25 Jul 2002 For a young man who never got the chance to grow old. Your sacrifice is remembered. "Thus saith the Lord, Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; for they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border." Jeremiah 31: 16-17 (KJV) From Vicky DeKnight E-Mail not available

 

5 Apr 2004 LCpl John D. Killen III, I only wish you could see how much your ultimate sacrifice has affected our nation. You are one of America's youth who has not made it home but you are surely not forgotten. I can only hope to serve my country as well as you have served it in the past. Thank you for all you have done. Semper Fi From one who wears his MIA Bracelet, Andrew Webber 02 Jul 2006 Hello John, it is the 4th of July weekend and I can speak for all Americans, you and your sacrifice for this great country have not been forgotten. Thank you for all that you have done. You are missed by all and someday we will all be reunited. Semper Fi, Marine. Andrew Webber Email not available

 

24 Aug 2004 I miss you I love you your brother Paul Paul Killen (1950-2013) Altoona, Iowa 50009 Email no longer available

 

11 Sep 2004 The Articles of the Code of Conduct ARTICLE I: I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense. Thank you for standing up when so many others would not. Semper Fidelis my brother! From a fellow Marine. E-Mail no longer available

 

19 Nov 2004 I was only 7 when you left -- I wish I could have known you better. I love you! Your sister, Mary Mary Boozer E-Mail no longer available

 

1 Dec 2004 I never got to meet you, but I am sure like all my other Killen uncles you were a great guy. I think about you all the time, and how you served our country proud. I am proud to be your nephew. I Love You. From a nephew (his sister Pamela's son), Michael Townsley 7171 W. 60th Street #136, Davenport, Iowa 52804 E-mail No Longer Available

 

8 Mar 2005 John, You will never be forgotten. There are no words that can convey the deepest appreciation I have for your service and your sacrifice. It was not in vain. May God bless and Semper Fi Marine. Jim HM2, USN 1970-76 E-Mail no longer available

 

04 Nov 2006 John, I think of you every day. Every day I put on your bracelet and have done so since I got out of the Marine Corps in 1981. You will not be forgotten, Brother... I've also have a profile for you running on TWS, togetherweserve.com. If a family member would like to sign on to this you may put up a profile for family, and then I will turn over the profile on John to you. Semper Fi, Brother. Ricky "PooBear" Gagnon Sergeant USMC 1977 - 1981 poobear_57@yahoo.com

 

11 Nov 2006 You made the ultimate sacrifice. I only know your name. Your band is on my wrist and around my heart just the same. Semper Fi, Marine! You will not be forgotten! SSGT Timothy Gnade USMCR E CO (-), 2nd Bn, 24th Marines, 4th Mar Div, Des Moines, Iowa 670 Bentley Drive, Marion, Iowa 52302 punisher1775@yahoo.com

 

19 Mar 2007 I just happened on this site and wanted to say THANK YOU for my freedom and helping to secure a future for my daughter. I do not know Lance Corporal Killen, however I am thankful for him giving his life. THANK YOU! Randy Rogers North Carolina A former "Dog Face" randyfromcarolina@yahoo.com

 

30 Apr 2007 Gone but never forgotten... You and your sacrifice are thought of daily... Emily McDaniel MIA bracelet angeleyez3043@hotmail.com

 

On June 30, 1967, Captain John A House was flying 11 members of a Reconnaissance Patrol into a Landing Zone, and received heavy small arms, automatic weapons, and anti-aircraft fire from ridgelines and treelines near the LZ. The helicopter was hit and burst into flames. He aborted the landing, but with the craft severly damaged. He was able to fly a short distance with the chopper on fire but was finally forced to make a crash landing in tall jungle canopy on a hillside approximately 1000 meters away. According to Lieutenant Colonel William R. Beeler (U.S. Marine Corps, July 1, 1967 letter to Jack's parents), the co-pilot (Ted Pittman) managed to escape along with the two enlisted crew members and four of an eight man reconnaissance team. Prior to being rescued, two of the lesser injured reconnaissance team members returned to the scene of the crash and verified the crash scene. Jack's parents were contacted by the co-pilot and he told them that Jack was not injured from fire or the crash, but tree branches stopped his exit from the helicopter and just before he was able to get free, the helicopter exploded. Five men were not recovered from that downed helicopter. The five missing men were: Capt John Alexander House, II, Aircraft Commander, HMM-265 HM3 Michael Barry Judd, Corpsman, A Co, 3rd Recon Bn Cpl Glyn Linal Runnels, Jr., A Co, 3rd Recon Bn LCpl Merlin Raye Allen, A Co, 3rd Recon Bn LCpl John Dewey Killen, III, A Co, 3rd Recon Bn One of the survivors, Lance Corporal Dennis Mitchell Perry, A/3 Recon, died on 02 July 1967 of injuries received. One of the other survivors, patrol leader Sergeant Eugene Castaneda, returned to duty and was killed in action on 12 August 1967. In April 2017, the Department of Defense announced that House, Runnells, and Killen were accounted for. Two additional service members were previously identified from this crash in 2012, Marine Lance Cpl. Merlin R. Allen and Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Michael B. Judd. Their remains were returned to their families in February 2013 for burial with full military honors. The seven Marines who survived the horrific crash and all testified in their debriefing that if it weren't for the calmness, skill, and training of their pilot and brother Jack House, they wouldn't have made it out alive. Based on their reports, Captain House was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. The coordinates of the crash-site have been repeatedly excavated and searched over the past 50 years. The remains of Capt. John A. House, LCpl John D. Killen and Cpl. Glyn L. Runnels were finally located and recovered on June 25, 2012. They were identified on December 22, 2015 and officially accounted for on March 6th and 9th 2017. In April 2017, the Defense Department concluded it's report that Captain House's remains as well as Runnels and Killen, the two other Marines, were finally found together and will now come home. These three Marines will be buried together at Arlington National Cemetery. A burial has not been set, but will probably be late fall, 2017. At the time of his death, John Dewey Killen, III, was survived by his mother Jean Priscilla (Craig) Killen (1924-1978), father John Dewey Killen, Jr (1921-1990), sisters Rebecca Ann (Robert) Bailey, Charleston, S.C., Pamela Jean (Greg DeCrane) Simpson (1954-2004) and Mary (Wayne) Boozer, both of Davenport; brothers, William Craig Killen (1947-2010), Los Alamitos, Calif.; David, Great Lakes, Ill.; and Paul R Killen, Sr (1950-2013), Bondurant. Additional information is available on the Pop-A-Smoke site - - - The Virtual Wall, September 21, 2017

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