Even in death, hope prevails

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Melinda Bartlett
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Sometimes fate takes control of the steering wheel and we find ourselves in situations we never expected.

For David Goshorn and his family, tragedy landed on their doorstep when his father died unexpectedly in 1983. His father was on temporary duty at Zaragoza Air Base, Spain and was only 34 years old.

At the time, his family was stationed at RAF Upper Heyford, England. Goshorn's mother was eight months pregnant with his brother and he was only two years old.

Following in the footsteps of a long line of family members, Goshorn later joined the Air Force as a KC-135R crew chief and he was assigned to the 100th Aircraft Maintenance and 100th Maintenance Squadrons, here.

Although, Goshorn separated from the Air Force in 2006, he reflects back on his time in the Service with fondness.

"I was in for a little over six years," said Goshorn. "I had a good time and was proud of what we did."

In honor of his father's death and the families of Service members who also suffered an unexpected loss of a loved one, Goshorn mourns and expresses his appreciation by wearing a POW/MIA bracelet.

"It's important because in the military it could happen to any of us, our friends or family," said Goshorn. "Many of these Service members have given their lives and freedom to defend our country and democracy. Their families have lost the people they love and at the very least, they deserve to be remembered by the country they made the ultimate sacrifice for."

For several years, Goshorn has proudly worn Chief Master Sgt. John Q. Adams' POW/MIA bracelet.

"I chose to wear Adams' bracelet because he was an E-3 in the Air Force (when he went missing)," said Goshorn. "He was the same age and rank as me at the time. I looked at myself and my friends and thought he could have been just like us."

Adams enlisted in the Air Force on Nov. 1, 1966 as a loadmaster and was assigned to the 41st Tactical Airlift Squadron at Naha Air Base, Japan.

In 1968, Adams was deployed to Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. Along with eight other crewmembers, he flew aboard a C-130 Hercules that was sent to provide relief during the siege of Khe Sanh in support of Operation Scotland II.

Radio contact was lost and when his aircraft did not return to friendly control, the entire crew was declared missing in action. There was no further word of the aircraft or its crew.

Adams was declared administratively deceased on June 29, 1978 and was posthumously promoted to the rank of chief master sergeant. His remains were recovered and returned to the U.S. in 2002 and were positively identified in 2009.

Finally, Adams was home.

He was laid to rest with full military honors in his hometown of Kansas City, Mo. on July 27, 2009.

According to the Defense Prisoner of War and Missing Personnel Office, there are currently more than 83,580 Service members still unaccounted for since World War I.

Goshorn empathizes with Adams' family since he understands all too well that losing someone leaves a permanent hole. He hopes that people will understand the importance of supporting POW/MIA recovery efforts so that one day, these Service members will be returned to their families.

"When I was 20 years old, I liked going out with friends and enjoying life," said Goshorn. "Chief Master Sgt. Adams gave up those opportunities to defend our country's beliefs. I would like to think everyone who wears POW/MIA bracelets remembers what was taken away from them."