Donald Arrington Joyner

Lieutenant Colonal Donald Arrington Joyner was killed in action on December 27, 1972 in a plane crash in Rayong, Thailand while on active duty during the Vietnam War.  He was 41 years old.

Donald Arrington Joyner was born on November 22, 1931 in Johnston County, North Carolina, the son of Elbert Augustus Joyner and Lillie Arrington Smith Joyner. He was a graduate of Epsom High School, Vance County, North Carolina, Texas A&M University and the University of Southern California (MA). He was married to the former Jean Journigan, also from the Epsom Community.

A veteran of almost 20 years of service, he joined the Air Force in January of 1953 through the aviation cadet program and served during the Korean War. He had been stationed in Thailand since April 1972. He was assigned to the 307th Strategic Wing, on temporary duty to the 22nd Bomber Wing, Strategic Air Command (SAC). He was among the thirty-three B-52 crew members killed in action during Operation Linebacker II.  

Operation Linebacker II was a U.S. 7th Air Force and U.S. Navy Task Force 77 aerial bombing campaign conducted against targets in North Vietnam during the final period of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. The operation took place December 18-29, 1972. It was a "maximum effort" bombing campaign to destroy major target complexes in the Hanoi and Haiphong areas which could only be accomplished by B-52s. It saw the largest heavy bomber strikes launched by the U.S. Air Force since the end of World War II. During Operation Linebacker II, a total of 741 B-52 sorties were dispatched to bomb North Vietnam. Lt Col Joyner was returning from a bombing mission over North Vietnam where his plane had received severe damage and was attempting an emergency landing at his Utapao base in Thailand when the crash occurred on December 27, 1972.

LT Col Joyner is buried in the Liberty Christian Church Cemetery, Epsom, North Carolina.  His name is inscribed on panel 01W, line 106 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C.

Last edited: 30 May 2026