James K. Caniford

Shortly after graduating from Middletown High School, James K. Caniford entered the U.S. Air Force on June 10, 1966, and received specialized training at the Flight Line Aircraft Mechanic School at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas. On March 29, 1972, while serving as a crew member on an AC-130A, his plane was downed by a surface-to-air missile over Laos. Search efforts were suspended a few days later because of negative results and extremely hostile forces in the crash area. He was officially listed by the Department of Defense as unaccounted for in Southern Asia. An excavation of the crash site on November 21, 2006, recovered remains of the crew. Senior Master Sergeant James Caniford's remains were identified on February 12, 2008, and he was interred at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors on May 20, 2008.

Middletown, Maryland · United States