YEEND, RICHARD CAROLINUS JR.

Remains Identified 09/2003.

Name: Richard Carolinus Yeend
Branch/Rank:  United States Air Force/O3
Unit: AF37 ARRS
Date of Birth: 11 October 1938
Home City of Record: MOBILE AL
Date of Loss: 09 June 1968
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 162144 North  1070534 East
Status (in 1973): Killed In Action/Body Not Recovered
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: HU3E
Missions:
Refno: 1206

Other Personnel in Incident: Elmer Holden, James Locker, Jack
Rittichtier,  all KIA/BNR

Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or more of the following: raw
data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA
families, published sources, interviews and CACCF = Combined Action
Combat Casualty File. Updated 2020.

REMARKS: RADIO CONTACT LOST OVER WATER SAR NEG

PILOT RESCUE ATTEMPTED HIT BY GROUND FIRE/EXPLODE/BURN

LAO BORDER, THUA THIEN 22 MILES NW A SHAU

----------------------------------------------
nov14.98

Air Force Looks for Missing Copter
The Associated Press

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AP) -- The Air Force is hoping flight simulations can
help solve the disappearance 30 years ago of a rescue helicopter in Vietnam.

The project may lead to similar efforts to find other aircraft that vanished
during the Vietnam War, former flight engineer Bob Baldwin said Wednesday as
the nation marked Veterans Day. ....

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

Coast Guard pilot's body recovered from Laos
Molly Kavanaugh; Plain Dealer Reporter

In the months following the June 9, 1968, helicopter crash in the jungles of
Laos, Carol Rittichier held onto hope her husband was still alive.

The two met at Kent State University and within two months became engaged.
After 11 years of marriage, they told people they were still on their
honeymoon......

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

Captain coming home

Thirty-five years later, the remains of an Air Force pilot shot down over
Laos are identified and will be returned to relatives in the Mobile area

09/09/03

By RON COLQUITT
Staff Reporter

The remains of Air Force Capt. Richard C. Yeend Jr., who was listed as
missing in action after his helicopter was shot down over Laos 35 years ago,
have been identified and will be returned to relatives in the Mobile area,
federal authorities said Monday.......

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01/2020

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000toktgEAA

CAPT RICHARD CAROLINUS YEEND JR.

Return to Service Member Profiles

On August 15, 2003, Joint Task Force–Full Accounting (JTF-FA, now DPAA) identified the remains of Captain Richard Carolinus Yeend Jr., missing from the Vietnam War.

Captain Yeend entered the U.S. Air Force from Alabama and was a member of the 37th Air Rescue and Recovery Squadron. On June 9, 1968, he copiloted an HH-3E Jolly Green Giant (tail number 67-14710, call sign "Jolly Green 23") that took off from Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, on a search and rescue mission for a downed A-4 pilot in Salavan Province, Laos. At the rescue site, the aircraft was struck by enemy fire, crashed, and exploded; Capt Yeend was killed in the incident. An active enemy presence prevented searchers from recovering his remains at the time. Joint search teams eventually recovered human remains from the crash site that U.S. analysts identified as those of Capt Yeend.

Captain Yeend is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. 

If you are a family member of this serviceman, you may contact your casualty office representative to learn more about your service member.