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LCDR Lee Edward “Shack” Nordahl

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Birth	:	18 Jun 1939 Fairfield, Teton County, Montana, USA
Death	:	20 Dec 1965 Quảng Ninh, Vietnam
Burial	:	Lakeside Cemetery, Fairmont, Martin County, USA
Coordinate	:	43.6605988, -94.4738998
Plot	:	Plot:: Sec.C, Row 9, Plot 18. GPA is for Hawaii memorial.
Inscription	:	Purple Heart Pow Kia
Description	:	In Memory of ........... LCDR. Lee Edward Nordahl. *** Lieutenant Commander Nordahl, U.S. Naval Reserve, was a member of Reconnaissance Heavy Attack Squadron 13, Carrier Air Wing 11 aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS KITTY HAWK (CVA-63). On December 20, 1965, he was the co-pilot a North American Vigilante Fighter (RA-5C) on a reconnaissance mission near Hon Gay, Quang Ninh Province, North Vietnam when his aircraft was hit be enemy fire and crashed. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. You may be gone, no... Read More	In Memory of ........... LCDR. Lee Edward Nordahl. *** Lieutenant Commander Nordahl, U.S. Naval Reserve, was a member of Reconnaissance Heavy Attack Squadron 13, Carrier Air Wing 11 aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS KITTY HAWK (CVA-63). On December 20, 1965, he was the co-pilot a North American Vigilante Fighter (RA-5C) on a reconnaissance mission near Hon Gay, Quang Ninh Province, North Vietnam when his aircraft was hit be enemy fire and crashed. His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. You may be gone, no longer living on this earth; but you will live on - in the memories of your family and friends. There will always be a part of you living in those who knew you. You will live on because we remember you! LEE EDWARD NORDAHL - Navy - LCDR - O4 Age: 35 Race: Caucasian Date of Birth Jun 18, 1939 - Born in Fairfield, Montana From: CHOTEAU, MT Religion: PROTESTANT Marital Status: Single - Parents: Father, Edward (Ed and Eddie) Theodore Nordahl, Born June 28, 1908 in Montana and Died March 12, 1982 in Choteau, Montana at the age of 74 yrs and Mother, Shirley May/Mae Rowton Nordahl, Born March 4, 1914 and Died July 25, 2006 in Montana, both from Montana. Siblings: Betty Jo Nordahl, Born 1936 and Died 1942, Sharon and Lynn. * Paternal Grandparents: Carl Knute Nordahl and Susan Marie Sojholt Nordahl, both born in Norway. * Maternal Grandparents: Lemuel and Mary (Lillie) and Rowton at Mosby, MT. *** Thank you very much Edna, I was 9 years old when my mother joined the POW/MIA organization. I remember asking her about the "man on the bracelet" and why she was so concerned about him since he wasn't part of our family. Then one weekend, she told me that her and I were going out that afternoon. She gave me a bunch of pamphlets to carry and we stopped at every house in our neighborhood. I remember hearing her talk to friends and strangers about why it was important to not forget the people that were imprisoned or missing. We did that several times until the war's end. Then during the 70's and 80's, there were organizations that were asking those with bracelets to turn them in for this or that cause. My mother just couldn't turn hers in. She felt that by doing so, she would be giving up hope that he would be found alive or dead. And when she passed my father sent me the bracelet. And 8 years later, after moving to New Mexico, I was able to find him on the Wall. I couldn't bring myself to leave the bracelet at the Wall. I still have it today and plan on wearing it to Memorial Day events. But, seeing Lee Nordahl's image, after 40+ years, really just made my day today!!! I've posted the video with his picture on several Facebook pages. Thank you, Doug Rietz Thursday, May 2, 2013 3:54 PM * Eddieb, My mother wore a POW/MIA bracelet for Lee back in the early 1970s. I have never seen or could find a photo of Lee. Thank you so much for posting it. Here is link to a video I did about going to our local Vietnam Wall to find Lee... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRnbYRFcE7w -Doug Rietz Belen, New Mexico Casualty was on Dec 20, 1965 Jul 11, 1974 (Declared Dead on this date) In NORTH VIETNAM Hostile, died while missing, FIXED WING - CREW AIR LOSS, CRASH ON LAND Name: Lee Edward Nordahl Rank/Branch: O2/US Navy Date of Birth: 18 June 1939 Home City of Record: Choteau MT Date of Loss: 20 December 1965 Country of Loss: North Vietnam Loss Coordinates: 205806N 1070400E (XJ931196) Status (in 1973): Missing In Action Body was not recovered Panel 04E - Line 29 Other Personnel In Incident: Guy D. Johnson (remains returned 1977) On December 20, 1965 His co-pilot on the mission was Lt.JG Lee E. Nordahl. The Vigilante carried reconnaissance equipment and was to gather intelligence over North Vietnam, which would subsequently be fed into ship board computers for later mission planning. During the mission, the aircraft was hit by enemy fire and crashed. Intelligence was received later which indicated that the two crewmen were dead, but was not totally confirmed, and they were listed Missing in Action. ****************** In 1977, the Vietnamese "discovered" the remains of Guy D. Johnson and returned them to American control. The obvious question is, if Johnson was recovered, why not Nordahl? For 12 years, the Vietnamese have denied knowledge of the fate of Guy Johnson and Lee Nordahl, even though the U.S. believes the Vietnamese could account for them. Guy D. Johnson was promoted to the rank of Captain and Lee E. Nordahl to the rank of Lieutenant Commander during the period they were maintained missing. *********************** TIMELINE Dec. 20, 1965 7:30 a.m. — Lt. Cmdr. Guy David Johnson and Lt. j.g. Lee Edward Nordahl catapult off USS Kitty Hawk in the RA-5C vigilante reconnaissance aircraft with the call sign "Flint River 604." 7:59 a.m. — They cross into North Vietnam, north of Haipong to survey damage to a bi-thermal power plant and highway bridge (no radio calls). 8:04 a.m. — A radio call goes unanswered. 8:07 a.m. — The plane does not show up for rendezvous with escort aircraft. 8:10 a.m. — Another unanswered radio call 8:15 a.m. — Search and rescue begins, helicopter withdraws before complete search after taking automatic weapons fire. Later that day, pilots report hearing a survival radio beeper but are unable to make contact with either crewmember. Dec. 21, 1965 4 p.m. — Search effort halted. Johnson and Nordahl placed on "missing in action" status. The pair continued to be promoted in this status, Johnson to captain and Nordahl to lieutenant commander. Sept. 6, 1977 Vietnamese government confirms it shot down Flint River 604 and both crew members had been killed. March 19, 1977 North Vietnamese officials turn over Johnson's remains to U.S. military in Hanoi. They are later confirmed to be those of Johnson. (Stars and Stripes, Thursday, 5 Mar 2009 ********************** The cover. The USPS issued the POW-MIA stamp on May 29th, Memorial Day, of 1995. I decided at the time to do something 'special' because the Vietnam Conflict was an integral part of my life having spent a year with the Marines as a Hospital Corpsman. I came up with the idea of using the dog tags (from the theme of the stamp itself) of a Montana man, learn as much as I could about him, and use his dog tags as my art. Little did I know when I began where this journey would lead me. Lee's mother is still living with her daughter in Wolf Point, Montana. Every year on Memorial Day she makes the almost five hundred mile trip to Choteau, Montana, to pay a visit to the Choteau Cemetary to honor her son. When I finally was able to connect with his sister, she told me she would ask Lee's mother if she knew what was on Lee's dog tags. I was told the story of her mother's search several days later. When Lee's belongings were returned to her from the ship he was stationed on, she placed his sea bag in a closet. Just short of thirty years to the day that he was shot down, she opened the sea bag for the first time and found a pair of Lee's dog tags. I completed the art work on several covers before the First Day, and on May 29th, 1995, in Choteau, Montana, I had them canceled and gave one of the envelopes to her. Forty years ago TODAY, I was knee deep in a rice paddy. Every day for the next ten months, I will try to recall how I spent my days with the help of the letters enclosed in the Free Mail I sent to my wife, and I will also recall The Things I Carried. And still do. Lee E. Nordahl was shot down over North Vietnam on December 20th, 1965. Although he survived the crash and was taken to a hospital, he apparently died shortly after his arrival, although photographs were taken (and undiscovered for over twenty years) of him receiving treatment. God Rest his soul In Peace, wherever he may be. Posted by MrCachet ********************************************** .

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is LCDR Lee Edward “Shack” Nordahl's memorial?
LCDR Lee Edward “Shack” Nordahl's memorial is located at: Lakeside Cemetery, Fairmont, Martin County, USA.
When did LCDR Lee Edward “Shack” Nordahl death?
LCDR Lee Edward “Shack” Nordahl death on 20 Dec 1965 in Quảng Ninh, Vietnam
Where are the coordinates of the LCDR Lee Edward “Shack” Nordahl's memorial?
Latitude: 43.6605988
Longitude: -94.4738998

Family Members:

Parent

Edward Theodore Nordahl

(1908 - 1982)

Shirley May Rowton Nordahl

(1914 - 2006)

Siblings

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Lakeside Cemetery
Fairmont, Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.6605988, -94.4738998

2. Fairview Memorial Park Cemetery
Fairmont, Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.6777992, -94.4753036

3. Calvary Cemetery
Fairmont, Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.6343994, -94.4614029

4. Immanuel Cemetery
Fairmont, Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.7014008, -94.4922028

5. Rose Lake Cemetery
Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.6380997, -94.3566971

6. Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery
Fairmont, Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.7313919, -94.5466690

7. Horicon Cemetery
Northrop, Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.7639500, -94.4575600

8. Trinity Lutheran Church Cemetery
Welcome, Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.6738892, -94.6208267

9. Saint Pauls United Church of Christ Cemetery
Welcome, Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.6738892, -94.6222229

10. Saint Pauls United Church of Christ Cemetery
Imogene, Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.6010900, -94.3475000

11. Saint James Lutheran Cemetery
Rutland Township, Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.7599983, -94.4088974

12. Emmanuel Cemetery
Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.7030983, -94.6241989

13. Welcome Cemetery
Welcome, Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.6666985, -94.6414032

14. Oakwood Cemetery
East Chain, Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.5611000, -94.3760986

15. North Star Cemetery
Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.7599983, -94.5721970

16. Holy Family Catholic Cemetery
East Chain, Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.5574989, -94.3768997

17. Saint Pauls Lutheran Church Cemetery
Wilbert, Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.5444500, -94.5395800

18. German Evangelical Cemetery
Wilbert, Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.5325600, -94.5419000

19. Center Chain Cemetery
Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.5224991, -94.4483032

20. Center Creek Cemetery
Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.7099991, -94.2818985

21. Tenhassen Cemetery
Ceylon, Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.5293999, -94.5877991

22. East Chain Evangelical Free Cemetery
East Chain, Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.5606750, -94.3084220

23. East Chain Lutheran Cemetery
East Chain, Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.5460700, -94.3075800

24. Calkins Farm Cemetery
East Chain, Martin County, USA
Coordinate: 43.5333290, -94.3166733