THE WALL OF FACES

Dear Leroy P. Bohrer, we are thankful for you and for your ultimate sacrifice. You represented us well.
- Brian Bohrer

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

HOOAH

DEAR MAJOR BOHRER,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS A TACTICAL AIRCRAFT PILOT (VARIOUS).
IT HAS BEEN FAR TOO LONG FOR ALL OF YOU TO HAVE BEEN GONE. WE APPRECIATE ALL YOU HAVE DONE, AND YOUR SACRIFICE. WATCH OVER THE U.S.A., IT STILL NEEDS YOUR COURAGE. GOD BLESS YOU. MAY THE ANGELS BE AT YOUR SIDE. REST IN PEACE. YOU ARE ALL IN OUR PRAYERS. IT IS EASTER WEEK - GOD'S BLESSINGS ON YOU.

On March 9, 1967, a Douglas RC-47 (#43-49201), call sign Tide-86, from the 361st Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron, departed Nha Trang Air Base at 1425 hours local time on an afternoon unarmed ELINT (electronic intelligence) mission. The stimated time of arrival (ETA) back at the base was 2055hrs. When the aircraft failed to return as scheduled, a communications search was initiated but yielded no results. Shortly after midnight, search and rescue operations were notified that Tide 86 was missing. Bad weather hampered visual search efforts, but at approximately 0810hrs on March 11, 1967, an O-1 Bird Dog forward air controller spotted the aircraft wreckage. The aircraft had crashed about 10 miles south of Duc Pho. By mid-afternoon, the area had been secured and a joint 361st/6994th team was lifted to the site by helicopter. The wreckage was on a hillside, approximately 200 feet below the ridge. The aircraft appeared to have been in a climbing left turn. The left wing was torn off and the forward half of the aircraft was torn apart, scattered and burned. The rear portion of the fuselage lay 140 feet down the valley in an inverted position, badly torn apart but not burned. The enemy had "thoroughly combed the area stripping valuables, survival gear, boots, and socks, side arms, and canteens." The airborne radio direction finding (ARDF) equipment did not appear to have been tampered with. Seven crew members were killed in the crash. They included four members of the 361st Tactical Electronics Warfare Squadron: MAJ Ivel D. Freeman, MAJ Leroy P. Bohrer, CAPT Roger P. Richardson, and SSGT Prentice F. Brenton; and three members of the 6994th Security Squadron: TSGT Raymond F. Leftwich, A1C Charles D. Land, and A1C Daniel C. Reese. The bodies of all seven crew members were recovered and an army demolition team destroyed the remains of Tide 86. [Taken from 6994th.com, ec47.com, and vvmf.org]