Approximately 50 Airmen assigned to the 62nd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., attended the funeral of former 62nd FS pilot 2nd Lt. Charles E. Carlson at the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Annville, Penn., Aug. 4, 2017.

Carlson, then 24 years-old, was killed after his P-47 Thunderbolt was shot down by enemy aircraft near Bonn, Germany, during World War II on Dec. 23, 1944. More than 70 years later his remains were identified and brought home.

During the funeral, the 62nd FS stood in formation while the Pennsylvania Army National Guard performed military funeral honors. Carlson’s family was given the medals awarded to Carlson along with a folded American flag. The 62nd FS performed a missing-man formation fly-over with four F-35A Lightning IIs led by Capt. Kyle Babbitt, a 62nd FS pilot.

“I feel very honored to be able to do this for him,” said Babbitt. “If it had been me on the other side, I would really appreciate this for my family. It’s definitely an honor to take on this responsibility.”

The 62nd FS Airmen would not have been able to travel the more than 2,000 miles to make the fly-over happen had it not been for an early morning social media browse by Lt. Col. Peter Lee, the 62nd FS commander.

Air Force photograph by Staff Sgt. Jensen Stidham

Airmen assigned to the 62nd Fighter Squadron stand in formation during the funeral service for 2nd Lt. Charles E. Carlson at the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Annville, Penn., Aug. 4, 2017. Approximately 50 Airmen traveled more than 2,000 miles to attend Carlson’s funeral, who died during World War II after being shot down.

“I was killing some time and looked at my Facebook feed and I saw my (squadron) patch,” said Lee. “I was like ‘oh, it must be one of my co-workers.’ I clicked on the link and that’s how I found out. It started with something as simple as a Facebook post … and next thing you know we’re flying four airplanes over and talking with the family.”

Lee decided he would take as many of his Airmen that would fit on a KC-135 Stratotanker flown by the Arizona National Guard.

“While we value people, ideas and then things, I value the people that I have here,” said Lee. “I want to invest in them by letting them go to the physical place, to see with their own eyes the lengths that we will go to in order to support the families of our fallen.”

Air Force photograph by Staff Sgt. Jensen Stidham

Two F-35A Lighting IIs assigned to the 62nd Fighter Squadron, Luke Air Force Base Ariz, fly near an Arizona National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker Aug. 4, 2017. Four F-35’s participated in a missing man formation fly-over during 2nd Lt. Charles E. Carlson’s funeral in Pennsylvania more than 70 years after being shot down over Germany in World War II when he was assigned to the 62nd FS.

Lee, who spoke during the ceremony, said he believes that everyone dies twice, once when the heart stops beating and once the last time someone says a person’s name.

“It’s important to keep Lieutenant Carlson’s legacy alive and say his name,” said Lee. “And to be there for his family to show them that this is how the Air Force takes care of their own.”

Several of Carlson’s family members expressed their gratitude to the 62nd FS Airmen for spending the time and resources to attend the funeral.
 

Air Force photograph by Staff Sgt. Jensen Stidham

Airmen assigned to the 62nd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz, travel to the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Annville Penn., Aug. 4, 2017. Approximately 50 Airmen traveled more than 2,000 miles on plane and bus to attend 2nd Lt. Charles E. Carlson’s funeral . Carlson was a former 62nd FS, who died during World War II after being shot down.

Air Force photograph by Staff Sgt. Jensen Stidham

Four F-35A Lighting IIs assigned to the 62nd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base Ariz., perform the missing man formation over the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Annville, Penn., Aug. 4, 2017. The 62nd FS attended 2nd Lt. Charles E. Carlson’s funeral. Carlson was a former 62nd FS pilot who died after being shot down over Germany in World War II.

Air Force photograph by Staff Sgt. Jensen Stidham

First Lt. Matt Brown, a 62nd Fighter Squadron pilot, looks at the name of deceased service members at the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Annville, Penn., Aug. 4, 2017. Before attending 2nd Lt. Charles E. Carlson’s funeral, several Airmen reflected upon the thousands of gravesites.

Air Force photograph by Staff Sgt. Jensen Stidham

Airman 1st Class Christopher Robinson, a 62nd Fighter Squadron aviation resource manager, stands in formation during a funeral service for 2nd Lt. Charles E. Carlson, a former 62nd FS pilot, at the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Annville, Penn., Aug. 4, 2017. Approximately 50 Airmen from the 62nd FS stood in formation for the duration of the funeral.

Air Force photograph by Staff Sgt. Jensen Stidham

A grave digger buries the remains of 2nd Lt. Charles E. Carlson at the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Annville, Penn., Aug. 4, 2017. Carlson’s grave is one of several thousand at the 677 acre cemetery.