MANN, Robert L. - Capt. Army
Source: "Obituaries - Year - 1960 Volume B" from the Covington Public Library. Year 1966
After being missing since Oct. 23, 1965, In Viet Nam, Capt. Robert L. Mann, Fountain County native and nephew of Luther Mann of Newtown, has been declared dead by the U.S, Army.
On a reconnaissance mission for the Air Force, Capt. Mann left Ton Son Knut Air Force Base on Oct. 23, at 5 p.m. with his navigator and radio man. He was last contacted by his wing pilot at 7:42 p.m.at which time everything seemed to be going smoothly. A few minutes later they saw his flash bombs and shortly afterwards a flash of fire was seen where his plane had been.
Because this was a night mission they could not look for the plane until morning. The plane was sighted 200 feet below a mountain peak, but because of the intense fighting they could not get near the plane. Not until Dec. 4, was it possible to get close enough to the plane to know there could be no survivors. Finally on May 7, 1966, they reached the plane and learned that Capt. Mann, his navigator, and his radio man were dead.
Capt. Mann was the son of Raymond and Ruth Dinwiddie Mann and he was born in Fountain County Feb. 19, 1933. He graduated from the Pine Village High School in 1951 and entered the Army after returning from his senior trip. For five years he served as a reconnaissance pilot in France, after which he was stationed at Fort Sumter, S. C. In July of 1965, he was sent to Viet Nam.
Survivors include his wife and three children living at Fort Sumter, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs, Raymond Mann of Ft. Wayne.