Adachi, Thomas Yuji
Air Force
Thomas Yuji Adachi, age 24, from Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles county.
Service era: Vietnam
Date of death: Wednesday, April 22, 1970
Death details: On September 1, 1995, Central Identification Laboratory–Hawaii (CILHI, now DPAA) identified the remains of Senior Master Sergeant Thomas Yuji Adachi, missing from the Vietnam War.
Senior Master Sergeant Adachi joined the U.S. Air Force from California and was a member of the 16th Special Operations Squadron. On April 22, 1970, he a gunner aboard an AC-130 Hercules (serial number 54-1625) on an armed reconnaissance mission over enemy targets in Saravane Province, Laos. The gunship was downed by anti-aircraft fire during the mission, and SMSgt Adachi was killed in the crash, but search efforts could not locate his body at the time. In November 1993, a joint U.S. and Laotian investigative team recovered remains from a crash site associated with this AC-130. In 1995, forensic analysis identified some of the recovered remains as those of SMSgt Adachi.
Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
This weekend I found a metal “memorial” cuff type wrist bracelet with Senior Master Sergeant Thomas Yuji Adachi’s name date of death and information on it. I am sure it is very special to his family and whoever had it on and lost it. If you or someone you know can contact the family they can email me and tell me what state they lost it in and where to prove that it is them so I can get it to the rightful owner. The location was unique. my email is
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