10 meters below the Virgin of Wissgrut.

Monument

An erect boulder on which a white rectangular plaque is mounted. The plaque is printed with a commemoration message that is written in French below the printed insignia of the US Marine Corps. Below the commemoration message is the Sewen coat of arms.

On August 18, 1963, while taking off from the aircraft carrier USS Independence, which was patrolling the Bay of Biscay, for a training mission, with an assault on the Belfort-Fontaine airfield, Captain Skinner, flying his A-4B Skyhawk, finished his mission, and headed back to the Vosges, flying low to avoid radar, the pilot found himself caught in thick clouds. Realizing that he was too close to the mountain, he evacuated before his plane hit, but his parachute did not have time to open. He hit a tree and was killed instantly.

Source of information: www.aerosteles.net

Source of photos: Jean-Loup Frommer

À la mémoire de

WILBUR « BILLY » EUGÉNE SKINNER

Capitaine du Marine corps des États-Unis

Né le 05/11/1931 à Sycamore, Illinois

Décédé le 18/08/1963 en ce lieu

durant la guerre froide

lors du crash de son Avion

Skyhawk A4B

English translation:

In memory of

WILBUR « BILLY » EUGÉNE SKINNER

Captain of the United States Marine Corps

Born on 05/11/1931 in Sycamore, Illinois

Died on 18/08/1963 in this place

during the Cold War

during the crash of his plane

Skyhawk A4B