Memorial

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Arthur Lingo attended Appalachian State Teachers College in Taft, California. He enlisted on 6 November 1941 in Los Angeles, California.

2nd Lt James E. Roughgarden states in the Missing Aircrew Report:
"On 11 April 1944, I was flying wingman to Judson Red Flight Leader, Capt Arthur M. Lingo. Around 20 miles northeast of Magdebrug, Germany, at 20,000 feet, we spotted a lone Me 109 below, dropped tanks, and dived down on it. I lost sight of the enemy plane when my windshield fogged up, but my leader kept following him. Then I saw a FW 190 on my left, about 500 feet above. I told Capt Lingo of this, and slid in behind the FW 190, firing a short burst from 150 yards. Then I followed him for four complete turns, trying to pull lead on him, without success. Finally, I broke away. I flew around looking for Capt Lingo and attempted to contact him over R/T, but received no answer. I gave up the search and headed home. Alone."

While the flight was near Magdeburg, Germany, Lingo and his wingman spotted a lone enemy aircraft below them, and dove to engage it. The wingman reported that he had to pull out of the dive due to his windshield fogging, but that Lingo continued after the plane. He was not seen again. German records indicate that Lingo's aircraft crashed into a deep bog in Mierterhorst, Germany and was completely destroyed in the crash.

In 1946, the American Graves Registration Command team was tasked with recovering missing American personnel in the European Theater. During their investigations, teams of investigators interviewed local residents and officials for information about missing American servicemen. They were able to locate aircraft wreckage with serial numbers associated with the P-51 aircraft from a bog. However, due to the swampy terrain, the team could not perform a full excavation of the site. On 14 June 1950, Lingo was declared non-recoverable.

In 2022, a DPAA team, with assistance from local researcher Werner Oeltjebruns as well as the U.S. Army Geospatial Command, conducted investigation and survey operations in the Miesterhorst area. The team interviewed local residents and administrative officials, who confirmed the location where the aircraft crashed. The team conducted a full site survey of the crash site, where they located aircraft wreckage consistent with Lingo’s aircraft and possible osseous remains. All material evidence found at the site was accessioned into the DPAA Laboratory for examination and identification. The laboratory analysis and the totality of the circumstantial evidence available established an association between the remains recovered at the site and Lingo.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced that Capt Arthur M. Lingo was accounted for on 10 January 2025. Further information will follow (information added February 2025).