Bernard Herbert Plassmeyer O2 United States Marine Corps Born May 5, 1945 Lost September 11, 1970 South Vietnam

These candles will burn until 1st Lt. Bernard H. Plassmeyer is accounted for

Bernard H. Plassmeyer was born May 5, 1945, the forth son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Plassmeyer of Westphalia, Missouri.  Bernie attended St. Joseph grade school, Fatima High School, and graduated from Parks College of Aeronautical Technology of St. Louis University in 1966. In early 1967, Bernie joined the Marine Corps, recieving his commission as a Marine officer in June 1967, and the wings of a Naval Aviator March 21, 1969.  He was selected to receive the Orville Wright Achievement Award for outstanding performance as a Marine Corps aviator on August 29, 1969. In February 1970, Plassmeyer went to Vietnam and was assigned to Marine Attack Squadron 311.  He had completed approximately 100 missions with VMA-311 at Chu Lai and Da Nang when his A4E Skyhawk crashed during a support mission near the Laos/Vietnam border on September 11, 1970.  He was classified Missing In Action until 1976, when he was declared dead for lack of evidence to the contrary. Bernie Plassmeyer went missing 16 days before the birth of his only son.  His family would like to know where he is, and what happened to him.  Like nearly 2500 other Americans, he remains missing in Southeast Asia. Were it not for thousands of reports of American's still alive in captivity in Southeast Asia, it would be a simple matter to build a memorial and lay these missing men to rest.  But as long as one man, whomever he may be, remains alive and in captivity, every family will wonder.  And Bernie Plassmeyer's fate will remain uncertain.