Ephrata Alumni Association

Mike Masterson

Class of 1955

The Ephrata Alumni Association would like to honor the service of all who graduated from Ephrata High School and served in the Armed Forces. One such hero is Mike Masterson, a fallen hero.

Masterson is remembered by his classmates for his “bubby enthusiasm, great sense of humor and his smarts.” He was a leader, served as the Associated Student Body president during the 1954-55 school years, participated in the Student Leaders’ Conference, attended Boys’ State, and served as president of Boys’ Federation. Academically, he was a member of the National Honor Society and the International Relations Organization. Though small in stature, Mike was a member of the Orange “E” Club and participated in football, baseball, and track.

Mike graduated from Washington State University and is described by a fellow Cougar as “a man whose leadership inspired us to lead, his sense of honor and humor taught us to be honest and laugh at our mistakes, and his discipline set the example for us of a high standard of excellence.”

Michael John Masterson
Lieutenant Colonel – United States Air Force
16 May 1937 - 20 November 1968

“Night closed over Laos, where clouds were piling up over the rugged mountain jungle. An American pilot, on a mission to disrupt enemy traffic bound for North Vietnam, was flying into trouble. The artificial horizon on his A-1 Skyraider, a single-prop workhorse of World War II vintage, had suddenly stopped functioning, making it impossible for him to gauge his position among the clouds.

“Dizzy and disoriented, Air Force Captain Michael J. “Bat” Masterson radioed to a companion flying nearby that he was ejecting. ‘I’m losing it and getting out,’ Masterson barked. At this, the wingman, Air force Major Peter W. Brown, began a sharp turn to avoid colliding with Masterson. Halfway through this maneuver, Brown saw an orange fireball light up the jungle. Masterson’s plane was down.

“Brown noted the time and date – 6:55 p.m., October 13, 1968. But where was Masterson? Had he parachuted to safety? Had he been captured by Pathet Lao troops, the Communists controlling this corner of Laos? Had he ridden his Skyraider into the ground?” Those questions would remain unanswered for almost 40 years.”

The August 2006 issue of the Smithsonian Magazine contains information on the excavation of the crash site. It reported that, “the human remains recovered consisted of bone fragments too small and too damaged for DNA analysis, but it notes that the recovery team found personal effects, fragments of an unused parachute, ammunition for Captain Masterson's personal sidearm, and both of his dog tags.” The article goes on to say, “Since neither teeth nor DNA were available in Masterson's case, it was finally closed February 7, 2006, on the basis of circumstantial evidence. Later that month, Air Force officers presented the findings, along with Masterson's dog tags, a few coins, other effects, and a copy of the case file to his wife.”

Update from the Virtual Wall: The Defense Department PM-SEA database indicates that Captain Masterson's remains were repatriated on 04 AUG 2005 and positive identification approved on 07 FEB 2006. His name is found listed on panel 41W, row 61 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, The Wall, in Washington, D. C.

To read the full story, access “Lost Over Laos”: