THE WALL OF FACES

Rest in peace with the warriors.

Bernard is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. AFC PH

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense
(Public Affairs)

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 1015-08

15 December 2008

SIX SERVICEMEN FROM VIETNAM WAR ARE IDENTIFIED

The Department of Defense POW / Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the group remains of six U.S. servicemen, missing from the Vietnam War, are soon to be buried with full military honors.

They are

Major BERNARD LUDWIG BUCHER
of Eureka, Illinois

Major JOHN LEE McELROY
of Eminence, Kentucky

1st Lieutenant STEPHEN CRAIG MORELAND
of Los Angeles, California

and

Staff Sergeant FRANK MONROE HEPLER
of Glenside, Pennsylvania

all U.S. Air Force.

These four men were buried as a group on 18 December in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

Two other servicemen, who were individually identified in October 2007, are also represented in this group.

They are Captain WARREN ROBERT ORR JR
U.S. Army, of Kewanee, Illinois

and

Airman 1st Class GEORGE WENDELL LONG
U.S. Air Force, of Medicine, Kansas

Representatives from the Air Force and the Army mortuary offices met with the next-of-kin of these men to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the secretary of the Air Force and the secretary of the Army.

On 12 May 1968, these men were on board a C-130 Hercules evacuating Vietnamese citizens from the Kham Duc Special Forces Camp near Da Nang, South Vietnam.

While taking off, the crew reported taking heavy enemy ground fire.

A forward air controller flying in the area reported seeing the plane explode in mid-air soon after leaving the runway.

In 1986 and 1991, U.S. officials received remains and identification tags from sources claiming they belonged to men from this incident.

Scientific analysis revealed they were not American remains, but it was believed the Vietnamese sources knew where the crash site was located.

In 1993, a joint/U.S.-Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), traveled to Kham Duc and interviewed four local citizens concerning the incident.

They led the team to the crash site and turned over remains and identification tags they had recovered in 1983 while looking for scrap metal.

During this visit, the team recovered human remains and aircraft wreckage at the site.

In 1994, another joint team excavated the crash site and recovered remains, pieces of life-support equipment, crew-related gear and personal effects.

JPAC scientists used forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence in the identification of the remains.

On Silver Wings
They Flew The Skies
These Brave Young Men
Who Fought And Died
When Duty Called
They Went So Brave
Now Families Mourn
Beside Their Grave
Who Can Forget
What Courage They Had
Some Have,Some Did
And That's So Sad

MAJOR

BERNARD LUDWIG BUCHER

was a posthumous recipient of the


AIR FORCE CROSS



///////--MIA--\\\



YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN

NOR SHALL YOU EVER BE



========================================



CITATION FOR AWARD OF THE

AIR FORCE CROSS

TO


*BUCHER, BERNARD LUDWIG

Major

United States Air Force

Date of Action: 12 May 1968


The Air Force Cross is presented to Bernard Ludwig Bucher, Major, United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed force as a C-130 Aircraft Commander in the Republic of Vietnam on 12 May 1968. On that date, Major Bucher volunteered to attempt the rescue of friendly forces from the Kham Duc airfield. Hostile forces had completely encircled the airfield. The surrounding terrain was extremely hazardous with 300 to 350 foot hills at each end of the runway. Shell fragments, munitions, and other debris littered the entire runway. After careful evaluation of the danger and realizing the hopeless position of the remaining defenders if they were not evacuated, Major Bucher elected to try the landing. Approaching the field from a steep angle of attack to avoid as much of the hail of enemy fire as possible, he successfully landed his aircraft and immediately began loading the defenders. After loading, Major Bucher faced the task of taking off through the heavy hostile fire. An abandoned bulldozer and a crashed helicopter blocked much of the runway. After an amazingly successful takeoff, Major Bucher's aircraft was seen to crash and catch fire. During the entire action, Major Bucher displayed the highest traditions of a professional Air Force Officer. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of hostile forces, Major Bucher reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.





Tuesday 28 September 1999