Donald Downing Obituary, Death; – An Air Force pilot from Wisconsin, who was previously unaccounted for during the Vietnam War, has now been officially recognized.
Donald Downing, aged 33 at the time, lost his life when his aircraft was downed during an armed reconnaissance mission on September 5, 1967. An aircraft in the vicinity reported witnessing a significant fireball in the sky before communication with his F-4C Phantom II was lost. Subsequent search efforts yielded no trace of the aircraft.
Born in Columbus, located in Dodge and Columbia counties, Downing received his education in Janesville. He was declared Killed in Action in 1978, with a funeral service conducted in Janesville that June. Following his death, he was posthumously elevated from the rank of captain to lieutenant colonel.
Last spring, a recovery team operating in the area discovered wreckage of the aircraft, life support gear, unexploded ordnance, and potential human remains. DNA analysis confirmed Downing’s identity. Plans are underway for a funeral at Arlington National Cemetery, although the date has yet to be determined.
A death notice from 1978 indicated that he was survived by a wife and four children. He was awarded several honors, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with first and second oak leaf clusters, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart.
Downing’s name is inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. To signify that he has been accounted for, a rosette will be placed next to his name on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.
