John Russell Pitzen

John Russell Pitzen was a native of rural Stacyville in Mitchell County. Pitzen joined the Navy in 1954 and became a pilot. CPT Pitzen served for 18 years before deploying off the coast of South Vietnam aboard the USS KITTY HAWK. On August 17, 1972, he was piloting a McDonnell Douglas F-4J Fighter. His aircraft was on an escort mission with a group of bombers with targets in North Vietnam. The bombers reported surface to air missiles in the area, at 1:40 am the USS KITTY HAWK lost contact and radar signal with CAPT Pitzen’s plane. The Navy declared him missing along with his co-pilot. They remained missing for 24 years before remains were discovered in 1994, later identified in 1996. Promoted while missing to Commander, CMDR Pitzen’s remains were laid to rest in the Visitation Catholic Cemetery in Stacyville.