Louis Henry Bernasconi Jr. (1931 - 2010)

Col. Lou Bernasconi Jr. was a Prisoner of War for 98 days during the Vietnam War.

Biography

Col. Lou Bernasconi Jr. served in the United States Air Force in the Vietnam War
Service started: Jan 1955
Unit(s): 311th Tactical Airlift Squadron; 20th Bomb Squadron
Service ended: Jul 1980

Birth and Early Life

Col. Louis Henry Bernasconi was born on 21 May 1931 in Napa, Napa, California, United States to Louis Henry Bernasconi and Mary Regusci. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Education

Lou graduated from Napa High School, Napa, California in 1949. He went to Napa College in Napa, California, played football and was the college student body president. He then graduated from Fresno State College, Fresno, Fresno, California in 1953 with a Bachelor's degree in business administration. He was in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program there and was commissioned on 8 June 1954. ^[4]

He attended Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base, in Montgomery, Montgomery, Alabama from August 1965 to June 1966.^[5][6]

After his release from incarceration, he attended Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama from August 1973 to May 1974.^[7]

Marriages and Family

He married twice.

1. Mary Minasian on 31 August 1952 in Napa, Napa, California. They divorced in June 1968 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. ^{[8] [9]}
2. Sara Ann Borum Gist (born 15 March 1941 in Pryor, Mayes, Oklahoma - died 30 September 2011in Albuquerque, Bernalillo, New Mexico) in 1975, the widow of Captain Thomas Emerson Gist.^{[10] [11]}

Child

1. Kathy Bernasconi born about 1976.

Stepchildren

1. Michael Gist
2. Mark Wallace Gist born 5 January 1964.

Military Service

He went on active duty 7 January 1955 and attended Pilot Training at Marana Air Force Base, Marana, Pima, Arizona from January to April 1955. From there he went to Aircraft Observer Training at James Connally Air Force Base, Waco, McLennan, Texas and graduated in May 1956.^[12]

Lou went to Mather Air Force Base, Sacramento County, California to undergo Navigator Strategic Bomber Training from which he graduated in September 1956. He became a B-36 Peacemaker Navigator-Bombardier with the 334th Bomb Squadron at Biggs Air Force Base in El Paso, El Paso, Texas from October 1956 to April 1959.

From April 1959 to June 1962 he was assigned as a B-52 Stratofortress Navigator-Bombardier and Radar-Navigator with the 301st Bomb Squadron at Eglin Air Force near Valparaiso, Okaloosa, Florida.^[13]

In June 1962 he went to Ramey Air Force Base, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico to join the 60th Bomb Squadron as a B-52 Radar-Navigator. Then Major Bernasconi left there in July 1965 to attend Air Command and Staff College in Montgomery, Montgomery, Alabama.

From July 1966 to September 1970 he was at the Air Force Special Weapons Command Center at Kirkland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, Bernalillo, New Mexico.

From September 1970 to September 1971, Colonel Bernasconi served as a C-123 Provider Navigator with the 315th Tactical Airlift Wing and the 311th Tactical Airlift Squadron at Phan Rang Air Base, South Vietnam. He went back to the states in October 1971 to serve as a B-52 Radar-Navigator with the 20th Bomb Squadron at Carswell Air Force Base near Fort Worth, Tarrant, Texas. He deployed to Southeast Asia twice with the 20th Bomb Squadron. Once from April 1972 to October 1972 and the second in December 1972.^[14]

Prisoner of War from 22 December 1972 to 29 March 1973. ^{[15] [16] [17]}

While on temporary duty in Southeast Asia, flying in what has been called the Linebacker, on the 4th day of an 11 day intense bombing operation, in a B-52D flown by Lieutenant Colonel John H. Yuill that had a crew of five men and acting as Radar Navigator, he was forced to eject over Hanoi, North Vietnam on 22 December 1972. The entire crew was captured. The names of the other five crew members were Lieutenant Colonel John H. Quill, Captain David L. Drummond, Lieutenant William T. Mayall, Lieutenant Colonel William W. Conlee and Staff Sergeant Gary L. Morgan. All were released during Operation Homecoming.

He was captured on 22 December 1972, the same day he ejected. His B-52D bomber Blue 01 had been hit during a raid over North Vietnam. At first his family was notified that he was missing, but within hours the North Vietnamese paraded he and his fellow crewmen in Hanoi, North Vietnam for publicity.

Lou was released on 29 March 1973 in Operation Homecoming. He was hospitalized briefly at Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, Travis, California and then attended War College.

After his return from North Vietnam, his last assignment was at Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, Bernalillo, New Mexico as director of the Laser Engineering and Applications for Prototype System (LEAPS) at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory until July 1980. He had served three tours in Vietnam.

Honors

1. Legion of Merit
2. Distinguished Flying Cross with V Device
3. Bronze Star with V Device and 1 Oak Leaf Cluster
4. Purple heart with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster
5. Air Medal with 7 Oak Leaf Clusters

The full ribbon bar is available here.

Retirement and later life

He retired from the United States Air Force on 1 July 1980.^[18]

Death and Burial

Colonel Bernasconi died on 29 May 2010 in Albuquerque, Bernalillo, New Mexico, United States. He was buried at the Santa Fe National Cemetery, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Plot: Section 8, Site 179. Find A Grave: Memorial #72874542 ^[19]

Sources

• California Birth Index, 1905-1995.
• 1940 U.S. Federal Census. Residence on Silverado Trail in Napa, Napa, California.^[20]
• U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Vol 1.
• U.S. Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Vol 2.
• Multiple U.S. Phone and Address Directories, 1993-2002 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
• Vietnam War, Casualties Returned Alive, 1962-1979.
• California Marriage Index.
• California Divorce Index.
• U.S. Social Security Death Index.
• Find A Grave Index.
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File.
• Wyatt, Barbara Powers. We Came Home. Toluca Lake, CA: P.O.W. Publications, 1977.
• Bowman, Martin W. Jet Combat in the Nuclear Age: Jet Fighter Campaigns 1980's to the Present Day. Great Britain: Skyhorse Publishing, 2016. Portions of the book are available here
• Obituary. Napa Valley Register. 20 June 2010.
• Veteran Tributes. The entire tribute is here.
• Together We Served. Click here to view [1]

Footnotes

1. ↑ Wyatt, BP
2. ↑ Vet Trib
3. ↑ CA Birth Rec
4. ↑ Wyatt, BP
5. ↑ Vet Trib
6. ↑ Together we Served
7. ↑ Vet Trib
8. ↑ CA Marr Rec
9. ↑ CA Div Rec
10. ↑ Gist (29 October 1939 - 18 May 1968) was shot down and first listed as MIA in North Vietnam. He died in North Vietnam.
11. ↑ Obit
12. ↑ Vet Trib
13. ↑ Vet Trib
14. ↑ Vet Trib
15. ↑ NAM POW
16. ↑ Vet Trib
17. ↑ Wyatt, BP
18. ↑ Vet Trib
19. ↑ Together We Served
20. ↑ 1940: Bernasconi, Louis 40 born about 1900 in Switzerland, alien, butcher, completed 8th grade, head; Mary 38 born about 1902 in Switzerland, alien, completed 8th grade, wife; Louis Jr. 8, born California, son.

Acknowledgements