ADJ2 Kerry Bignall
 Kerry Bignall, VO-67 Crew 6, was officially inducted into the Enlisted Combat Air Crew Roll of Honor on 12 November, 1999, aboard the USS Yorktown (CV-10). The Yorktown has been designated as part of the Naval and Maritime Museum at Patriots Point in Charleston, SC.
On Thursday evening, 11 November, a get acquainted dinner reception was held for all inductees and officials. AT 10:00 a.m. on Friday morning, some 450 people gathered in Hanger Bay 2 of the Yorktown for the induction ceremony.
RADM James H Flatley III USN (RET), CEO of Patriots Point, was the Master of Ceremony for the event. VADM Richard C. Allen USN (RET) awarded the plaques as each of the inductees was called up to the podium. Forty Six of the 82 inductees participated in the ceremony. Some of the inductees were unable to attend and others were awarded posthumously.
Kerry Bignall was the first Navy Vietnam War air crewman to be inducted into the Roll of Honor. Two Marines from the Vietnam War were also inducted this year with Kerry.
Pictured in the photo below left to right: Alexander McCormick MSGT USAF (Ret), Melvin R Schultz CAPT USNR (Ret) & Kerry Bignall
At the beginning of the ceremony, RADM Flatley gave a short speech about the history of the Roll of Honor. He noted that at this ceremony they were inducting the first Navy air crewman from the Vietnam War into the Roll of Honor. He did not mention in his remarks who the air crewman was or his squadron.
Kerry was the second inductee to be called up to the podium. RADM Flatley introduced Kerry and stated that he was from VO-67 which was a top-secret squadron implanting electronic sensors during 1967-1968.
Kerry related the following conversation after the induction:
Both RADM Flatley and VADM Allen approached me after the ceremony and asked about VO-67. RADM Flatley stated that he had spent three tours in Vietnam and had never heard of the squadron. I told him that few in the Navy or anywhere else for that matter ever had knowledge of the existence of VO-67.
I went on to tell the admiral that the squadron needed help finding lost shipmates and families and that we would provide him with the official history of VO-67 along with a copy of Wings of Gold Over The Ho Chi Minh Trail, the story of VO-67 written by our VO-67 Operations Officer, CDR Gire.
Pictured in the photo below left to right: Vadm Allen, Tony Bissell, Kerry Bignall, & Radm Flatley
I made a copy of Wings of Gold… available for the admiral and told him the official history would be sent. RADM Flatley said that he would review our history and see what he could do to promote a course of action for the enlisted crewmen to be inducted into the Roll of Honor and to bring recognition to VO-67.
VADM Allen, who is the President of the ANA magazine, also said he would be willing to help us through the magazine. A copy of Wings of Gold… and the history were also sent to him. Everyone, from the admirals to the inductees and their families, were very respectful and said they were honored to be introduced to someone from such an elite squadron that they never knew existed.
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