Vietnam
-
MIA
Fallen
Circumstances:
In , NORTH VIETNAM
Hostile, died while missing, FIXED WING - PILOT
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
From DPAA:
On March 17, 2005, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC, now DPAA) identified the remains of Lieutenant Colonel Darel Dean Leetun, missing from the Vietnam War.
Lieutenant Colonel Leetun entered the U.S. Air Force from North Dakota and was a member of the 13th Tactical Fighter Squadron. On September 17, 1966, he piloted an F-105D Thunderchief (tail number 62-4280) on an armed reconnaissance mission over Lang Son Province, North Vietnam. During the mission, his aircraft suffered an explosion in midair and crashed; Lt Col Leetun ejected prior to the crash but his parachute did not deploy and he was killed in the incident. His remains were not recovered at the time. In 1991, a joint investigative team traveled to Chi Lang District in Lang Son Province and interviewed local citizens who pointed them to a burial site correlating to Lt Col Leetun's loss; in 1994, investigators re-excavated the burial site and recovered human remains and personal artifacts. In 2005, they were able to identify Lt Col Leetun from these remains.
Lieutenant Colonel Leetun is memorialized in the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
If you are a family member of this service member, you may contact your casualty office representative to learn more about your service member.
Biography:
In , NORTH VIETNAM
Hostile, died while missing, FIXED WING - PILOT
AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND
Listed as deceased Mar 12, 1975
Body was identified March 17, 2005
DPAA
The Air Force Cross is presented to Darel Dean Leetun, Captain, U.S. Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force over North Vietnam on 17 September 1966.
On that date, Captain Leetun led a flight of F-105 Thunderchiefs against a heavily defended high priority target near Hanoi. Undaunted by intense and accurate flak, deadly surface-to-air missiles, and hostile MiGs, Captain Leetun led his flight through this fierce environment to the crucial target.
On the bomb run, Captain Leetun's Thunderchief was hit by hostile fire, becoming a flaming torch and nearly uncontrollable; however, Captain Leetun remained in formation and delivered his high-explosive ordnance directly on target.
After bomb release, Captain Leetun's plane went out of control and was seen to crash approximately 10 miles from the target area.
Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of hostile forces, Captain Leetun reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.