On 15 May 1966 Maj. George W. Jensen was piloting an AC-47D gunship on an armed reconnaissance mission over Vientiane Province, Laos. Also on board were Capt. Marshall L. Tapp, co-pilot; 1Lt. George W. Thompson, navigator; SSgt. James A. Preston, loadmaster; SSgt. William L. Madison, and A2c Kenneth D. McKenney, gunners; A1c James E. Williams, flight engineer; and Maj. Lavern G. Reilly, observer. At approximately 2100 hours, local time, Maj. Jensen radioed the Airborne Command and Control aircraft that everything was normal. No other contact with Maj. Jensen or his crew was established and the aircraft never returned to home base. When search and rescue efforts proved negative, Major Jensen and his crew were declared Missing In Action. Three weeks after the incident, on 7 June 1966, a Pathet Lao radio broadcast announced that a U.S. C-47 had been shot down in central or southern Laos on 15 May. The broadcast went on to claim that eight Americans and two South Vietnamese had been killed in the crash. Colonel Jensen and all eight Americans were promoted while in an MIA status. Colonel Jensen and his crew's status were changed to presumed Killed In Action. Sgt McKenney was promoted from E3 to E7.
On December 13, 1999, the remains of eleven American servicemen previously unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War had been identified and were returned to their families for burial in the United States. Some personal effects were also returned to their families.
They are identified as U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Tim L. Walters, South Bend, Ind.; U.S. Army 1st Lt. James R. McQuade, Hoquiam, Wash.; U.S. Army; Spc. James E. Hackett, Bradenton, Fla.; U.S. Air Force Col. George W. Jensen, Seattle, Wash.; U.S. Air Force Col. Marshall L. Tapp, Los Angeles, Calif.; U.S. Air Force Col. Lavern G. Reilly, St. Paul, Minn.; U.S. Air Force Maj. George W. Thompson, Beckley, W.Va.; U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. James A. Preston, Bowden, Ga.; U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. James E. Williams, Oxford, Miss.; U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. William L. Madison, Lexington, Ky.; and U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Kenneth D. McKenney, Auburn, Mass.
God bless you all and thank you for the ultimate sacrifice of giving your lives for our freedom.
Kenneth is listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in Washington, DC. He is on Panel 07E - Line 62.
He is also listed on the Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Greenhill Park in Worcester, Massachusetts.
He was a classmate of my husbands and this is what was printed beside his graduation picture, "Dependable and energetic...a big tease...has a twinkle in his eye...a politician...pleasing disposition."
What a tragic loss to all who knew him. God bless him and the loving family and friends he left behind. He will never be forgotten.
Here is a dedication to Kenneth McKenney that you might wish to read.
On December 13, 1999, the remains of eleven American servicemen previously unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War had been identified and were returned to their families for burial in the United States. Some personal effects were also returned to their families.
They are identified as U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Tim L. Walters, South Bend, Ind.; U.S. Army 1st Lt. James R. McQuade, Hoquiam, Wash.; U.S. Army; Spc. James E. Hackett, Bradenton, Fla.; U.S. Air Force Col. George W. Jensen, Seattle, Wash.; U.S. Air Force Col. Marshall L. Tapp, Los Angeles, Calif.; U.S. Air Force Col. Lavern G. Reilly, St. Paul, Minn.; U.S. Air Force Maj. George W. Thompson, Beckley, W.Va.; U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. James A. Preston, Bowden, Ga.; U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. James E. Williams, Oxford, Miss.; U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. William L. Madison, Lexington, Ky.; and U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Kenneth D. McKenney, Auburn, Mass.
God bless you all and thank you for the ultimate sacrifice of giving your lives for our freedom.
Kenneth is listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in Washington, DC. He is on Panel 07E - Line 62.
He is also listed on the Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Greenhill Park in Worcester, Massachusetts.
He was a classmate of my husbands and this is what was printed beside his graduation picture, "Dependable and energetic...a big tease...has a twinkle in his eye...a politician...pleasing disposition."
What a tragic loss to all who knew him. God bless him and the loving family and friends he left behind. He will never be forgotten.
Here is a dedication to Kenneth McKenney that you might wish to read.
On 15 May 1966 Maj. George W. Jensen was piloting an AC-47D gunship on an armed reconnaissance mission over Vientiane Province, Laos. Also on board were Capt. Marshall L. Tapp, co-pilot; 1Lt. George W. Thompson, navigator; SSgt. James A. Preston, loadmaster; SSgt. William L. Madison, and A2c Kenneth D. McKenney, gunners; A1c James E. Williams, flight engineer; and Maj. Lavern G. Reilly, observer. At approximately 2100 hours, local time, Maj. Jensen radioed the Airborne Command and Control aircraft that everything was normal. No other contact with Maj. Jensen or his crew was established and the aircraft never returned to home base. When search and rescue efforts proved negative, Major Jensen and his crew were declared Missing In Action. Three weeks after the incident, on 7 June 1966, a Pathet Lao radio broadcast announced that a U.S. C-47 had been shot down in central or southern Laos on 15 May. The broadcast went on to claim that eight Americans and two South Vietnamese had been killed in the crash. Colonel Jensen and all eight Americans were promoted while in an MIA status. Colonel Jensen and his crew's status were changed to presumed Killed In Action. Sgt McKenney was promoted from E3 to E7.
On December 13, 1999, the remains of eleven American servicemen previously unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War had been identified and were returned to their families for burial in the United States. Some personal effects were also returned to their families.
They are identified as U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Tim L. Walters, South Bend, Ind.; U.S. Army 1st Lt. James R. McQuade, Hoquiam, Wash.; U.S. Army; Spc. James E. Hackett, Bradenton, Fla.; U.S. Air Force Col. George W. Jensen, Seattle, Wash.; U.S. Air Force Col. Marshall L. Tapp, Los Angeles, Calif.; U.S. Air Force Col. Lavern G. Reilly, St. Paul, Minn.; U.S. Air Force Maj. George W. Thompson, Beckley, W.Va.; U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. James A. Preston, Bowden, Ga.; U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. James E. Williams, Oxford, Miss.; U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. William L. Madison, Lexington, Ky.; and U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Kenneth D. McKenney, Auburn, Mass.
God bless you all and thank you for the ultimate sacrifice of giving your lives for our freedom.
Kenneth is listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in Washington, DC. He is on Panel 07E - Line 62.
He is also listed on the Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Greenhill Park in Worcester, Massachusetts.
He was a classmate of my husbands and this is what was printed beside his graduation picture, "Dependable and energetic...a big tease...has a twinkle in his eye...a politician...pleasing disposition."
What a tragic loss to all who knew him. God bless him and the loving family and friends he left behind. He will never be forgotten.
Here is a dedication to Kenneth McKenney that you might wish to read.
On December 13, 1999, the remains of eleven American servicemen previously unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War had been identified and were returned to their families for burial in the United States. Some personal effects were also returned to their families.
They are identified as U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Tim L. Walters, South Bend, Ind.; U.S. Army 1st Lt. James R. McQuade, Hoquiam, Wash.; U.S. Army; Spc. James E. Hackett, Bradenton, Fla.; U.S. Air Force Col. George W. Jensen, Seattle, Wash.; U.S. Air Force Col. Marshall L. Tapp, Los Angeles, Calif.; U.S. Air Force Col. Lavern G. Reilly, St. Paul, Minn.; U.S. Air Force Maj. George W. Thompson, Beckley, W.Va.; U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. James A. Preston, Bowden, Ga.; U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. James E. Williams, Oxford, Miss.; U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. William L. Madison, Lexington, Ky.; and U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Kenneth D. McKenney, Auburn, Mass.
God bless you all and thank you for the ultimate sacrifice of giving your lives for our freedom.
Kenneth is listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in Washington, DC. He is on Panel 07E - Line 62.
He is also listed on the Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Greenhill Park in Worcester, Massachusetts.
He was a classmate of my husbands and this is what was printed beside his graduation picture, "Dependable and energetic...a big tease...has a twinkle in his eye...a politician...pleasing disposition."
What a tragic loss to all who knew him. God bless him and the loving family and friends he left behind. He will never be forgotten.
Here is a dedication to Kenneth McKenney that you might wish to read.
