THE WALL OF FACES

Thank you everyone for your kind words. Capt. Altus is my Uncle. I never got to meet him, but his patriotism and and sheer smarts led me into the Engineering field. He is missed but not forgotten.

I purchased 2 POW/MIA bracelets and Captain Altus was one of them. I wore the bracelet while on active duty 1974-1984. Many times I got in trouble for wearing it because it was not my ID bracelet. I stood fast in my resolve to never allow anyone to forget those in the POW/MIA status. I have it still today.

DEAR CAPTAIN ALTUS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS A PILOT - TACTICAL FIGHTER (F-4 PHANTOM II - VARIOUS MODELS)
STILL FLY THE POW/MIA FLAG AND I PRAY YOU ARE FOUND.
PLEASE COME HOME.

Captain Robert Wayne Altus, Served with the 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 366th Tactical Fighter Wing, 7th Air Force

CAPT Robert W. Altus was the pilot and 1Lt. William Phelps his weapons/systems operator of an USAF F-4E (#69-7562) which departed Da Nang Airbase as part of a multi-aircraft flight on an operational mission over Laos on November 23, 1971. When the flight was about 20 miles northwest of Chavane in Saravane Province, Laos, a large explosion on the ground was seen by flight members. Efforts to raise Altus and Phelps by radio failed. No parachutes were seen, and no emergency radio beeper signals heard. Both Althus and Phelps were classified Missing in Action. [Taken from pownetwork.org]