Gloria D. Netherland 1926 - 2005
Netherland, Gloria Dalles
Born November 5, 1926, Cheswick PA - Died March 23, 2005, McLean VA.Daughter of John and Lucy Dalles.Graduate of Aspinwall (PA) High School.
Gloria Dalles Netherland, was inurned at Arlington Cemetery on May 10, 2005. Aunt Marie, as we all called her, was a Pittsburgh native who became the wife of a celebrated Navy pilot, and a symbol of all whose family members were listed as Missing in Action during the Vietnam War. She was the widow of Roger Morton ("Dutch") Netherland, USN. Commander Netherland's plane was shot down by enemy fire while flying a mission over North Vietnam. Listed as MIA until the Vietnam conflict ended, and thereafter as "presumed dead", his repatriated remains were among the first Vietnam casualties to be positively identified by improved DNA matching, in May 2000. Mrs. Netherland was the subject of Louis R. Stockstill's 1969 cover Reader’s Digest article about the plight of families of MIA's and POWs. That article was also entered into the Congressional Record. You can read it on line at the Air Force Magazine site: http://www.afa.org/magazine/perspectives/Vietnam/1069vietnam.asphttp://www.afa.org/magazine/perspectives/Vietnam/1069vietnam.asp
She represented all who wondered, hoped, prayed and waited, not knowing if their loved-ones were alive or would return. Prior to Commander Netherland's disappearance, his career had taken them to tours of duty in Norfolk, Virginia, Pensacola, Florida, Rome, Italy and Tokyo, Japan. In Rome, Netherland served as attaché to Ambassador Claire Boothe Luce. Gloria was a private person who felt, nonetheless, by sharing her story with Louis Stockstill’s readers, new resolve might be found. In our current era, with a different war, but with families who struggle and pray and wait, perhaps what she shared may give others a measure of strength in the midst of their own difficulties. The Senate Select Committee on POWs and MIAs says this: "On May 10, 1967, Commander Netherland was launched in an A-4C, side number NF 404, from the U.S.S. Hancock as the leader of a flight of aircraft on a mission against Kien An Airfield near the port city of Hai Phong. There was no ejection seen. A search for sign of him was negative. He was initially declared missing in action. After the end of hostilities he was declared dead/body not recovered.” In subsequent years, forensic examination of what were believed to be his repatriated remains was inconclusive. Not until 1998, did the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (DNA Registry) in Washington, contact Gloria to tell her there had been a major DNA breakthrough and they felt Dutch's was a perfect test case. They asked if she had something completely unique to him. Gloria remembered Dutch's father had given her a box of photographs; among them was an envelope marked "Roger's First Haircut". It held a lock of hair, in perfect condition. That turned out to be the key to Dutch's positive identification, and the end of a long journey. At that time, Gloria said, "I am deeply indebted to and very much in awe of the wonderful special dedicated people who never gave up on their difficult, daunting task." What a perfect description of people who live their faith in God! “Wonderful, special dedicated people who never give up on their difficult, daunting task.” She could have been describing her husband, or herself. May we all strive to live so that she could have been describing each one of us.
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