Memorial services will be Sunday, August 5 at 1:30 p.m. at United Presbyterian Church in North Bend for Lt. Comdr. Jeffrey Mines, 37 whose military jet crashed in the South China Sea July 24, 1990.

Memorial services were held Friday, July 27 at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station for him.

Jeffrey Mines was born February 3, 1953 in Fremont to Bill and Dorothy Mines of North Bend.

He graduated from North Bend Central High School in 1971 and was salutatorian of his class. He was accepted at both the Naval and Air Force academies, choosing the Air Force academy because he wanted to fly.

However, a knee injury during high school football season prevented him from passing the academy’s entrance physical and he went on to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he graduated in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science degree for teaching with a major in mathematics.

After visiting with a Navy recruiter who said if he got his knee fixed he could pass the Navy physical, he had surgery and built up his knee by exercising and running. He passed the physical and enlisted in the Navy in 1976. He attended Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida and earned his pilot wings at Naval Air Station Chase Field in Beeville, Texas.

During his 14-year Naval career, he served tours on the carriers USS Kitty Hawk, USS Midway and most recently the USS Independence. His last duty station was Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Oak Harbor Washington.

It was from the USS Independence that he left in an A-E Intruder assigned to the Medium Attack Squadron VA-196 at Whedbey Island Naval Air Station.

They were flying a night low level training mission, according to his brother, Mick Mines of Blair. They were 1000 feet climbing to 2500 feet at the time the accident occurred. Mines said his brother’s wing man was eight miles behind him and saw an explosion before the jet disappeared.

After searching for over 12 hours, during both darkness and daylight, for Mines and his bombardier-navigator, Lt. Cmdr. Arthur Braun, 35 of Georgetown, Texas, the search was called off. Twelve hours is a standard length of time to search when such an accident occurs at sea, according to Mines.

In addition to his parents, he is survived by his brothers and their wives, Michael (Mick) and Katie Mines of Blair; Randall and Chanda Mines of Anchorage, Alaska; and Barry Mines of Lexington, Virginia; and a grandmother, Clara Vopalensky of North Bend.

A scholarship in his memory is being established at the high school and memorials for that scholarship may be sent to the Platte Valley Bank in North Bend.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~