WIDERQUIST, THOMAS CARL
08/17/72 REMAINS RECOVERED
ID'd 06/12/74
Name: Thomas Carl Widerquist
Branch/Rank: United States Air Force/O2
Unit: 345th
Tactical Airlift Squadron, 374th Tactical Airlift Wing
Date of Birth: 01 February 1947
Home City of Record: MORTON GROVE IL
Date of Loss: 03 May 1972
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 113924 North 1063752 East
Status (in 1973): Body Recovered
Category: C130E
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground:
Missions:
Other Personnel in Incident: Lester Bracy (Bracey), Joseph Hopper,
Alexander McIver, Don Unger, Freddie Slater, all remains recoverd
Refno: 1840
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. 2020
REMARKS: 08/17/72 REMAINS RECOVERED ID'd 06/12/74
CACCF/CRASH/AIRCREW/BINH LONG
No further information available at this time.
https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000paAT1EAM
On June 12, 1974, the Central Identification Laboratory-Thailand
(CILT, now DPAA) identified the remains of First Lieutenant
Thomas Carl Widerquist, missing from the Vietnam War.
First Lieutenant Widerquist joined the U.S. Air Force from
Illinois and was a member of the 345th Tactical Airlift
Squadron, 374th Tactical Airlift Wing. On May 3, 1972, he was a
crew member aboard a C-130E Hercules that took off on a resupply
mission near An Loc, South Vietnam. The aircraft was shot down
during the mission, and 1st Lt Widerquist was killed in the
incident. Once fighting in the area had stopped, search and
rescue teams recovered the remains of most of the C-130E's crew;
however, 1st Lt Widerquist's remains could not be individually
identified until 1974.
If you are a family member of this serviceman, you may contact your casualty office representative to learn more about your service member.