Force and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 aerial bombing campaign, conducted against targets in North Vietnam during the final period of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. The operation took place December 18-29, 1972, leading to several informal names such as "The December Raids" and "The Christmas Bombings." Linebacker II was a "maximum effort" bombing campaign to destroy major target complexes in the Hanoi and Haiphong areas, which could only be accomplished by B-52s. It saw the largest heavy bomber strikes launched by the U.S. Air Force since the end of World War II. During Operation Linebacker II, a total of 741 B-52 sorties were dispatched to bomb North Vietnam; 729 completed their missions. B-52s dropped a total of 15,237 tons of ordnance on eighteen industrial and fourteen military targets, including eight surface-to-air missile (SAM) sites, while fighter-bombers added another 5,000 tons of bombs to the tally. Another 212 B-52 missions were flown within South Vietnam in support of ground operations during the campaign. North Vietnamese forces fired about 1,240 SAMs. The Air Force lost 15 B-52 bombers, which amounted to a loss rate of less than two percent. Ten B-52s were shot down over the North and five others were damaged and crashed in Laos or Thailand. Thirty-three B-52 crew members were killed or missing in action, another thirty-three became prisoners of war, and twenty-six more were rescued. The lost B-52 crewmen included SMSGT Walter L. Ferguson, LTC Donald L. Rissi, CAPT Robert J. Thomas, MAJ Richard W. Cooper Jr., CMSGT Charlie S. Poole, MAJ Irwin S. Lerner, CMSGT Arthur V. McLaughlin Jr., LTC Randolph A. Perry Jr., LTC John F. Stuart, CAPT Craig A. Paul, MAJ Warren R. Spencer, MSGT Charles J. Bebus, COL Keith R. Heggen, COL Edward H. Johnson, MAJ Robert R. Lynn, CAPT Donovan K. Walters, CAPT Randall J. Craddock, MAJ Charles E. Darr, COL Bobby A. Kirby, CAPT George B. Lockhart, CAPT Ronald D. Perry, COL Frank A. Gould, COL Gerald W. Alley, MAJ Thomas W. Bennett Jr., CAPT Joseph B. Copack Jr., CAPT Robert J. Morris Jr., MAJ Nutter J. Wimbrow III, LTC Donald A. Joyner, MAJ Lawrence J. Marshall, CAPT Roy T. Tabler, CAPT James M. Turner, 1LT Bennie L. Fryer, and LTC Allen L. Johnson. [Taken from coffeltdatabase.org, wikipedia.org, and airforcemag.com]

During a "clandestine, spontaneous happening" at the CPT Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Memorial Day 2020, the "Friends of Rocky Versace" remembered Captain George Barry Lockhart, USAFA 1969, U.S. Air Force, as well as Alexandria's 67 other Vietnam War Fallen Heroes. A video of the "happening" is available for viewing at this link/URL:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/imz166z2qreygsu/Friends%20of%20Rocky%20Versace%2C%20Memorial%20Day%202020.mp4?dl=0

Dear Cap. George Lockhart, Thank you for your service as a Pilot, and for graduating from the Air Force Academy. I am glad you were identified in 1989. Welcome Home. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. It is another spring, but like none other. Time passes quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage, guidance and faithfulness. Rest in peace with the angels.

Shown is an overhead picture of the Captain Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Alexandria, VA. Dedicated on 6 July 2002, the Plaza/Memorial both remembers and honors not only Capt George Barry Lockhart, U.S. Air Force, with a Gold Star above his name, but the 66 other men from the city who died in Vietnam. The “Friends of Rocky Versace” annually conduct Memorial Day & Veterans Day Ceremonies at the Plaza/Memorial and cordially invite Capt Lockhart's family members, Air Force Academy 1969 classmates, his brothers-in-arms and friends to join us at the observances.

Shown is an artist's rendering of Alexandria's Vietnam Veterans Memorial - the Captain Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Capt George Barry Lockhart is one of 67 men from Alexandria, Virginia who will be remembered on the Memorial.