THE WALL OF FACES

A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam
And for a brief moment its glory
and beauty belong to our world
But then it flies again
And though we wish it could have stayed...
We feel lucky to have seen it.

Never forget.

Semper Fortis

Dear ADJ2 Curtis Collette,
Thank you for your service as an Aviation Machinist's Mate (jet Engine Mechanic). You are still MIA.
PLEASE COME HOME.
2017 almost gone, and it is the 6th Day of Christmas. It is so important for us all to acknowledge the sacrifices of those like you who answered our nation's call. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage and faithfulness. Rest in peace with the angels.

Your grave site is a very peaceful and solemn place. A place of honor for a hero among heroes. Thank you again for your service and your sacrifice. Never Forgotten

On June 17, 1966, a C-130E "Hercules" aircraft departed Cam Ranh Bay, South Vietnam en route to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa on an operational airlift support mission. Aboard the flight were the crew, consisting of LCDR Ralph B. Cobbs, ADJ2 Curtis D. Collette, YN2 Jack I. Dempsey, ADR2 Stanley J. Freng, LTJG Edward L. Romig, AN M.J. Savoy, and LTJG Donald E. Siegwarth. All were assigned to the 7th Air Transport Squadron. Also aboard the aircraft were U.S. Air Force personnel SSGT Robert A. Cairns, SSGT Gene K. Hess, CAPT Connie M. Gravitte, SSGT Oley N. Adams, and A1 Larry E. Washburn, and one other individual. About 30 minutes into the flight, when the aircraft was 43 miles northeast of Nha Trang, the crew of a naval gunboat cruising off the South Vietnam coast observed the C-130 explode and crash into the South China Sea. No hostile fire was observed, and the exact cause of the crash could not be determined. The vessel arrived at the crash scene only minutes after the impact and began an immediate search. The accident took place so swiftly that it must be assumed all aboard perished instantly. Some debris and wreckage have been recovered including parts of the aircraft and personal belongings. Only one body was recovered from the crash site. The others are listed as "Dead/Body Not Recovered." Cobbs and Siegworth were pilots, and probably the co-pilots of the aircraft, although this information is not included in public data relating to the loss. Crew positions of the remaining crew members are not available. Inexplicably, Cobbs' loss coordinates place him on the coast of South Vietnam a few miles northeast of Tuy Hoa, while the others aboard are listed as lost northeast of Na Trang. (This is a difference of about 55 miles.) Also, the entire crew of the aircraft has been assigned "Knowledge Category 4", while the passengers are in "Knowledge Category 5". Category 5 includes those individuals whose remains have been determined to be non-recoverable. Category 4 includes individuals whose loss details, such as location and time, are unknown and who do not fit into any of the varying degrees of knowledge other than category 5. No reason for this discrepancy can be determined. The Americans aboard the C130E are listed among the missing because their remains were never found to be returned to their homeland. They are among nearly 2500 Americans who were unaccounted for at the end of the Vietnam War. [Narrative taken from pownetwork.org; image from wikipedia.com]