Thomas, Kenneth Deane Jr.
Air Force Captain

Kenneth Deane Jr. Thomas, age 25, from Jefferson County Mount Vernon, Illinois .

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Thursday, May 5, 1966
Death details: On October 7, 1985, the Central Identification Laboratory-Hawaii (CILHI, now DPAA) identified the remains of Captain Kenneth Deane Thomas Jr., missing from the Vietnam War. Captain Thomas entered the U.S. Air Force from Illinois and was a member of 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron. On May 5, 1966, he piloted an F-105D Thunderchief (tail number unknown) that took off from Korat Air Base, Thailand on a combat mission against enemy targets in North Vietnam. While over Binh Thuan Province, his aircraft was hit by enemy fire and crashed, killing Capt Thomas. His remains were not recovered at the time. However, in 1985, investigators were able to identify Capt Thomas from remains that had been taken into U.S custody.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency