Richard Dean Clendenen

Milton native Richard Dean Clendenen served in the Navy when he was killed off the coast of South Vietnam. He was assigned to the USS <i>Forrestal</i> as an Aviation Structural Mechanic. On July 29, 1967 a rocket accidently fired from a F-4 Phantom parked on the flight deck. The detonation started a series of explosions that engulfed the aircraft carrier in flames. In total, 134 sailors lost their lives in the carnage. Clendenen was 21 years old at the time of his death. His remains were recovered and buried at the Sunnyside Cemetery in Milton.