CINCINNATI — On a mission in the skies of South Korea, smoke began pouring out of the engine covering the pilot canopy of an F51-D Mustang aircraft. The pilot, a Hughes High School graduate, had few options and within seconds decided the best action was to bail out from the plane just before it crashed into a dry riverbed.
The mission was an armed reconnaissance operation over Waegwan, South Korea. It was Aug. 14, 1950, and the area was crawling with North Korean forces engaged in heavy fighting.
Military records show 1Lt Thelbert Bernard Wormack’s wingman circled back to see where he had landed after bailing out. He could see Wormack walking northwest toward railroad tracks. He was alive. However, as the wingman explained, he could see several enemy soldiers searching the area when he made a second pass over it.
Wormack was never to be seen again.
He was officially listed as Missing in Action and presumed dead on March 31, 1954.
Now, his family is looking for closure as they prepare for a full military service on Oct. 26, 2024, at Vine Street Hill Cemetery in Cincinnati.
Lisa Stouffer is the general manager of the Vine Street Hill Cemetery Association and said in June of this year she was contacted by Renee Wormack-Keels about placing a marker so that the remaining family in the Greater Cincinnati area could have a place to visit to remember and honor his service and life.
“We were able to donate a space on Veteran’s Hill and process the application for his government service memorial,” Stouffer said.
The family has created a cenotaph, which honors someone whose remains are elsewhere or have been lost, to honor Wormack’s life and sacrifice.
Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, at 11 a.m., the United States Air Force will conduct full military honors atop Veteran’s Hill where the memorial has been placed. The public is invited to attend to further honor Wormack’s service and sacrifice to the country.
Vine Street Hill Cemetery is located at 3701 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH 45220.
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