Vietnam War
| Unit | 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron |
|---|---|
| Rank | Colonel U.S. Air Force |
| Entered Service From | Mt. View California |
| Date of Death | April 12 1969 |
| Status | Recovered |
| Memorialized |
Courts of the Missing
Court
A
Honolulu Memorial |
Notes
Colonel De Soto was a member of the 390th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Danang Air Base, South Vietnam. On April 12, 1969, he was the pilot of a McDonnell Douglas Phantom II Fighter (F-4D) on an operational mission a few miles north of the tri-border of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia over Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam. Radio contact with the aircraft was lost. His remains were not recovered.
Through the work of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, the remains of Colonel Ernest Leo De Soto were accounted for in 2023. His name is permanently inscribed on the “Courts of the Missing” at the Honolulu Memorial.
