Class of 1967 adds three memorial markers to Academy Cemetery

Approximately 32 members from the USAFA Class of 1967 were on hand Thursday (April 26, 2018) to pay tribute to three Vietnam-era classmates who continue to be classified as “missing in action.”

The MIA section of the cemetery already included three markers memorializing Class of 1967 members who remain missing. The class came together to purchase and install three additional markers to honor classmates — Morgan Donahue, Dennis Pugh and Donald Shay.

USAFA Superintendent Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria ’85 was on hand to participate in the MIA ceremony and offer a few encouraging words.

He congratulated the Class of 1967 for its ongoing efforts to honor and remember Academy graduates who have made the ultimate sacrifice. The class has spearheaded numerous fundraising campaigns to upgrade the cemetery, in support of all Academy classes.

Lt. Gen. Silveria said the three new markers are a reminder to everyone of the importance of keeping alive the memory of those who died or have gone missing while in service to the country.

“Thank you for all you have done over the years to honor your fellow classmates,” he said. “It’s certainly exemplary, the way that you have done it. Thank you for your steadfast dedication and the example that you give us all – it will never be forgotten.”

Dr. John Pletcher ’67 served as master of ceremonies for the morning gathering.

Pete Knepell ’67 read details of the final missions that each of the airmen flew over Laos.

• Morgan Donahue, a navigator in the C-123K, was downed as the result of a mid-air collision over Laos on Dec. 13, 1968. Of the crew of seven onboard, only one was eventually rescued. The rest were declared MIA. Through the years, Donahue’s family would make several trips to Laos in search of their loved one or his remains, but nothing was ever discovered.
• Dennis Pugh, a weapon systems officer in an F-4D, was shot down over Laos on March 19, 1970. He and the pilot ejected safely and contact was made with them both on the ground. Only the pilot was later rescued.
• Donald Shay, a weapon systems officer in an RF-4C, was shot down over Laos on Oct. 8, 1970, while on a reconnaissance mission. Both Shay and the pilot were declared missing in action.

Paul Schlichter ’67 offered a few words about his basic cadet training roommate, Morgan Donahue, during the ceremony. He noted that Donahue was one of the cadets responsible for the “great Navy goat escapade.” Ahead of an Air Force vs. Navy football contest, cadets stole the Navy goat and shipped it back to Colorado Springs. The hope was to dye the animal blue and show it off during the game. Schlichter reported that Donahue ended up marching tours in the aftermath of the incident.

Dale Pugh, brother of Dennis Pugh, was on hand to talk a bit about his sibling.

“Everything I’ve done in my life has been inspired by my brother,” he told the crowd. “And he is, of course, the greatest hero to me.”

In closing, Dale Pugh offered a quote from Gen. George S. Patton: “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.”

Pat Dowling ’67 talked about his friend Donald Shay, calling him an “affable and easy-going guy, who desperately wanted to be a fighter pilot.” The classmates knew each other for about five years, and went to pilot training together.

Roger Carleton ’67 recounted the numerous sacrifices made by the Class of 1967 during the Southeast Asia conflict. He said 150 USAFA graduates paid the ultimate sacrifice in Southeast Asia, and 18 of those were from the Class of 1967. Eleven of those ’67 classmates were originally declared missing in action. The remains of five were returned to the U.S. at a later date for proper burial.

A total of six classmates continue to be classified as missing in action, and all now have memorial markers installed at the Academy Cemetery, Carleton said.

The crowd then gathered around the new markers to salute those missing in action, then to drop a “nickel on the grass” in their honor.

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