Salutes rendered
Chief Master Sgt. Sean Applegate, middle, and Col. John Devillier, right, salute while the remains Col. Wendell Keller, of Fargo, N.D., and Capt.Virgil K. Meroney, of Fayetteville, Ark., depart in a hearse from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Oct. 18, 2012. The U.S. Air Force Honor Guard and family members were present at the arrival. March 1, 1969, Keller and Meroney were the crew of an F-4D Phantom II aircraft that went down while carrying out a night time strike mission in Khammouan Province, Laos. Nearby aircrews reported seeing the aircraft hit by enemy fire. No parachutes were seen after the aircraft was hit. Heavy enemy presence in the area prevented recovery efforts. Between 1994 to 2011, the (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo)