"It's been really heartwarming. It's an honor to him that people remember 40 years later."
A FINAL SALUTE
Vietnam MIA from Dallas laid to rest
By TERRIE MORGAN-BESECKER
ARLINGTON, Va. -- For 40 years he lay in the dense jungle in Southeast Asia, an unknown soldier who had been afforded a crude burial by Vietnamese villagers.
There had been no honor guard, no rifle salute for U.S. Air Force Maj. John F. Conlon III on that day in March 1966, when his remains were pulled from the burning wreckage of his plane in the Dak Pling Village of Vietnam.
On Tuesday, thousands of miles away, the highly decorated Dallas native was finally afforded the military funeral he had earned for his sacrifice. Conlon's sister, Claire Evans, and more than 100 family members and friends joined together at Arlington National Cemetery to say goodbye to the dashing young man who lost his life at age 25.
An Air Force band trumpeted "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" as Evans led the procession that followed behind a horse-drawn caisson that carried the flag-draped casket. Inside the 16-gauge steel casket lay a full-dress Air Force uniform and medals Conlon had earned, as well as the only remains that were recovered -- four teeth.
Conlon, who was promoted posthumously from lieutenant to major, was afforded full military honors that included a flyover by four F-10 Warthog attack planes, a color guard, gun salute and the playing of "Taps." The sun shone brightly as a cool breeze rustled the yellowing leaves of the two sugar maple trees between which the fallen solider would be interred.
Seated at the gravesite, Evans listened intently as the Rev. Tim Friedrichsen of Catholic University in Washington, D.C., presided over the service. Shots from an eight-man rifle squad pierced the silence just before members of the honor guard ritualistically removed and folded the flag from the casket and presented it to Evans.
Her niece by her side, Evans arose and laid an array of white roses atop the casket, then kissed her hand and touched the top one final time. For Evans, 71, of Dallas, the day was the culmination of an amazing series of events that began on Feb. 16, 2006, when the Joint POW/MIA Operating Command, responsible for locating veterans' remains, began a nearly month-long excavation in Dak Pling Village.
The command had targeted that area, believing it was the site of a different aircraft that went down in 1971. Searchers did not realize they had discovered Conlon's crash site until they came upon the dog tag of the fellow aviator killed with Conlon, Col. Stuart M. Andrews.
Conlon and Andrews, the pilot, were about 30 minutes into a mission in the Binh Dinh province of South Vietnam when radio contact was lost on March 4, 1966. Officials suspect their plane, a low-flying O-1E Bird Dog, was shot down.
Conlon's remains were positively identified in June. Since then, Evans has ridden a roller coaster of emotions as friends, family and strangers who had worn Conlon's POW/MIA bracelet for decades contacted her.
Speaking at a gathering of friends after the funeral, Evans said she was deeply touched by the outpouring of support she has received. Friends of her brother and family came from all over the country to attend Tuesday's services, including one former classmate of John's who traveled from Seattle, Wash.
"It's been really heartwarming," Evans said. "It's an honor to him that people remember 40 years later."
With his burial at Arlington, Conlon joins more than 300,000 other service members who lie in rest at the nation's most prestigious military cemetery. His gravesite will remain unmarked for about two months while the tombstone is inscribed with his name, rank, service affiliation, date of birth and death and information on the war he served in and the medals he earned.
For the time being, he will be known only as lot 7487 in section 66. But Evans doesn't mind. She had all but given up hope that her brother's remains would ever be found.
Today she's just thankful; that unknown solider from the forest of Dak Pling Village is unknown no more. His name is Maj. John F. Conlon III, and he has finally come home.