New Jersey

Davis, Robert Charles
Air Force Major

Robert Charles Davis from Burlington, New Jersey.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: March 23, 1969
Death details: On October 18, 1996, Joint Task Force–Full Accounting (JTF-FA, now DPAA) identified the remains of Lieutenant Colonel Robert Charles Davis, missing from the Vietnam War.

Lieutenant Colonel Davis entered the U.S. Air Force from New Jersey and was a member of the 609th Special Operations Squadron. On March 23, 1969, he was the navigator aboard an A-26A Invader (tail number 64-17667, call sign “Nimrod 24”) that took off from Nakhon Phanom Airfield, Thailand, on a night armed reconnaissance mission over Khammouan Province, Laos. Shortly after making a pass on an enemy anti-aircraft gun position, this aircraft was hit by enemy fire and crashed in the target area, killing Lt Col Davis. Visual and electronic search efforts were unsuccessful and Lt Col Davis’ remains could not be recovered at the time. In 1994, a joint U.S./Laotian investigation team visited the crash site and recovered human remains and pieces of aircraft wreckage and personal artifacts, and in 1995, investigators were able to identify Lt Col Davis from these remains.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Widdis, James Wesley Jr.
Air Force Lieutenant colonel

James Wesley Widdis Jr. from Newark, New Jersey.

Date of death: March 23, 1969
Death details: On October 18, 1996, Joint Task Force–Full Accounting (JTF-FA, now DPAA) identified the remains of Major James Wesley Widdis Jr., missing from the Vietnam War.

Major Widdis entered the U.S. Air Force from New Jersey and was a member of the 609th Special Operations Squadron. On March 23, 1969, he piloted an A-26A Invader (tail number 64-17667, call sign “Nimrod 24”) that took off from Nakhon Phanom Airfield, Thailand, on a night armed reconnaissance mission over Khammouan Province, Laos. Shortly after making a pass on an enemy anti-aircraft gun position, this aircraft was hit by enemy fire and crashed in the target area, killing Maj Widdis. Visual and electronic search efforts were unsuccessful and Maj Widdis’ remains could not be recovered at the time. In 1994, a joint U.S./Laotian investigation team visited the crash site and recovered human remains and pieces of aircraft wreckage and personal artifacts, and in 1995, investigators were able to identify Maj Widdis from these remains.

Sources: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Wrobleski, Walter Francis
Army Chief warrant officer

Walter Francis Wrobleski from Freehold, New Jersey.

Service era: Vietnam

Date of death: May 21, 1967
Death details: On May 21, 1967, a UH-1C Iroquois (tail number 65-9480, call sign “Wolf Pack 480”) with a crew of four participated in an extraction mission in the Ashau Valley, South Vietnam. The flight of seven helicopters sighted the patrol in the vicinity of grid coordinates YC 458 874, Thua Thien Province; however, as this UH-1C began laying down covering fire for the extraction, it was hit by a burst of heavy machine gun fire. The engine immediately failed, and the helicopter was then hit by another burst of fire that sent it out of control. It crashed, rolled down a small ravine and caught fire. The crew flashed a red signal indicating they had survived the crash, and despite heavy enemy fire, another helicopter managed to rescue one of the crewmen. The following day a second signal alerted rescuers to the position of a second crew man, whom they extracted. U.S. Army Rangers found the third crew man alive the next day and he was able to walk out of the area with them. Despite intensive aerial and ground searches, the fourth crew member from this helicopter was never found.

Warrant Officer 1 Walter Francis Wrobleski, who joined the U.S. Army from New Jersey, served with the 281th Aviation Company, 10th Aviation Battalion, 17th Aviation Group. He was the pilot of the downed helicopter, and he was not recovered by search forces. He remains unaccounted for. After the incident, the Army promoted Warrant Office 1 Wrobleski to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3. Today, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Wrobleski is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Knapp, Herman Ludwig
Air Force Colonel

Herman Ludwig Knapp, age 38, from Roselle, New Jersey.

Era: Vietnam

Date of death: April 24, 1967
Death details: On April 24, 1967, an F-4C Phantom II (tail number 63-7641, call sign “Arrow 1”) took off from Ubon Airfield, Thailand, with a crew of two on a strike mission against a bridge near Hanoi, North Vietnam. An electrical transformer station north of Hanoi was also attacked. During its last pass at the target, this Phantom was hit by anti-aircraft fire, broke apart, and crashed. Two large pieces of flaming wreckage were seen to strike the ground in a fireball. No parachutes were seen and no rescue beeper signals were received. The aircraft’s two crew members remain missing.

Major Herman Ludwig Knapp entered the U.S. Air Force from New Jersey and was a member of the 433rd Tactical Fighter Squadron. He was the aircraft commander of the Phantom when it crashed on April 24, 1967, and was lost with the aircraft. His remains were not recovered. Following the incident, the Air Force promoted Maj Knapp to the rank of Colonel (Col). Today, Colonel Knapp is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Sources: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Ehrlich, Dennis Michael
Navy Lieutenant (junior grade)

Dennis Michael Ehrlich, age 25, from Pompton Plains, New Jersey.

Date of death: Thursday, January 19, 1967
Death details: On January 19, 1967, an F-4B Phantom II (bureau number 153029, call sign “Linfield 213”) with two crew members launched from the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CVA 63). Immediately after launch, the aircraft appeared to lose power from its starboard engine, causing it to stall and crash into the sea roughly a mile ahead of the ship. The aircraft was destroyed on impact with the water and no ejections or attempts at crew escape were observed. Search and rescue efforts were initiated immediately, but were unable to recover either crew member.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Dennis Michael Ehrlich, who entered the U.S. Navy from New Jersey, served with Fighter Squadron 114 and was the radar intercept officer on this Phantom at the time of its loss. He remains unaccounted for. Subsequent to the incident, the U.S. Navy posthumously promoted LTJG Ehrlich to the rank of Lieutenant (LT). Today, Lieutenant Ehrlich 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.

Sources: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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