61 years ago on March 16, 1962, Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 (FTLF 739) and its California-based flight crew, departed from Travis Air Force Base on a secret mission sanctioned by President Kennedy, to fly to Vietnam. This secret Vietnam reconnaissance mission went missing with no trace of the plane or its passengers ever found. Onboard were 93 United States Army soldiers and 11 civilian crewmembers.
On Tuesday, Feb. 14, from 9am to 3pm, Wreaths Across America will be diverting its Mobile Education Exhibit (MEE) national tour to Travis Air Force Base. The MEE travels the country bringing the local community, veterans, active-duty military, and their families together through interactive exhibits, short films, and shared stories. The exhibit serves as a mobile museum, educating visitors about the service and sacrifice of our nation’s heroes as well as serving as an official ‘welcome home’ station for our nation’s Vietnam Veterans.
Very little is known about what happened to FTLF 739 and its crew and passengers, and due to the circumstance surrounding this mission, the names of those lost have not yet been added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. However, today many families and loved ones of these heroes still fight to have their loved ones recognized for their contributions to our freedom and our shared history.
Presently, the only monument that bears the names of these almost forgotten American heroes was erected by a private citizen, Wreaths Across America founder Morrill Worcester, on his balsam tip land in Columbia Falls, ME.
The inscription on the monument reads:“Missing in action; Presumed dead. Flying Tiger Line Flight 739 went missing on March 16, 1962, with 93 U.S. Army soldiers on board. These men and their flight crew perished in what would become one of the biggest aviation mysteries out of the Vietnam War era.
THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES AND WHO REMAIN MISSING ARE INSCRIBED HERE SO THAT THEY WILL BE SAID ALOUD AND THEIR MEMORY WILL LIVE ON.”
Presently, this private memorial is the only recognition that the heroes of FTLF 739 have ever received for their shared sacrifice to our nation. However, that can change. Senator Gary Peters (MI) introduced Senate Bill 2571 which is supported by Senators Blackburn (TN), Stabenow (MI), and Shaheen (NH). This bill which is presently sitting in the committee for Energy and Natural Resources seeks to have these long-forgotten heroes added to the list of names on the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C.
If you support our nation’s veterans and want to see American heroes recognized for their significant contributions to our freedom, please write your Senator and ask them to add the names associated with FTLF 739 to the Vietnam War Memorial. In addition, you are cordially invited to visit the Wreaths Across America Mobile Education Exhibit at Travis Air Force Base on February 14th to show your love for our nation’s veterans and the sacrifices made by these American heroes.
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About Wreaths Across America
Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun in 1992. The organization’s mission – Remember, Honor, Teach – is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as thousands of veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond.
For more information, please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.
Learn More About FTLF 739
WAA Media Resource Page
https://learn.wreathsacrossamerica.org/mediaresources
FTLF 739 Full crew and Passenger List Follows
Flyer for February 14th event at Travis AFB
Mobile Education Exhibit Introduction Video
Picture of the WAA MEE
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Mobile Education Exhibit Visitors
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Mobile Education Exhibit Driver/Presenter Welcomes Home an American Hero
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Program Coordinator Don Queeney
B-roll of WAA MEE
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MEE Audio PSA :30 with 7 second open tag
Full MEE visit PSA script with suggested tag
Wreaths Across America is known for placing wreaths for fallen veterans every December. However, it’s really a year-long mission to Remember our veteran’s sacrifices, Honor those who serve, and Teach the next generation the value of freedom. As part of this mission, the Wreaths Across America Mobile Education Exhibit is visiting our community to ‘welcome home’ Vietnam Veterans and their families and offer FREE interactive exhibits, short films, and shared stories about our nation’s heroes to everyone.
