Cobeil, Earl Glenn
Air Force Lieutenant colonel

Earl Glenn Cobeil, age 36, from Pontiac, Michigan, Oakland county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Thursday, November 5, 1970
Death details: On April 3, 1974, the Central Identification Laboratory-Thailand (CILT, now DPAA) identified the remains of Lieutenant Colonel Earl Glenn Cobeil, missing from the Vietnam War. Lieutenant Colonel Cobeil joined the U.S. Air Force from Michigan and was a member of the 333rd Tactical Fighter Squadron. On November 5, 1967, he was the electronic warfare officer aboard an F-105 Wild Weasel that was shot down over enemy territory in Vietnam. Lt Col Cobeil was forced to eject and was captured by enemy forces. He died as a result of inhumane treatment at the hands of his captors. In 1974, the Vietnamese government returned Lt Col Cobeil’s remains to U.S. custody, and U.S. analysts confirmed the identification a short time later.

Source: National Archives, Associated Press (1970), Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency