Laurent Lee Gourley

Laurent Lee Gourley grew up in the small town of Villisca. He was nominated to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy where he graduated in 1966. In Vietnam he flew with the 416 Tactical Fighter Squadron out of Toy Hoa Air Base as part of the Misty Forward Air Control observation unit. In August 1969 he took an unscheduled flight to identify future bombing sites along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. His F100 Super Sabre, flying low, was hit and the plane went down. A parachute was spotted so it was believed that Gourley and/or his co-pilot survived and became POWs. However, none of the Laotian POWs were released in 1973 and, despite the family’s belief that Lee was alive, he was declared legally deceased in 1978. Finally, in 2001 remains were turned over that were identified as Lee Gourley when the wreck of his plane was excavated. Captain Gourley remains were buried in 2002 in the Villisca Cemetery.