by Roy Knight III
June 12, 2019
He’s coming home…
In the next few weeks, my dad, Col Roy A. Knight, Jr. will be coming back to Texas, fifty-two years after his plane was shot down while he was attacking a target in northern Laos. He was listed as Missing in Action until 1974 when all MIA’s were declared Killed in Action. Since that time, there have been visits and two excavations in the area of his crash site in an attempt to recover Dad’s remains.
In early 2018, a Special Survey Team of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) evaluated Dad’s crash site for further excavation. These very dedicated professionals, most of whom are active duty military from all branches of our armed services, included eight experts in their fields, covering disciplines ranging from explosives ordinance disposal, aircraft life support, linguists, medics, communications and forensic specialists. The Senior Recovery Expert on this team insisted that the site be excavated. Had he not been so adamant, our case would have been moved back to the bottom of the list again.
In February of this year, another 16-member Recovery Team spent almost a month on the site excavating and searching for my father’s remains. They included the Team Leader an Army Captain, a Team Sgt, a Senior Recovery Expert (Archeologist), two Explosive Ordinance Disposal airmen, a Life Support Investigator, two Medics, a photographer, a linguist, four Recovery NCO’s and two Comm personnel. They were successful in recovering various material items such as small pieces of torso harness, helmet and visor fragments, survival vest and parachute fragments among other items. Additional items recovered were small pieces of black Dymo label that were embossed with “MAJ” and “KNI” exactly as it appeared on the visor of Dad’s flight helmet. Finally, human remains were also recovered.
Last week we received word that the remains recovered were indeed positively identified as Col Roy A. Knight, Jr. We cannot say enough how grateful we are to those amazing members of the Teams who made the recovery of our father possible. The risk, privation, sacrifice and miserable hard work involved in this undertaking are a testimony to the fine men and women who serve in your Armed Forces. They have been relentless in their quest to make sure that no warrior is left behind. We are so very proud of them.
My dad’s remains currently are at the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii waiting to be escorted back to the Texas he loved, to be laid to rest next to his brothers and mother and father. The escort will be an O-6 (Colonel) or higher. We will be waiting on the ramp when he arrives in Dallas. He will be buried at Holder’s Chapel (named for his grandfather who founded it) in Cool, TX, among the post oaks that grow there. This is the land where he grew up; where he hunted, trapped, fished and played ball. It’s as Texas as you can get. And it’s family.
It has been a long haul. To all those who kept the faith and the memory of Dad, “Thank You.” Your support was more meaningful than you will ever know.
There will be a service with full military honors including a flyby of fighters. We will put the word out once the arrangements have been made for his service. I expect it will be well attended.
Dad is coming home.
Weatherford Junior College
From the five combatants, two were killed in action, one was severely wounded and two others had close calls. Collectively, three were awarded medals for gallantry at every level from valor to intrepidity, including the Medal of Honor, Air Force Cross, two Silver Stars, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star and Air Medal with six oak leaves.
