WASHINGTON –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced today that U.S. Air Force Col. Walter A. Renelt, 40, who was killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for June 23, 2025.
In 1969, Renelt served with the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron. On Nov. 20, he was an instructor pilot aboard an O-2A Skymaster aircraft with another crew member on a visual reconnaissance mission over the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. During the mission, the plane was hit by enemy fire and crashed. Bad weather and enemy activity around the crash site prevented ground rescue attempts and subsequent searches for both crew members were unsuccessful. The Air Force made a presumptive finding of death on July 12, 1973.
This is an initial release. The complete accounting of Renelt's case will be published once the family receives their full briefing.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving their country, visit the DPAA website at or on social media at , , , or .
Renelt’s personnel profile can be viewed at https://dpaa-mil.sites.crmforce.mil/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000BTU8EAO.