The worn pair of boots sat for decades in a West Texas closet, collecting dust and growing dull and stiff with age. To most people, they just looked like an old pair of boots that had seen better days. To the Forrester family, they were a link to a beloved son, brother, uncle and father who had made the ultimate sacrifice serving his country and leaving behind a legacy that inspired generations.
The boots belonged to Capt. Ronald Forrester ’69, who was declared missing in action in 1972. They were his senior cadet boots, which he wore proudly as a member of the Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets. They were a symbol of his Aggie pride and accomplishments.
They later became a link between him and his family, and a reminder of the power of community and the Aggie Family.
Walking in His Uncle’s Footsteps
Craig Forrester ’94 doesn’t have any memories of his uncle, but he grew up hearing stories about him from his father, Donald, who is Ron’s twin brother.
“Some of the things I admire the most about my uncle are that he was loving and kind. He cared deeply about his fellow man and put others before himself,” Craig said. “He was a warrior, a servant-leader, and he knew his calling.”
Following in his uncle’s footsteps, Craig attended Texas A&M and joined the Corps of Cadets. Like his uncle, who had written to his parents about some of his struggles adapting to life in the Corps, Craig experienced his own moments of doubt about whether he was in the right place.
“When failure is not an option, it simplifies your problem set and you find a way,” Craig said. “When times were the toughest, I just reminded myself that my Uncle Ronnie had already been through all of this. I was Ron Forrester’s nephew. I’d muster up the grit to see it through as well.”
So when he was a junior and it was time to get his senior boots, he knew what he wanted to wear for Final Review: his uncle Ron’s boots.
“I did a whole lot of thinking about it and finally worked up the courage to ask my grandparents if it would be OK if I broke them out of retirement,” Craig recalls. They agreed, and he started the painstaking process of restoring them.
Since each pair of boots is custom-made, Craig figured that since he could wear his dad’s shoes, he could probably fit into his uncle’s boots. And he was right. However, boots left on a shelf for 30 years become brittle and dull.
After about 18 months of work, Craig had his uncle’s senior boots back to their shining glory. “When I informed my grandparents, Papaw simply smiled and said, ‘Ronnie kept them looking like that every day.’”
After about 18 months of work, the boots were back to their shining glory. “When I informed my grandparents, Papaw simply smiled and said, ‘Ronnie kept them looking like that every day.’”
Craig wore those restored boots for Final Review, marking the beginning of his new leadership position as a senior. It was a proud day for him, not only as an Aggie, but also for following in his uncle’s footsteps across Simpson Drill Field.
After graduation, Craig was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served for 20 years, including multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I am privileged to be Ron Forrester’s nephew, and I am honored that his legacy lives on through me.”
Missing in Action
Ron served as a bombardier navigator during the Vietnam War. On Dec. 27, 1972, he embarked on his 47th bombing mission in his A-6A Intruder over North Vietnam with co-pilot Capt. Jim Chipman. Their plane didn’t return to base, and they were later declared missing in action.
For a long time, Ron’s family clung to the hope that he was still alive. However, not knowing his fate weighed heavily on them all.
A couple of years after his plane went down, Ron’s story was featured in the Ft. Worth Star Telegram. His younger brother, Larry, wrote to the newspaper to praise their coverage of the Vietnam soldiers still missing. He wrote, “Unfortunately, America has lost interest, due to apathy and Watergate, in the rightness of securing a full accounting of those whose destiny is unknown by wives, children, parents, relatives and friends.”
“We are grateful to God for the few, such as you, who have stood behind us in our lonely island of anxiety and frustration. Please continue your excellent coverage as these men deserve to have their destiny known.”
Larry and his family’s search for answers about what happened to Ron would remain unresolved for decades. In September 1978, Ron was officially declared killed in action. The family still had no information about what happened to him or his pilot, yet it seemed the country had moved on.
But the Forresters had not.
Searching for Answers
Karoni Forrester ’96 was only 2 years old when her father went missing. Like her cousin, Craig, her memories of him come mostly from other family members, classmates and those who served with him in the Marines. Despite this, Karoni has always felt a deep connection to her father, and a need to honor both him and his sacrifice — and find out what happened to him.
She remembers the day she decided she needed answers. “It was when we were putting an unknown soldier into the Tomb of the Unknowns,” Karoni recalls. It was Memorial Day 1984, and the rhetoric in the media at the time suggested that the U.S. was closing a chapter on the Vietnam War. “I was 13, and no one had told me what had happened to my dad, and I wasn’t closing the chapter.” She was determined to find answers, which led her to meet other families who were struggling with the same uncertainty and grief that she was experiencing.
She heard about a regional meeting for the National League of Families in the Dallas area.
“My mom took me there when I was 14, and that was when I first met anyone who had someone missing whose last name wasn’t Forrester,” she said. “The only people I knew with someone missing were us. I know people who had lost loved ones, but no one was in my situation whose dad was missing in action. So, meeting other family members was very impactful.”
As a minor, there wasn’t much she could do on her own. However, as an adult, Karoni has been an avid advocate for those still missing in action and prisoners of war and their families.
Over the years, she has formed many lasting friendships within the Aggie and veteran communities. They are both tight-knit groups, dedicated to loyalty and service.
Capt. Forrester Comes Home
In December 2023, after decades of uncertainty, the Forrester family received word from the U.S. military that the remains of Ron and his pilot Jim Chipman had been recovered and identified through DNA testing of teeth and bone fragments recovered during excavations of the crash site.
“It was just a feeling of peace to finally have the answer,” Craig said.
The family held a celebration of life ceremony in February 2024 at Karoni’s church outside Austin, Texas. The ceremony included friends and family, as well as those who didn’t know Ron but wanted to be there to celebrate him and his legacy.
Ron’s perfectly preserved and shined boots were also on display, a symbol of his connection to both his nephew and the Aggie Family.
During the service, Karoni’s daughter, Lilian Gonzales, said, “Remember Ronald Wayne Forrester. Remember his story and all that he gave. Remember he was missing. Remember he was found. Remember, there are 1,577 families just like ours who are still waiting for their answers,” she said. “Continue the mission to bring them all home.”
Ron was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on Oct. 7, 2024.
Honoring Veterans, MIA and POWs
Even though Ron’s remains were finally recovered, Karoni remains dedicated to raising awareness about the families still awaiting answers.
She is participating in Run For The Wall, a cross-country motorcycle ride that honors veterans and raises awareness for those missing in action (MIA) and prisoners of war (POW). The ride started in Ontario, California, and will conclude at the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., before finally arriving at Arlington National Cemetery. The Southern Route kicked off on May 14 and ends on May 24.
Karoni says a big part of the ride is to let veterans and their families know they aren’t forgotten. “We go and embrace different MIA families and Gold Star families along the way, because I know that if somebody came to my house and said, ‘Your dad’s not forgotten,’ that would have meant a lot to me. So I love that I get to do that for other families.”
After the official end of the ride, she will head to Concord, North Carolina, to join Craig and their families in watching the Coca-Cola 600, a NASCAR Cup Series race, where her dad will be honored on the No. 41 Texas A&M Ford Mustang driven by Cole Custer.
Custer’s car will be decked out in a special livery of Aggie Maroon complemented by camouflage in honor of the nation’s fallen military service members. Ron’s name will appear on the windshield of the car during the race.
The family is excited to attend the race and see Ron honored on a national stage, bringing attention to the plight of military families with loved ones who are still missing.
The Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 races celebrate America and honor our nation’s fallen military service members. This Memorial Day weekend, Cole Custer’s No. 41 car will debut the Texas A&M livery in honor of Capt. Ron Forrester ’69. Though owed to the luck of the draw, having car No. 41 is appropriate for Texas A&M, as President George H.W. Bush, himself a veteran, was a proponent of selfless service, and his presidential library is located on Texas A&M’s main campus.
“I saw that race car, and I laughed and cried at the same time. I was giddy,” Karoni said of seeing photos of the car prior to the race. “I’m thinking, ‘Daddy’s gotta love a race car that looks like this and has his name on it.’ What pilot doesn’t like something that goes fast, and then that Aggie car is awesome.”
It was an Aggie connection that made it happen. Craig’s college “old lady” (which is what Corps members call their roommates), Lt. Col. (Ret.) John Fleming ’94, was the one who suggested Ron as an honoree for the military recognition at the Coca-Cola 600, one of NASCAR’s most prestigious races. Fleming currently serves as director of the Don & Ellie Knauss Veteran Resource & Support Center at Texas A&M.
“Texas A&M is about family,” Craig said. The Aggie Family has supported the Forresters for decades, and they have created their own legacy at the university as new generations attend. Inspired by the man taken too soon, Craig and Karoni continue his legacy by impacting the lives of others and exemplifying selfless service in action. They have also continued the proud tradition of Aggie current and former students. Craig’s wife and son are Aggies: Rebecca “Becky” (Reichardt) Forrester ’96 and William ’27, who is a junior accounting major. Karoni’s half brothers and sister-in-law are also Aggies: Robert “Bobby” Bland IV ’91, Seth A. Bland ’00 and Shannon R. (Murray) Bland ’02.
To the families who are still waiting for answers, Karoni offers them support and hope. “We stand with you until it’s your family’s turn,” she said. “It’s going to be your turn.”
