Photos: Fliers remembered
![A photo of Lt. Richard M. Theiler is on display at memorial service.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/df1bf16/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x400+0+0/resize/600x400!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7f%2F8b%2Fd972d308eb43ac21faad53283244%2Fla-me-pilot01-156999.jpg)
A photo of Lt. Richard M. Theiler is on display at memorial service. (Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times)
Services for Air Force officers after discovery of plane that vanished in 1955.
![Pilots' memorial](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/67a310a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x458+0+0/resize/600x458!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F31%2F68%2F144185b1da8acc3f9daaf74c8da6%2Fla-me-pilot02-156999.jpg)
Tom Theiler, whose brother died in the 1955 crash, is hugged by Michelle Meadows during the memorial service. (Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times)
![Pilots' memorial](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/58a21aa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x454+0+0/resize/600x454!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fac%2F24%2Fbf7667d0df8444529848d3d782be%2Fla-me-pilot03-156999.jpg)
An honor guard holds a memorial at Dockweiler State Beach on Friday for two pilots whose Air Force jet was found last year in Santa Monica Bay after disappearing in 1955 en route to Yuma, Ariz., (Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times)
![Pilots' memorial](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a3ff22d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x446+0+0/resize/600x446!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F9e%2Ffe%2F30651087b8838f0e1a7fa1fe7f53%2Fla-me-pilot04-156999.jpg)
Charles Baker throws a wreath into Santa Monica Bay near the spot where his cousin Paul D. Smith crashed in a T-33 jet. The plane was found by searchers looking for a wrecked P-51 flown by a WASP. (Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times)
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![Pilots' memorial](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c205e6f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x404+0+0/resize/600x404!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F48%2Fce%2F509470a3f61a2a5e301cce40aa22%2Fla-me-pilot05-156999.jpg)
A boat carries relatives to the spot where volunteers found the wrecked remains of a T-33 jet flown by Lts. Richard M. Theiler and Paul D. Smith. (Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times)
![Pilots' memorial](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2ef8090/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x402+0+0/resize/600x402!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe2%2F81%2Fe9abe3b3ac5b0559be5691d0e324%2Fla-me-pilot06-156999.jpg)
A relative throws rose petals at the site where the pilots’ plane was found. (Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times)