The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency has confirmed the identification of U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Donald W. Downing, who went missing during the Vietnam War in September 1967. His F-4C Phantom II aircraft was lost during a reconnaissance mission, and he was presumed killed in action in 1978 after unsuccessful search efforts. His remains, along with equipment and wreckage, were discovered in 2024 in Quang Binh Province, Vietnam. Advances in DNA testing facilitated the positive identification. A funeral service is planned at Arlington National Cemetery.
The remains of U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Donald W. Downing, missing since the Vietnam War, have been positively identified, nearly 60 years later.
Downing was reported missing during a reconnaissance mission in 1967, and his remains were identified using DNA testing from wreckage found in 2024.
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