FORT WORTH, Texas – A 20‑year‑old blue Corvette has long sat in a Gatesville garage, a silent reminder of a missing son of Texas. The car belonged to Air Force Capt. William Elmo Powell, a 1965 Texas Christian University graduate who vanished when his fighter plane was downed over North Vietnam in 1968.
Family’s long wait
Powell’s parents kept the Corvette, hoping their son would someday return to drive it again. The Air Force declared him killed in action in 1973, prompting a family memorial. Both parents passed away before the first set of Powell’s remains were repatriated in 1988. After a second burial, DNA testing later identified additional remains, leading the family to hold a second interment.
TCU honors a fallen Horned Frog
The full story appears in the cover feature of TCU Magazine, released for Veterans Day. Among the roughly 81,000 American service members still listed as missing, 22 are TCU students or graduates; Powell is the only missing Horned Frog whose remains have been recovered.
Powell’s nephew, Bryan Powell, told the magazine, “Nobody should have to bury the same person twice after already having a memorial service.” The article draws on official U.S. Government accounts, eyewitness testimony from Vietnam, family interviews, Powell’s wartime diary, and photographs. It also highlights small reel‑to‑reel tapes the family kept to send news home.
TCU’s ongoing commitment
TCU continues to partner with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, supporting investigations into other unresolved cases. Historian and Army veteran Matt Kotowski searches military records, photographs, and archival materials for clues about missing service members.
The university’s involvement underscores a broader commitment to honoring veterans and ensuring that families receive closure, even decades after the conflict.
Original reporting: Fort Worth Report — read the source article.
