Officials identify pilot missing from Vietnam War Published Sept. 30, 2008 WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- Officials with the Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced Sept. 30 that the remains of a U.S. Airman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors. He is Col. David H. Zook Jr., of West Liberty, Ohio. He will be buried Oct. 4 in West Liberty. On Oct. 4, 1967, Colonel Zook was on a psychological warfare operation over Song Be Province, South Vietnam, when his U-10B Super Courier aircraft collided in midair with a C-7A Caribou. The C-7 pilot said he saw the other aircraft hit the ground and explode. Several search and rescue attempts failed to locate Colonel Zook's remains. In 1992, a joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam team, led by representatives from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, investigated the incident in Song Be Province. The team interviewed Vietnamese citizens who witnessed the crash and saw remains amid the wreckage. The team surveyed the site and found evidence consistent with Colonel Zook's crash. While later examining the evidence recovered from the site, a small fragment of bone was found. In 1993, another joint team excavated the crash site and recovered a bone fragment and small pieces of military clothing. In March 2008, a final excavation was conducted and more human remains were recovered. Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC also used dental comparisons in the identification of Colonel Zook's remains. For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO Web site or call (703) 699-1169. Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link) View the comments/letters page