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Carroll Baxter Lilly
Lieutenant Colonel
1ST SPECIAL OPS SQDN, 56TH SPECIAL OPS WING, 7TH AF United States Air Force Morgantown, West Virginia December 01, 1939 to June 21, 1978 (Incident Date April 09, 1971) CARROLL B LILLY is on the Wall at Panel W4, Line 114 |
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REMEMBERED ACROSS THE YEARSby his brother,Jan Hylton Lilly E-mail address is not available. |
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I have a bracelet I've had since back in the 70s. I still wear it - the name on it is Capt Carroll Lilly, 4-9-71. I have looked for his family to send it to them, but I could not find his home town or any relations of his anywhere. I found this name on the Vietnam Wall in Philadelphia. I hope this is his family ... it would mean a lot to me to return his bracelet to his family. I lost my brother in Korea, and because of men like Ted and Hal Baker who have a Korean War web site I have found and printed so much in a folder. It is great just knowing there are people out there who really care. Thank You Very Much
Jim Smith |
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To the Family of Captain Carroll Lilly: I had one of Captain Lilly's bracelets in the early 1970's. I never took it off; it broke in the middle and I taped it and wore it until I couldn't. I had it in a box of treasures, and in 1981 the entire box was stolen from my home. But as you see, I never forgot his name. I traveled to Washington in the mid-1990s specifically to find his name on the Wall. It was a stunning moment for me. Thank you for this opportunity to share my feelings with his family.
Sincerely, |
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Dear Jan and the family of Captain Lilly, I own one of Captain Lilly's memory bracelets, and keep it in a shadow box ... along with a photo of your family that you so generously shared with me. My father served in Vietnam as well, and I was a young teen then ... sharing a special bond with you and your family. I remember our letters fondly, Jan, and remember our hopes. I never forgot. I will never forget. God bless you all.
Shirley (Rodrigues) Kodama-Hanson |
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A tribute to Lieutenant Colonel Carroll B. Lilly has been added on the Vietnam War Flight Museum site. It includes photos and a summary of facts and circumstances surrounding LtCol Lilly's loss.
Webmaster, Vietnam War Flight Museum. |
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From approximately 1975-1980, I wore a Captain Carroll Lilly bracelet and I prayed for his safe return. I have visited the Wall in Washington and found his name. I was very moved. Now I'm a Social Studies teacher in Murfreesboro, TN and I share my bracelet with my classes every year. It really helps to bring the effects of the Vietnam War home to the students to learn about a real hero. I hope that his family will know that he touched many lives. Thank you.
Julie Baker Menke |
A Note from The Virtual WallVery little information is available regarding Captain Lilly's loss. The 1st Special Operations Squadron was based at Nakon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, just across the Mekong River from Laos, and mostly flew strike and search-and-rescue missions.
Captain Lilly went down in Laos on 09 Apr 1971 while flying an A-1H Skyraider (tail number 137628). He was carried as Missing in Action until 21 June 1978, when the Secretary of the Air Force approved a Presumptive Finding of Death. Little more is known, other than his remains have not been repatriated.
Class 71-06, Hurlburt Field, Eglin AFB, Florida L-R, LtCol Murray, Maj Geren, Capt Carroll B. Lilly, Capt Roy Mamiya Courtesy of the Skyraider Association The Vietnam Flight War Museum site linked above contains a letter dated 1978 which explains that then-Captain Lilly was flying cover for the helo recovery of a recon team. While the recovery was successfully completed under conditions of low cloud cover, deteriorating weather, and approaching darkness, it appears that Captain Lilly collided with a cloud-covered mountainside. |
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