Our Mission:
My first husband, Capt. Jerry Zimmer, was an F4B Phantom jet pilot, whose aircraft was shot down on August 29, 1969, approximately 20 miles South of Da Nang, Vietnam, after six months in country. Neither Jerry nor his navigator, 1st Lt. Al Graf, was able to eject, before the aircraft crashed into the Que Son Mountains. Initially Jerry and Al were classified as Killed in Action/No Body Recovered (KIA/NBR). Years later, both Marines were listed as MIA, along with other service members whose bodies were never recovered.
Jerry has been gone nearly a half century, and hope for recovering his remains had run out a long time ago. However, in recent years our family became involved with the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), now merged with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), and learned that Jerry’s and Al’s remains might, in fact, be recoverable, so we are doing everything possible to support their efforts to make this happen and bring our guys home where they belong.
NOTE: BLOG POSTS ARE NOT UPDATED, SO INFORMATION MAY HAVE CHANGED OVER TIME.
ABOUT ME — PART ONE
At the beginning of our search for Jerry’s crash site, it was a tough experience, and I hadn’t adequately prepared myself for the realities of facing a painful period of my life. However, I was working at the time as an editor for a small yachting publication and anyone in the business knows that monthly deadlines come quickly. This was a good thing. I didn’t have much time to sit around and feel sorry for myself. Last year I quit my job to devote full time to Jerry’s case. I’m busier than ever and determined to stay positive.
I had begun writing for different publications before finishing college in the late ’80s, but I finally went back and got my degree in journalism. Our sons, Craig and Brett, hadn’t quite left home, but they were completely supportive, as was Ron. I enjoyed all my classes and wouldn’t change that experience for the world.
As a late bloomer, I knew the path of least resistance, as a writer, was to carve out a few niches. Before becoming an editor, I specialized in yachting, travel and business. I have always worked remotely and never considered doing it any other way. As a result, I have had a lot of fun. Thanks to San Diego Yacht Club, I covered the America’s Cup early-on and a ton of other water-related topics about fascinating people and events that I came in contact with along the way. I sailed a Laser and sailboard for years, but the fun times were when our family sailed to Catalina in the summer and cruised San Diego bay at other times. Neither Ron nor I grew up sailing, but we wanted our kids to have that experience. We have been members of SDYC for over 30 years, and although I don’t spend a lot of time at the club these days, it is a great place to be, year-round, and the members are the best. I am told that there are a number of faithful blog followers at the club, of which include a distinguished group of retired Marines. My thanks to everyone.
To be continued….
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