My walk today was dedicated in honor of:
Navy AX1 Billy W. Mcghee, Age 31 of Rockwood, TN.
KIA Feb. 6, 1968 Vietnam
He was assigned to VP-26, TF72, 7th Fleet
Billy is buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Rockwood TN.
He is honored at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall on Panel 37E, Line 64.
He had served 12 years.
On the morning of 05 Feb 1968, a P-3B aircraft (BuNo 153440) of Patrol Squadron 26 departed U-Tapao Air Base in Thailand for a 24-hour “Market Time” patrol over the Gulf of Thailand and the South Vietnamese coastline. The aircraft was manned by VP-26’s Crew Eight, normally based at NAS Brunswick, Maine, but on TDY to Southeast Asia. Shortly after midnight on the night of 5/6 Feb 68 the crew reported the first of a number of small surface contacts. Nothing was heard from Crew Eight after a final radio contact at 0300 06 Feb, and SAR efforts were begun after daybreak. Floating wreckage was located in the Gulf of Thailand about 65 miles southwest of Rach Gia, SVN. Salvage efforts began on 11 February and located the aircraft wreckage in about 100 feet of water, but divers were able to recover the bodies of only two of the twelve men aboard. Billy W. McGhee was one of the men whose bodies were recovered.
He was awarded the Air Medal, Navy Good conduct medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal.
We had an amazing 16.08 Mile walk today. The weather was perfect. We visited some fallen veterans in 3 cemeteries on our walk.
Green Acres Memory Gardens ,Fredonia Cemetery, and Creston Cemetery
I want to thank everyone who honked and waved in helping me honor this hero. He will not be forgotten !
