John Cline Towle

Vietnam War
Unit16th Special Operations Squadron
RankCaptain U.S. Air Force
Entered Service FromHarrisburg Illinois
Date of DeathApril 22 1970
StatusRecovered
Memorialized
Courts of the Missing
Court
A
Notes
Captain Towle was a member of the 16th Special Operations Squadron, Ubon Air Base, Thailand. On April 22, 1970, he was a member of the crew of a Spectre Attack Aircraft Gunship II (AC-130A) on a commando hunt mission over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in southern Laos. During its fourth strike, the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and was set on fire. His remains were recovered on November 15, 1993 and identified on September 1, 1995. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial.
rosetta medal
When an individual’s remains have been accounted for by the U.S. Department of Defense, a rosette is placed next to the name on the Wall/Tablet/Court of the Missing to mark that the person now rests in a known gravesite.