🇺🇲Vietnam War Stories: A Hero Returns Home 52 Years Later : Colonel Roy Knight Jr. of Texas
After 52 years, the remains of Air Force pilot Colonel Roy Knight Jr., who was shot down in 1967 during the Vietnam War, have finally come home. The plane that carried them, a commercial jet owned by Southwest Airlines, was flown by Knight’s son Bryan Knight, a Captain with the airline.
Colonel Knight arrived on August 8, 2019 in a flag-draped casket at Dallas Love Field — the same airport where Colonel Knight said goodbye to his then-5-year-old son.
“When I first got the call, it was almost surreal,” Bryan Knight told Southwest Airlines. “I really didn’t think it would ever happen. Wow, you know, he’s really coming home. We’re going to be able to bring him back, and we’re going to have a place where we can honor him.” – NPR
“Roy Knight Jr. was shot down in May 1967 while pursuing a target on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. Military officials say the crash site was searched several times since the 1990s. Remains linked to Knight finally surfaced this year and were identified in June 2019.
Knight’s obituary describes him as “a devoted and loving son, brother, husband, father and friend” who was well-liked by those with whom he served. Born in 1931, he graduated high school in 1947 and enlisted in the Air Force days after his 17th birthday. He served as a clerk typist in the Philippines, Japan and Korea before beginning pilot training in 1957. He became a fighter pilot, serving in Germany and France before returning home in 1963 to work as an instructor pilot.
In 1966, Knight received orders to deploy to Southeast Asia. He reported to the 602nd Fighter Squadron at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base in January 1967, and flew combat missions almost daily until being shot down May 19. He has been posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross, Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart and six Air medals.
Colonel Roy night Jr was laid to rest with full military honors on August 10, 2019 at Holders Chapel Cemetery In Cool Texas. Lest We Forget.
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Original description and photos sourced by NPR and White’s Funeral Homes obituary
