WHAT I CAN DO - I WILL -

Richard Carolinus Yeend, Jr. was a Captain in the United States Air Force when he was Killed In Action on 09 June 1968. Yeend was born on 11 October 1938, and his home city of record is Mobile, Alabama. Yeend's remains were repatriated on 14 February 2003, and he was buried with honor in September 2003 in Mobile, Alabama.

Elmer Larry Holden was a Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force when he was Killed In Action on 09 June 1968. Holden was born on 19 February 1944, and his home city of record is Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Holden's remains were repatriated on 14 February 2003, and he was buried with honor on 11 October 2003 in Johnson-St. Paul Cemetery, Hampton, South Carolina.

James Douglas Locker was a Sergeant in the United States Air Force when he was Killed In Action on 09 June 1968. Locker was born on 25 February 1947, and his home city of record is Sidney, Ohio. Locker's remains were repatriated on 14 February 2003, and he was buried with honor on 18 October 2003 in Glen Cemetery, Port Jefferson, Ohio.

Walter Roy Schmidt, Jr., was a First Lieutenant in the United States Air Force when he was declared Prisoner of War on 09 June 1968. Schmidt was born on 18 November 1945, and his home city of record is Nassau, New York. Schmidt remains unaccounted for.

REMARKS: LANDED ALIVE, NVA APPROACHING

EGRESS: Always giving the guards a hard time - did not mentally adapt to capture.

SYNOPSIS: 1LT Walter R. Schmidt Jr. was an A4 pilot assigned to VMA 121, 12th Marine Air Group. On 09 June 1968, he was assigned a bombing mission in northern Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam -- on the northern sector of the A Shau Valley.

After making a bombing run, Schmidt's aircraft came under fire. Schmidt was seen to eject from the damaged aircraft and parachute to the ground. Voice contact was established with 1LT Schmidt and he stated that he was hurt with a possible broken leg and that he was unable to move. North Vietnamese forces were seen to be approaching his position. It was not possible to conduct an extraction at the time, and rescue efforts were delayed until the following day.

The next morning, no sign of Schmidt or his parachute could be found. Attempts to raise him by radio were futile. It was believed that Schmidt had probably been captured. He was classified Prisoner of War.