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Published on: Wednesday, June 18, 2025 read more ...

AUTHORS

JENIFER LEIGH VAN VLECK

“Welcome Home, Brother”: Vietnam Pilot Lt. Col. Donald "Donny” Downing Laid to Rest

On the night of Sept. 5, 1967, two U.S. Air Force F-4C Phantom II jets flew a reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam. Suddenly, one of the two-man crews saw a fireball light up the night’s sky. At that moment, the crew lost contact with the jet flown by Capt. Donald “Donny” William Downing. At sunrise the next morning, search and rescue efforts attempted to find Downing and his radar operator, but the searchers found nothing. 

A Lasting Impact: Physical Therapist Treated Wounded Korean War Soldiers

Marian Barrett may not have served her country in uniform, but she did serve her country by treating wounded soldiers coming back from the Korean War. On June 25, 2025, Marian was laid to rest with her husband of more than 40 years, Lt. Col. James “Jim” Barrett, a veteran of World War II and the Korean War who died in 2008.  

Remembering a WWII Marine Who Played a Role in Historic Guadalcanal Flag Raising

On Aug. 7, 1942, U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Robert H. Dillard (pictured, above right) splashed ashore at Guadalcanal with Weapons Company, Fifth Marines, part of the initial Allied assault force . He made his way inland and, on the second day of the campaign, reached the Japanese airfield where an enemy flag flapped in the breeze. “It was hauled down and the stars and stripes were run up,” Dillard wrote years later. “The flag we put up was only about a foot long, but it sure looked good.”  

Arlington National Cemetery Tour Celebrates Army’s 250th Birthday

About 30 people braved the Washington, D.C., area summer heat to tour Arlington National Cemetery and learn about the U.S. Army’s history on June 22, 2025. They took the “Global Wars, Global Warriors: Army History in the 20th Century Tour” hosted by ANMC Historians Dr. Allison Finkelstein and Tim Frank.  

 

WWII Veteran Identified and Buried After More Than 80 Years

When Jeremiah “Jerry” Mannell learned that his uncle and namesake, Jeremiah “Jerry” Mahoney, had been identified after being missing in action for more than 80 years, he felt both relieved and saddened: relieved that his uncle had been identified, but saddened that his uncle’s immediate family had passed away without knowing what happened to him. “None of my siblings knew anything about him,” Mannell said. “We only knew he was lost in World War II.” 

81 Years of Marriage, Separated Briefly by World War II

Darrell and Dorothy Bush went everywhere together, usually holding hands. The two were familiar faces at Arlington National Cemetery, attending yearly Battle of the Bulge ceremonies, at which Darrell would wear his World War II veteran’s cap and a jacket replete with medals.

Missing Vietnam Air Force Flyers Not Forgotten

U.S. Air Force Capt. Ronald Dean Stafford and his weapons system operator, Capt. Charles Joseph Caffarelli, never came back from their Nov. 21, 1972, bombing mission over North Vietnam. Search flights for their F-111 Aardvark bomber proved unsuccessful. Ten days after their mission, parts of their Aardvark washed up on a beach in South Vietnam near the demilitarized zone. Investigators determined their aircraft had crashed at sea and both officers were lost. 

Heartfelt Remembrance: Visitors Share Emotional Moments Laying Flowers at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Rochelle Roach’s emotions overwhelmed her. “It's very emotional,” she said as she put her hands over her teary eyes. “You just don't realize it until you do it.” She tried to say more, but the words were not coming.  

“We Owe It to Them:” Veterans and Soldiers Place Flags at Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery

Despite gray skies and rain, on the morning of May 22, 2025, U.S. Army soldiers and veterans from the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C., gathered at the adjacent Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery (SAHNC) to place flags at the headstones of the fallen. In a tradition known as “Flags In,” on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the Army’s 3d Infantry Regiment (the Old Guard) place small American flags in front of every headstone and niche row at both SAHNC and Arlington National Cemetery. During the event at SAHNC,  the Armed Forces Retirement Home residents also participate.  

From Frontline Marine in Korea to Frontline Ambassador in Israel

William Andreas Brown led a fascinating life in the United States Foreign Service, serving in posts around the globe that included appointments such as ambassador to Thailand in the 1980s and ambassador to Israel in the early 1990s. Yet he always identified with his service in the United States Marine Corps.