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Services Planned for MIA Pilot
December 16, 2010

Army News Service|by Staff Sgt. Amy Wieser Willson

FARGO, N.D. -- A Vietnam War pilot who has been missing in action for more than four decades will be coming home to Fargo this week. The remains of U.S. Air Force Maj. Thomas Beyer will arrive Wednesday evening, and his funeral will take place Saturday afternoon.

Beyer served with the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron at Chu Lai Air Base in South Vietnam. From there, he flew the O-2A Skymaster, a military version of the Cessna 337, as a spotter plane. He went missing while on mission #5096, a visual reconnaissance and forward air control assignment, the afternoon of July 30, 1968. He was later declared dead on May 2, 1978, and his remains were identified Nov. 19 of this year.

Beyer's remains are scheduled to return on Delta Flight 2185 into Hector International Airport at 8:29 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15. The Air Force will provide a military funeral honors detail, including an 18-member color guard, bugler and firing squad. Vietnam Veterans of America will lead color guards from veterans' service organizations as well as the North Dakota Patriot Guard, which will form a flag line.

These guys were incredibly ballsy and pulled my (and my team's) chestnuts out of the open fire many a time.

My condolences to the family.