Captain Francis Zavacki Added to USAFA War Memorial

Captain Francis Zavacki, Class of 1964, was commander of a Marine infantry company patrolling a field in the I Corps region of northern South Vietnam in August of 1969 when he was wounded during a mortar attack. He sustained a concussion and a penetrating injury to his back from a large wooden splinter. The splinter was removed on-site and Captain Zavacki sought no further immediate treatment.

Throughout the next couple of months, Captain Zavacki's health deteriorated. He was misdiagnosed with prostatis, and was put on antibiotics, which did nothing to improve his condition. In late October, Captain Zavacki began to have serious symptoms and was admitted to a field hospital where he was treated for pleurisy and pneumonia. His condition continued to worsen and he was medevaced to the USS Repose where he was finally diagnosed with pulmonary embolus. Aggressive treatment resulted in temporary improvement but symptoms recurred and he underwent surgery to prevent further embolization from blood clots in his lungs. Captain Zavacki did not survive the surgery.

Initially Captain Zavacki's death was not thought to be combat related, a requirement for placement on the War Memorial. However, recent investigation has determined that his illness and death were directly related to the injuries he sustained in combat in the service of his country in a time of war. With this new evidence, the AOG Board of Directors approved Captain Zavacki's name for placement on the USAFA War Memorial at its meeting on October 27, 2007.

Look for an article on Capt. Zavacki in the March issue of Checkpoints.