***Update***
This is one in a million. A Captain Malone did die in a plane crash
Article and this is how he was mistaken for me.
They found a laundry ticket on him that said Captain Malone (we use last names in the military) and for some unknown reason, the phone number listed was for my units Duty number. When the sheriffs called and asked do you have a Captain Malone, the duty of course said yes. He also lived in Yuma with a wife and two kids. My chain of command, having no reason to doubt the sheriffs office, got the ball started on the notification process. Come to find out, he does have a different first name than me, but like I said, we go by last names and the phone number found on him was to my command.
What an emotional day for my co-workers that thought I was dead. Can you even imagine having to deliver that news. I'm very glad that I was there to essentially intercept the message and be able to tell my wife about it myself. My prays do go out to the other Malone family in their time of loss.
James