Latimer County Oklahoma

Knight, Larry Coleman
Navy Lieutenant

Larry Coleman Knight, age 26, from Wilburton, Oklahoma, Latimer county.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: Thursday, April 9, 1970

Death details: On April 9, 1970, a, E-2A Hawkeye (bureau number 151711, call sign “Sun King 012”) carrying a crew of five took off from the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) in the Gulf of Tonkin on an administrative mission. About one mile ahead of the ship, “Sun King 012” declared it had a fire in the aft compartment. The aircraft then impacted the water and broke apart two to three miles ahead of the Coral Sea. An extensive search of the wreckage recovered the remains of one of “Sun King 012’s” crew members; however, the other four men aboard the aircraft are still unaccounted for. Lieutenant Larry Coleman Knight, who joined the U.S. Navy from Oklahoma, was a member of Carrier Early Warning Squadron 116. He was the copilot of “Sun King 012” when it went down, and was lost with the aircraft. His remains have not been recovered. Today, Lieutenant Knight is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual’s case to be in the analytical category of Non-recoverable.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Newsom, Earl T.
Navy Coxswain

Earl T. Newsom from Wilburton, Oklahoma, Latimer county.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Monday, December 18, 1944
Death details: He was aboard the destroyer USS Hull as it operated as part of the Fast Carrier Strike Force in the Philippine Sea. On December 17, 1944, the Hull was participating in refueling operations when the ships of its fueling group were engulfed by Typhoon Cobra. The Hull lost its ability to steer amid the enormous waves and began taking on water. The Hull eventually took on too much water to stay afloat and rolled and sank shortly before noon, on December 18. Sixty-two crew members were rescued, but a little more than two-hundred crew members were lost in the sinking.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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