Dudash, John Francis
Air Force Colonel
John Francis Dudash, age 37, from Manville, New Jersey; Somerset County
Date of death: April 27, 1967
Death details: On June 27, 1983, the Central Identification Lab-Hawaii (CILHI, now DPAA) identified the remains of Colonel John Francis Dudash, missing from the Vietnam War.
Colonel Dudash, who joined the U.S. Air Force from New Jersey, served with the 333rd Tactical Fighter Squadron. On April 27, 1967, he piloted an F-105D Thunderchief on a mission over North Vietnam. During the mission, the Thunderchief was shot down and Col Dudash was killed. Hostile presence in the area prevented recovery efforts following the crash. In 1983, the Vietnamese government repatriated human remains to the U.S. which were later identified as those of Col Dudash.
Cemetery: Arlington National
Sources: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, findagrave.com