Illinois Remembers POW/MIA (I-57) - Benton, IL
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 38° 01.841 W 088° 55.437
16S E 331145 N 4210966
I-57 NB rest area, specific to area as other in Illinois are.
Waymark Code: WMP1ZA
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 06/13/2015
Views: 2
County of memorial: Franklin County
Location of memorial: I-57, NR m/m 74, Rend Lake Rest Area, Benton
Marker erected by: IlDoT
Memorial Text:
ILLINOIS
REMEMBERS
Maj.
Robert Williams
McLeansboro
POW/MIA
"WILLIAMS, ROBERT CYRIL
Remains returned 05/95
Name: Robert Cyril Williams
Branch/Rank: United States Air Force/O4
Unit:
Date of Birth: 01 August 1929
Home City of Record: McLeansboro IL
Date of Loss: 01 July 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 174344 North 1055643 East
Status (in 1973): Killed in Action/Body not Recovered
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: A1E
Missions:
Other Personnel in Incident: unknown
Refno:
Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews and CACCF = Combined Action
Combat Casualty File.
REMARKS:
July 2, 1995
By Linda Rush
The Southern Illinoisan
McLeansboro MIA laid to rest
"As a brisk breeze ruffled the hay in an adjacent field and snapped at the array of flags, four military jets approached the cemetery in McLeansboro. When they were directly over the cemetery, three jets continued on course; one climbed straight heavenward until it soared out of sight and only the faint sound of the engine was heard.
"The symbolic flyover was a fitting farewell for Maj. Robert C. Williams of McLeansboro, whose remains were laid to rest Saturday in his hometown of 2,700 - 29 years to the day after his A-1E Skyraider was shot down over Vietnam......" ~ POW network