Wiechert, Robert C. – KIA

“Major Robert Charles Wiechert entered the U.S. Air Force from Utah and served in the 615th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 35th Tactical Fighter Wing.

On November 16, 1968, he was piloting a single-seat F-100D Super Sabre (tail number 55-3653, call sign “Blade 32”) as the second in a flight of two aircraft out of Phan Rang Air Force Base for a mission over South Vietnam.

As the two aircraft were en route to the target area, their forward air controller radioed to abort the mission due to bad weather. The flight then headed to Cam Ranh Bay and made radio contact with the Cam Ranh Bay control sector.

Seconds after making contact, Maj Wiechert radioed that he was in trouble. His flight leader looked and saw “Blade 32″ in a descending turn. The leader then radioed for Maj Wiechert to fly by instruments in an attempt to regain control of his aircraft, and if he could not, to eject.

Then, while over (GC) 49P CP 430 270, Maj Wiechert radioed to say he had broken out of some clouds and was upside down. He made no further contact and was not seen again. Immediate search and rescue operations by his flight leader and surface ships found no sign of Maj Wiechert or his aircraft, and further attempts to locate him or his remains were unsuccessful.” (1)

Robert Charles Wiechert has a military stone in his honor at Memorial Gardens of the Valley in Sandy, UT. (Larkin Sunset Gardens Cemetery). He is also memorialized at Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial and is honored on the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial in Washington DC. His name is inscribed at VVM Wall, Panel 39w, Line 76.

Sources: Info/Photos – HonorStates.org; (1) POWnetwork.org