Long Missing Vietnam War Pilot Finally Identified

Military officials have announced that a U.S. pilot, who went missing during a surveillance mission in the Vietnam War, has now been identified.

Assigned to the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Lieutenant Colonel Donald W. Downing, at the age of 33, flew for the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing under the 7th Air Force. During a mission on September 5, 1967, over the area once known as North Vietnam, he operated one of two aircrafts, executing a nocturnal armed reconnaissance assignment.

In the course of the mission, the leading aircraft described witnessing a 'sizable and intense explosion in the air,' according to authoritative sources. When attempts to communicate with Downing's F-4C Phantom II failed, rescue and search missions were initiated at dawn, but no signs were discovered electronically or visually.

Fast forward to April 28, 1978, Downing's status was updated to killed in action. Posthumously, he was elevated to lieutenant colonel. He is commemorated on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in D.C. and the Courts of the Missing within the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, next to other soldiers who remain missing from the Vietnam conflict.

On-going examinations persisted for decades without much success, as reported by the DPAA. However, a crucial breakthrough occurred in spring 2024, when a recovery unit uncovered life support apparatus, potential evidence, aircraft debris, unexploded war material, and skeletal fragments in Quang Binh Province, Vietnam.

Utilizing a combination of "historical, diplomatic, and scientific" methodologies, the DPAA identifies remains. Researchers delve into archival records to reconstruct the contexts surrounding a soldier's last known situation, gather testimonies from surviving witnesses, and explore the vicinity for evidential traces. Recovery teams, akin to those involved in finding indicators of Downing's crash site in 2024, are dispatched to probe the identified zones.

Upon retrieval, a scholarly team engaging diverse scientific skills undertakes the identification process. Dental evidence is compared by forensic odontologists, linking it to existing dental archives. Analysis of residual diet remains offers clues about a soldier's nationality — with Americans frequently consuming corn-based diets, as indicated by Wright. Relatives are solicited for DNA reference samples, enabling genetic verification.

In June 2024, the items recovered from Downing's crash were brought to the DPAA lab. By integrating anthropological methods, multifaceted DNA examination, and circumstantial evidence, the lab confirmed these remains belonged to Downing.

Downing's family was comprehensively briefed on the identification findings, although specific family members informed were not listed. At the time of his disappearance, he was survived by his spouse, their four children, both parents, and four siblings. A contemporary news excerpt noted his disappearance was reported just prior to what would have been his seventh wedding anniversary.

A symbolic marker will be added adjacent to his name on the Courts of the Missing, signifying he has been accounted for and he will receive a memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery.

About the Reporter

Kerry Breen, an editor at CBSNews.com and NYU Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism alumna, previously collaborated with NBC News' TODAY Digital on current affairs, emerging news, and numerous social issues like substance abuse.