Peter Lorence looks at the name of his father, Capt. Paul F. Lorence, near the cockpit of the 48th Fighter Wing’s heritage F-15E Strike Eagle with the call sign Karma 52 at RAF Lakenheath, England, on Thursday. The plane in which Lorence’s father flew had the same call sign. (Devin Klecan/Stars and Stripes)
RAF LAKENHEATH, England — Karma may have been smiling on the family of a U.S. airman killed during a 1986 bombing raid as they got their first look Thursday at an F-15E Strike Eagle christened with his call sign.
Peter Lorence was less than a year old when his father, Capt. Paul Lorence, was shot down along with Maj. Fernando Ribas-Dominicci while flying a mission over Libya known as Operation El Dorado Canyon.
The F-111F Aardvark in which they were flying on April 15, 1986, was struck by anti-aircraft fire and crashed into the Gulf of Sidra.
Lorence was a weapon systems officer and Ribas-Dominicci was the pilot of the plane, call sign Karma 52. Both were assigned to the 495th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, an Air Force base northeast of London.
In their honor, the wing unveiled a specially painted F‑15E Strike Eagle on the operation’s anniversary this year, with a Karma 52 inscription on the nose.
Lorence’s widow, Diana, attended a commemoration Thursday with the couple’s son, who has a family of his own now. The group viewed the heritage-themed fighter jet for the first time.
The family of Air Force Capt. Paul Lorence stands in front of the 48th Fighter Wing’s heritage F-15E Strike Eagle, which has the the call sign Karma 52 in tribute to the late airman, at RAF Lakenheath, England, Aug. 13, 2026. (Devin Klecan/Stars and Stripes)
“It’s a wonderful surprise, seeing that and marking heritage 40 years on,” Peter Lorence said. “When the worst does happen, their memories are not forgotten and their sacrifices are commemorated.”
His two young sons, Henry and George, got to see their grandfather’s name painted near the cockpit.
Peter was also given the opportunity to marshal one of the fighter wing’s Strike Eagles. On the airfield, he helped make sure the fighter was mission‑ready and guided it out for takeoff.
“It’s harder than it looks,” he said with a laugh. “It was exciting to see and do, to play a small part in that and get a feel for the work everyone does and the team effort involved.”
Peter Lorence, son of Air Force Capt. Paul Lorence, marshals an F-15E Strike Eagle as it prepares to taxi at RAF Lakenheath, England, Aug. 13, 2026. In April, the base gave one of its F-15s the call sign Karma 52 in honor of the airman, whose plane was shot down 40 years ago during a bombing raid targeting Libya. (Devin Klecan/Stars and Stripes)
Lorence and Ribas-Dominicci were the only American casualties during the operation. In 1989, Ribas-Dominicci’s remains were returned to the United States. Lorence’s remains have never been recovered.
Operation El Dorado Canyon was launched in retaliation for a terrorist attack 10 days earlier at a discotheque in West Berlin that killed three people, including two U.S. service members.
The U.S. accused Libya of sponsoring the attack. A four-year trial that concluded in 2001 put responsibility on Libyan intelligence and the country’s embassy there but cleared former ruler Moammar Gadhafi of involvement in the attack.
Toward the end of their visit, the Lorence family met with wing leaders and other personnel, who thanked them for their family’s service. Peter later shared recollections of his father.
“Music was a big part of his life, as were sports cars,” he said. “While living in the U.K., he bought a British sports car. Him and his squadron mates enjoyed fast cars back in the day, tearing around the country roads.”
Now his legacy is held fast by a slightly speedier piece of machinery, one that flies in the literal sense just as he did.
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