Remembering fallen service members

Published Sept. 16, 2016
By Airman 1st Class Eli Chevalier
48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --

Throughout the 20th century and into the 21st, U.S. service members have fought in conflicts all over the world.

The U.S. suffered casualties in each of these clashes. While some fallen service members were recovered, others were not.

September 16 is National POW/MIA Recognition Day, a day to honor and remember those lost in conflicts around the globe.

According to the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency, more than 83,000 Americans are unaccounted for from past conflicts.

Of these, at least two are from the Liberty Wing.

First Lt. Robert F. Coyle, of the 492nd Fighter Squadron, was lost over the English Channel on Aug. 23, 1944, during Allied efforts against Germany, and Capt. Paul F. Lorence, of the 48th Tactical Fighter Squadron, was lost April 15, 1986, during Operation El Dorado Canyon, when his F-111F Aardvark was shot down during a raid on Libya.

As we honor the lost, Liberty Wing Airmen will continue carrying the torch forward, defending the values and freedoms the fallen fought for. We will never forget the sacrifices of our fallen brothers and sisters, and we’ll never stop searching until they’re home.