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.
ZIMMER FIELD — IN A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN
Members of Maine-Endwell Little League and their parents celebrated Memorial Day with a game at Zimmer Field in Maine, NY. Thanks to Dr. James DeSantis, the kids learned a little about the field's namesake--Capt. Jerry Zimmer, USMC, and the meaning of patriotism.
Many thanks go to Dr. James DeSantis, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Johnson City, NY, for the heartwarming email on Memorial Day weekend. Dr. DeSantis explained that his children and many others play Little League on Zimmer field in Maine, NY, and that he “felt it was appropriate for the children, on this Memorial Day, to understand who Jerry Zimmer was and just what it means when they step on the field and hear the National Anthem.”
Dr. DeSantis then did some research and found his way to Jerry’s blog site. After learning of our efforts to bring home Jerry’s remains from Vietnam, he passed along this information to the other parents and children of Maine-Endwell Little League. Jerry would be proud of the kids who are putting Zimmer field to good use and the parents who are teaching their kids about patriotism—qualities that helped Jerry achieve so much in so little time.
Many years ago, the town of Maine—a rural community, located near the Triple Cities of Vestal, Endicott and Johnson City in upstate New York, dedicated the Little League field to Jerry, who was a hometown hero. Jerry was the first boy to earn a college degree in the town of Maine and go on to become a Marine Corps jet pilot.
Respect for our military begins at home, and the families of Maine- Endwell Little League are doing a great job. Their website includes a beautiful tribute to Jerry. Please take a moment to visit www.maine-endwelllittleleague.org/. Kudos to the League’s web administrator, Terry McFadden. I like your work!
Recent Posts: