Mark Adam “Doppler” Lange was born on August 17, 1957 in Fraser, Macomb County, Michigan. Lt. Lange was appointed to the Naval Academy from the State of Michigan and was graduated with the Class of 1979, whereupon he entered flight training and was designated naval aviator in 1981, serving with VA-85. During his Academy years he was an active member of the Masqueraders and he had been a member of the Glee Club for four years. He was also a member of the Glee Club at Pensacola.

In October 1983, USS John F. Kennedy was diverted to Beirut, Lebanon from his planned Indian Ocean deployment, after the Beirut barracks bombing killed 241 U.S. Marines taking part in the Multinational Force in Lebanon, and spent the rest of that year and early 1984 patrolling the region. On 4 December 1983, ten A-6 aircraft from Kennedy, along with A-6 and A-7 aircraft from USS Independence, took part in a bombing raid over Beirut in response to two U.S. F-14 aircraft being fired upon the previous day. The Navy lost two aircraft during the raid: an A-7E from Independence and an A-6E from Kennedy were shot down by SAMs. The A-7E pilot was picked up by a fishing boat, but the A-6E pilot, Lt. Mark Lange, was killed and the B/N, Lt. Robert Goodman, was taken prisoner; he was released on 3 January 1984.

Mark's A-6E was shot down over central Lebanon on 4 December 1983 during a bombing raid--in retaliation for hostile ground fire directed at U.S. reconnaissance flights over the area. He and his bombardier-navigator, Lt. Robert Goodman, ejected at low altitude. Goodman survived the crash landing with some injuries, but one of Mark's legs was severed when he hit the ground hard. Both men were quickly captured by the Syrian militia. Mark's captors did not apply the tourniquet that might have saved his life. Doctors who later examined the body said he bled to death.

He is now buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery, Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan, USA.

Source of information: https://navy.togetherweserved.com/usn/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=384322, https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/MARK_A._LANGE,_LT,_USN, www.findagrave.com