Courtney Edward Weissmueller – Lieuenant Colonel, United States Air Force

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Courtney Edward Weissmueller as born on November 15, 1932 and joined the Armed Forces while in Orlando, Florida.

He served in the United States, 306 FS, and attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Courtney Edward Weissmueller is listed as Missing in Action.

There is a In Memory of stone in his name in Arlington National Cemetery.

Name: Courtney Edward Weismueller
Branch/Rank: United States Air Force/O3
Unit:
Date of Birth: 15 November 1932
Home City of Record: ORLANDO FL
Date of Loss:  12 February 1967
Country of Loss: LAOS
Loss Coordinates: 143900 North  1071300 East
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F100D
Missions:
Other Personnel in Incident:
Refno: 0593

Orlando’s Edilma Weissmueller accepts that her fighter-pilot husband, Lieutenant Colonel Courtney E. Weissmueller, most likely died when his F-100 was shot down in skies over Laos during the Vietnam War.

“He is [presumed] dead, but his body was never found,” Weissmueller said.

“Being missing, you always have the hope. But service folks are sort of trained to know we have to continue and do our best. It’s been a long time.”

Courtney Weissmueller grew up in Orlando and attended the St. James School
years ago when it still taught high-school students. He was 33 when his plane was shot down in February 1967, under heavy and unexpected fire. He had only been in Southeast Asia about six weeks.

The pilot, promoted to lieutenant colonel after the government issued a
presumptive finding of death in his case, left behind his wife and three young boys, ages 6, 4 and 2.

The two older boys were old enough to remember their father, and eventually
Edilma Weissmueller had to explain that their dad probably wouldn’t return
home.

“You always hope,” she said. “But at some point in time, you have to prepare
them for the fact that it might be final.”

Weissmueller said her faith and the knowledge that her husband died doing something he loved helped her get through the loss and the many years of
uncertainty.

“These military people believe in what they’re doing,” she said. “That’s what he chose to do, and he thought it was a very important job.”

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