Donald Aldern '52 was lost 50 years ago today, on June 29, 1970, when the A-7 Corsair II he was piloting crashed during a bombing run over North Vietnam. A Commander at the time, he was later promoted to Captain while in a missing status. At the time of his loss he was commanding officer of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 19 aboard USS Oriskany (CVA 34). He was a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bronze Star, in addition to many other unit and campaign awards.
From the Lucky Bag: "Living in South Dakota where the largest body of water to be found was the cattle's drinking trough, Deane's hereditary love for King Neptune's Domain overcame his environmental love for the land, and he went down to the sea via USNA. Deane's diversions while at the Naval Academy consisted of writing small bundles of greetings to his OAO, sleeping, and playing basketball, in that order. Deane has decided to join the flying arm of the Navy, and time will surely prove him to be a capable and conscientious officer."
Donald was survived by his wife, four sons, parents, and two brothers.
https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/DONALD_D._ALDERN,_CAPT,_USN