Charles E. Shelton (April 29, 1932 – April 29, 1965) was a

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

officer who was shot down during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

over Laos during a

reconnaissance mission In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmishers, ...

on April 29, 1965, his 33rd birthday. His fate is unknown and he was classified as a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...

until 1994, making him the last official U.S. prisoner of war from the Vietnam War. After his plane was shot down, Shelton sent a radio report that he had escaped by parachute. A helicopter was dispatched to retrieve him, but was unable to reach him due to poor visibility. Six days after his capture, his wife was informed that villagers said he had been captured by Laotian communist forces. He is believed to have been held as a prisoner of war and his family was told stories of his courage while imprisoned, but he was never released or accounted for. His wife, Marian Shelton, sought to find him and became an active participant in the POW-MIA movement. In October 1990 she committed suicide by gunshot, apparently due to frustration and despair over her inability to find him. Children of the Last P.O.W. Close a Pain-Filled Chapter
''

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'', October 5, 1994Sally Streff Buzbee
Last Vietnam POW Declared Dead So Family Can Have Peace After Decades Of Pain

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. Published by the Seattle Times, September 29, 1994. In September 1994, the Air Force reclassified him as killed in action upon the request of his children and after a search of the area where he was captured failed to yield evidence that he might still be alive. At the time of his downing, Shelton held the rank of captain; between then and the time he was declared to be killed in action, he was promoted to the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

. Shelton was honored at a ceremony at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

attended by dignitaries including General

Merrill McPeak Merrill Anthony "Tony" McPeak (born January 9, 1936) is a retired 4-star general in the United States Air Force whose final assignment before retirement was as the 14th Chief of Staff of the Air Force from 1990 to 1994. In 1993, McPeak served a ...

, Chief of Staff of the Air Force.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shelton, Charles 1932 births 1960s missing person cases Missing person cases in Vietnam People declared dead in absentia Shot-down aviators United States Air Force officers United States Air Force personnel of the Vietnam War Vietnam War prisoners of war Year of death unknown