MACV-SOG MIA/KIA Chronological
List
1969
(?) 1969 Phil Strout
CCS recon - not sure month -KIA
1969 (date not available)-Casey,
ILT, 02, (first name unknown) Pilot, and an
unidentified Co-Pilot and Crew Chief USAF,
Ops 32, KIA-RR while in support of SOG Recon Operation.
Jan - May 69- Four Commandos
KIA and Four Commandos MIA (Names and
ranks unknown) Commando Team US Naval Advisory Det,
Camp Fay, Da Nang, Ops 31/37 (Maritime Studies
Branch) while performing operations along the North
Vietnamese Shoreline.
? Jan 69- An entire Special
Commando Unit and Helicopter Crew (names and
ranks unknown) from CCN, Da
Nang (This element was sent in to look for PFC Scherdin
who was KIA on 29 Dec 68 This entire element was lost
in a helicopter crash after the search and the information
they had gathered regarding the loss of PFC Scherdin
was now gone forever).
0l Jan 69- James M Hall,
SSG E6; Wayne L Hawes, SP/4, and
Michael J McKibban, E-6, CCN-KIA. 0l Jan 69-
James M Hall, SSG E6; Wayne L Hawes, SP/4, and Michael
J McKibban, E-6, CCN-KIA.
"The following is a bit fuzzy and could be wrong,
but here's what I THINK happened. The helicopter were
in the air, en route to the PZ. They were in radio
contact with the team when they heard a scream, then
silence. When they got there, they found the bodies
of the Americans in the PZ and recovered them. A search
of the area found the scattered, terrified SCU. The
SCU said the Americans let their guard down at the
last minute because the aircraft were inbound. The
SCU said they tried to warn the Americans, but to
no avail. Therefore, the SCU pulled back from the
Americans to establish a defense, when the NVA (who
had apparently been following them) popped up out
of the grass/brush and opened fire, killing the Americans."
An investigation was conducted because "the Americans
were found dead in the PZ and the SCU were picked
up from different locations in the vicinity of the
PZ, We were suspicious of the SCU because none of
them were hurt. The SCU were kept isolated from each
other and interrogated at length. Their stories were
pretty much the same. The following is what appears
to happen as best as we could piece it together -
The mission went well and the team was in the PZ.
All the Americans were killed, An autopsy showed that
the slugs were from AK47's-not M-16's like the SCU
were carrying (Col. Randy
Givens)
08 Jan 69- Bill F William Jr,
SP/4 and Gerald F Apperson, SFC E-7
USASF, CCN Recon, Alan C Giles, 1Lt,
Air Craft Commander, Jon P Roche, WO1,
Pilot, Robert D. Case, SP/4 Crewchief,
and Steven D. Bartman, SP/4, Gunner,
UH-1D, Tail #66-16323, 170th AHC -KIA (Filed by Gary
Rousn: Story told by Michael P. Loyd, 170th AHC: "...I
never found out what happened because my father died
and I was sent home. The information I got was from
other eyewitnesses that observed what happened that
day." The two SOG soldiers, Williams and Apperson,
had been picked up at a PZ. As the Helicopter was
climbing out of the PZ it took several hits in the
main transmission. The pilot (1Lt Giles) was advised
to land, but refused and reported he was going to
land at the Ben Het SF Camp. Smoke was pouring out
of the hellhole. By the time the pilot decided to
land, and started autorotation, and as he rolled off
the throttle, the transmission seized [causing the
helicopter to crash]) (Filed by Sgt Charles Berg:
Apperson and I were on the same RT in 66 at Phu Bai
[FOB 1] he was the 12, William T. (TEDDYBEAR) Copeland
10 and I was the 11, at the at time he was a E5, ran
two insertions with him, one we launched out of Kontum,
(Bad Weather at Khe Sahn), and Kontum RTs were wore
out, having gotten run out so many times within the
last thirty days (We set the record for the shortest
time on ground (not our choice) and one in DEC 66
to do the recovery/Bright Light on the HU-1B that
the B-52 Delta Team (Batts & Stark) were thought
to be on when they were E & E out of the North
West corner of the DMZ area and crossed over. Copeland
died in Bad Tolz in training.
29 Jan 69- Larry A Stephens,
SGT E-5; Billy J Simmons, SGT E-5, USASF
and Four Special Commandos, CCC, Kontum,
Ops 35 lost in Laos on a recon mission KIA-RR (Inserted
on 28 Jan 69, made radio contact at dusk. Failed to
come upon radio to FAC, Bright light was infiltrated
near the last known location. A location was discovered
where evidence of eating was strewn about the area,
cigarette butts and food wrappers. A short distance
further revealed an area where blood and expended
rounds indication a possible ambush site. Tracking
the blood trails, the remains of the entire team was
discovered).
29 Jan 69- Charles D Bullard,
SSG E-6 USASF, CCC, Kontum, Ops35 lost in Laos on
a recon mission, KIA-RR (He was shot and killed while
on a recon mission in Laos).
29 Jan 69- William Edward Campbell,
Maj 04, of Mc Allen, TX and Robert E Hoton,
CPT 0-3, USAF, Ops 32 (Air Studies
Branch)-MIA-Presumptive finding of death (During an
attempted recovery of a SOG team, their helicopter
came under enemy fire and crashed).
30 Jan 69- Jerrald J Bulin,
PFC E-3, USASF, CCC, Kontum, Ops 35, (While performing
security of the compound was shot by a lone Viet Cong,
KIA-RR
11 Feb 69- Harold "Harry"
William Kroske Jr 1LT 02 of Trenton, NJ, USASF,
CCS, RT Hammer, Ban Me Thout, Ops 35 MIA-Presumptive
finding of death. (Version 1: As the
platoon leader, of a Recon element with two other
Americans in Cambodia they moved away from the LZ
when they heard an enemy force in their area. A lone
enemy soldier walked pass their position and Lt Kroske
decided to take the soldier prisoner. He stepped out
onto the trail behind the enemy soldier; the enemy
soldier turned and saw Lt Krosek and took off running.
Lt Kroske started to chase him yelling "Chieu
Hoi." The enemy soldier stopped, turned and fired
point blank at Lt Kroske hitting him several times
in the chest. Immediately other enemy forces converged
upon the area and engaged the remaining recon element,
forcing the other two Americans to withdraw unable
to recover Lt Kroske. Version 2: Lt
Kroske with Sp/4 Bryan Stockdale and four Nungs were
inserted onto an open grassland, hustled for cover
of a thick patch of jungle a quarter mile away; once
there, Lt Kroske and the Nung point man crept forward
to examine a major trail they’d spotted from the air
as they landed, leaving Stockdale to make radio contact.
Suddenly, there was a quick burst of automatic fire,
then another, then a hail of fire, all 50 yards from
Stockdale. The Nung point had returned reporting Kroske
was dead. Stockdale investigated, finding Kroske,
getting close enough to almost touch him, but due
to the heavy enemy fire aimed at him, he could only
shout at him to no avail. Stockdale returned to where
he had left the Nungs, but they were no longer there
and Stockdale was stocked the remainder of that day
and night before being extracted to learn, Kroske
and the Nung had walked upon three NVA, one of whom
Kroske wanted to take prisoner. Kroske shot two of
the NVA and waved the third over, but the last NVA
jumped into the gras, fired a wildy and hit Kroske
three times in the stomach and chest). NOTE: Version
2 fits the official version.
14 Feb 69- Tim L. Walters,
SSG E-6, USASF, Ops 32, ALO-CCN-KIA
02 Mar 69- William Anthony Evans,
SGT E-5 of Milwaukee, WI and Michael Frederic
May, SP/5 of Vassar, Mich USASF and three
Special Commandos, CCS, Ban Mc Thout, Ops
35, MIA, Presumptive finding of Death. A team of two
Americans and four SCU were inserted into the "Fish
Hook" in Cambodia where the team was overran
by large enemy force. The surviving SCU related he
had snap-linked the bodies of Evans and May together
in hopes they could be extracted later. The SCU was
forced to evade the enemy and a subsequent fly over
the following day no bodies could be seen. Enemy activities
in the area prevented any further search.
04 Mar 69- David J. Warczak,
SFC E-7, USASF, B-50, Recon Team Leader-KIA
05 Mar 69-Six SCU were
killed in Operation Spindown. These men were members
of a Hatchet Company, Company A, Kontum, CCS, Ops
35. Accidently killed when a US F-4 dropped napalm
on the Hatchet Force’s position, dug in along Highway
110 in Laos, acting as a blocking force against the
enemy preventing reinforcements and supplies from
reaching the NVA who were waging a major battle on
the Special Forces Camp at Ben Het.
05 Mar 69- Earl W Himes,
SGT E-5 and Sanderfield A Jones, SP/4,
MLT-1, CCN-KIA
? Mar 69- Vietnamese Kingbee
Pilot, Co-pilot, and door gunner, 219th
Vietnamese CH-34 "Kingbee" KIA-RR. Helicopter
Aircrew crashed due to enemy fire while performing
an attempted resupply mission for SOG’s Sledge Hammer’s
Radio Relay Site, being defended by RT Arkansas. (A
Cobra gunship of the 361st AHC, whose pilot
reports he had called Kingbee leader for the CH-34
to assist in the attempt to resupply the road cutting
Hatchet team which had been inserted which had reported
some incoming but needed resupply and evacuation of
some wounded. The Cobra pilot instructed the CH-34
to stay low and to keep out of the line of fire; however,
he came in too high and too fast and ignored the pleas
of the Cobra pilot. The Kingbee ballooned over the
LZ and came to a high over the hole in the trees.
He was making erratic movements, but never said anything,
a little while later it was reported the CH-34 veering
off to the south and was in trouble and the Cobra
pilot witnessed the CH-34 fly into the side of a hill
and explode [Info by Jim Williams, 361st
AHC])
14 Mar 69- James L Ripanti,
ILT 0-2, USASF, CCC-KIA. Lt Ripanti’s team had been
hit SSW of Leghorn. He was seriously wounded and couldn’t
be moved to an LZ. They had to use the McGuire rig
to get him out. I was decided to take him to Leghorn
first so they could get him on board the ship. The
RTO said he didn’t think Ripanti would survive the
long haul back to the ropes. The RTO had gone out
with him, taking the radio. The 361st had
difficulty finding the "little people" Special
Commando’s; however, they used those day-glo panels
and the Gladiator slicks were willing to go down and
pick them up separately(Info by Jim Williams, 361
AHC).
18 Mar 69- Margarito Franandez,
Jr, SFC E-7 and Barry Daniel Murphy,
SGT E-5 and Four Special Commandos KIA
CCS; Ban Me Thout, Ops 35 in Cambodia performing a
Bomb damage Assessment SFC Frenandez remains recovered,
SGT Murphy Remains not recovered. Killed in the "Fish
Hook" area in support of Operation Breakfast
when the team became engaged with a superior enemy
force.
20 Mar 69- Ricardo Gonzales
Davis, SFC E-7, USASF, CCN, Da Nang, Ops 35,
KIA Remains not recovered. Team leader of a 6 man
team operating west of Kham Duc, eleven miles inside
of Laos when Davis was hit by rifle fire in the upper
chest and face saying "Jim, Jim!" then falling
to the ground. He was observed by a team member (Sgt
Jame C. Motte) two feet away, another team member
recovered Davis’s weapon and ammo, reported Davis
was covered with blood. The Assistant Patrol Leader
arrived some seven minutes later and checked for a
pulse and respiration, but could find no signs of
life. Due to an advancing enemy, the patrol was forced
to leave the area. Davis was not seen again and no
further search was made because of air strikes and
the area was held by enemy forces from that day forward.
22 MAR 69- Richard F Salazar,
SFC E-7, USASF CCC, Kontum, Ops 35, Remains recovered
26 Mar 69- Frank A. DiFigila,
COL 0-6, USAF, 20th Special Operations
Squadron, Ops 32/75 (Air Studies) died in his UH-1F
helicopter, Remains Recovered Helicopter tail #63-131158.
26 Mar 69- Robert B Sheridan,
1LT 0-2, USASF, Special Operations Augmentation (SOA),
Ops 35, KlA-RR
08 Apr 69- Christian G. Frenchy"
Girard, SFC E-7, USASF, SOA, CCS, Ban Me Thout,
Ops-35 Died due to a helicopter accident in Cambodia
Remains Recovered. During an administrative extraction,
the helicopter rotor blade struck a tree causing the
helicopter to fall to the ground throwing Girard out
of the aircraft at which time the helicopter rolled
over and crushed him.
18 Apr 69- John F. Holan,
SFCE-7, SOA, Died not as a result of enemy hostile
action awarded a Soldier’s Medal
23 Apr 69- Donald "Covey
Ross" B Ross, SFC E-7, USASF, #Covey
Rider, FAC, MLT 3, CCN, Da Nang, Ope 35 and a
FAC Pilot, name and rank unknown, 23rd Tactical
Air support, Ops 32/75 (Air Studies) were KIA-RR while
flying in support of a recon team in trouble
24 Apr 69- Jerry "Mad-dog"Michael
Shriver, SFC E-7 of Sacramento, CA, Plt SGT
Exploitation Force, Gregory M Harrigan,
lLT, Asst Exploitation Force Plt Ldr; Ernest
C. Jamison, SGT, USASF and An unknown
number of Special Commando Scouts (names and
ranks unknown) CCS, Bam Me Thout, Ops 35. Shriver
MIA-presumed dead and Harrigan and Jamison KIA-RR.
The nickname "Mad-dog" was given to Shriver
by radio Hanoi. A 25 man exploitation force on a reinforcing
mission became engaged immediately upon being inserted
into enemy held territory 1 ½ miles inside Laos west
of the DMZ’s southern boarder by an entrenched superior
company sized enemy force with fortified machine gun
positions . Fighting from bomb craters, the force
called for air strikes and as fighter aircraft dropped
napalm around their positions, Shriver and one SCU
was last observed by Cpt Paul D. Cahill attempting
to move behind a machine gun position and were last
seen moving into a tree line. Shriver maintained radio
contact for four hours at which time transmissions
ceased. It is known Shriver had been wounded three
or four times during the fighting. An enemy soldier
was observed to be in possession of the same type
weapon Shriver had been using. The commander of the
force was wounded in the right eye resulting in total
blindness for 30 minutes. The enemy fired at everything
and bodies of the exposed dead force members were
machine gunned repeatedly. By this time, over half
of the force was either killed or wounded. Approximately
forty five minutes later, 1Lt Harrigan, the assistant
force team leader was killed. A1-E "Sky Raiders"
bombed and rocketed the area while the NVA applied
heavy ground fire wounding one door gunner. Several
attempted extractions had to be aborted. With the
force commander and assistant commander wounded or
dead, the third in command called for napalm to be
dropped ten yards from his position resulting in him
and nine SCU in his bomb crater being burned by the
napalm. The fight raged on for seven hours in an intense
battle then finally three helicopters were able to
drop in and extract fifteen wounded members of the
force. With movement noted in another crater, a fourth
chopper came in with a Lieutenant aboard from CCS
who retrieved the badly wounded radio operators and
a body from the crater. The helicopters were receiving
fire the entire time and lifted off immediately after
the individuals were aboard. Ten air strikes and 1,500
rockets were required to extract the few survivors
of the team. No further insertion could be made into
the enemy stronghold. Jun 12th, 1970, a
search recover team was inserted into the battle area
and human remains were recovered and identified; however,
the remains of SFC Shriver was not recovered. One
of many stories about Mad-dog is the report where
he and his team was surrounded by the enemy and as
air support arrived to provide support, inquired as
to his situation, Mad-dog is credited as reporting
something to the effect, "we have them right
where we want them, surrounded from the inside out!"
(This quote may not be exact, it’s something I heard
when I was at CCN and seen elsewhere in writing, which
is characteristic of a SOG soldier and marks Shriver
as one of SOG’s many legends). NOTE:
Page 234, of John Plaster’s book, The Secret Wars
of America’s Commandos in Vietnam contains the
following: "It was Mad Dog Shriver who’d spoken
the most famous rejoinder in SOG history: His team
surrounded and the CCS staff concerned he might be
overran, a FAC told Shriver, ‘It sounds pretty bad.’
And Shriver replied, ‘No, no. I’ve got ‘em right where
I want ‘em-surrounded from
the inside."
26 Apr 69- Beverly C. Ware,
SP/4, USASF, CCS or B-36(?)- KIA
06 May 69- Kenneth L. Dulley,
SFC E-7, USASF, CCS-KIA
09 May 69- Frederick J Magsamen,
SGT E-5 USASF, Ops 35, KIA-RR
13 May 69- Bruce Carleton Bessor,
1LT 02, of Fairfax, VA, USA Aviation Pilot FAC of
the 219th Aviation Company, Ops 32 and
Mike John Scott SFC E-7 of Newark, NJ,
USASF, Covey Rider FAC, CCN, Da Nang, Ops 35 MIA-Presumptive
finding of death. In a O-1G aircraft flying (FAC)
radio relay for a recon team in the Vietnam/Laos border
west of Kham Duc. The team had radio contact with
the aircraft and could hear 15 rounds of 37mm anti-aircraft
fire from their position and the sputtering of the
engine then all contact with the aircraft was lost.
When a search aircraft attempted to enter the suspected
crash area, they had to retreat due heavy enemy fire.
An aerial search conducted on the 18th
failed to reveal anything.
23 May 69- Rudolph G. Machata,
SSG E-6, RTT OP; Howard S. Hill, SGT
E-5, Medic; Phillip W. Strout, SP/4,
USASF, CCS, Ops 35-KIA
25 May 69- Ronnie B Hogbin,
SFC E-7, USASF, CCN, Da Nang, Ops 35, KIA-RR
29 May 69- Lee B Sinclair,
SGT E-5, USASF, CCN-KIA
17 Jul 69- Dennis W Bingham,
SP/4 USASF, CCC-KIA
25 Jul 69- Vencent F Sabatinelli,
1LT 0-2, USASF, Expoitation Force, CCN, Da Nang, Ops
35 KIA RR while performing operations in Laos, target
area "AS-1" in the A Shau Valley.
27 Jul 69- Steven Nagy,
SSG E-6, USASF, CCN, Recon Tm CL, Team Leader-Died
of wound(s)(?)
30 Jul 69- Samuel W Waithour,
SP/4, USASF, Camp Long Thanh, 0ps34/38 was killed
while at the 'One-Zero/Team Leader's School"
KIA-RR
31
Jul 69 - Dennis Paul Neal, 1LT 0-2
of Tarpin Springs Fl; Michael Paul Burns,
SP/4 of El Paso, TX, USASF, and Two Special
Commandos CCN, Da Nang, Ops 35 MIA-Presumptive
finding of death. Two Americans and two SCU were severely
wounded during an initial attack and overran by an
unknown size enemy force 1-1.2 miles inside Laos west
of Hue. The surviving team members had been split
from the team and they were able to evade the enemy
and extracted. The surviving member reported that
they believed their seriously wounded comrades had
been killed; However, when last heard, a radio transmission
was heard "help, help, help, for God’s sake help!"
Two wounded team members had to be left behind due
to heavy enemy activity encountered. An immediate
aerial search was conduct without success. Another
search was conducted two later without success. Due
to heavy enemy activity and concentration in the area,
no further search was made. NOTE: Surviving Commando
reported Burns was lying on his back with severe head
wounds, possibly dead, after incurring blast of a
B-40 rocket and Neal was severely wounded in the chest
by the B-40 blast.
09 Aug 69 - Janouskek, Ronald,
1Lt, and Kane, Bruce, Cpl, USMC Helicopter
Crew providing support in Laos-KIA. The Helicopter
was hit by enemy fire, burst into flames and crashed
into a Laotian River. Two members of the crew survived.
[Photo on page 98, SOG A Photo History of the Secret
Wars by John Plaster]
26 Aug 69 - Kenneth W. Worthley,
SSG E-6, USASF, CCC, Recon Tm Flordia, Team Leader-KIA-RR
Worthley, One-Zero, Bob Garcia, One-One, and a new
man, Dale Hanson, One-Two, inserted into Northern
Cambodia. Inserting uneventful, however, shortly thereafter,
two trackers had picked up their trail, Garzia fired
killing one and then taking an M-79, he killed another
NVA. Brush started to break around them, apparently,
they were being followed by a company size element.
The team was now on the run when Hanson left middle
finger was shot off. It was now getting dark, the
team hid in a narrow gully for the night. At dawn,
the team moved into the jungle where the team encountered
two NVA who were killed by Worthley. One of the NVA
was identified as probable Chinese Colonel intelligence
officer. Again, the team was on the run as more NVA
arrived and was hot on their trail. The team worked
themselves to a bamboo grove, adequate for a STABO
rig extraction. Garcia calling in air strikes to hold
the enemy at bay. The first Huey arrived and dropped
four ropes, Three SCU and Worthley’s body were extracted.
Worthely had been shot through the neck and died at
the LZ. A second helicopter arrived and extracted
the remainder of the team. (Note: The documents
captured from the intelligence officer contained the
name of double agents in South Vietnam, including
the name of the double agent that was executed by
Col Robert Rheault, 5th SFGA’s commander
in 1969. Col Rheault had been charged with murder
and imprisoned for several months. He was released
shortly after the death of Worthley).
27 Aug 69 - Peter Hinchman
McMurray, (Age: 24 years 0 months and 6 days)
1LT 0-2, USASF SOA, CCN, 1st Plt Ldr, Co A, Da Nang,
Ops 35, of Duxbury, MA., Killed In Action, Not As
A Result Of Hostile Fire (Note the official government
classification of "Non-Hostile Death" is in error)
- Remains Recovered, and Two Special Commando of CCC,
Kontom-KIA. SOG had directed CCN to put a CCC platoon
onto Co Roc Mountain; in addition, a Support Platoon
from CCN and a Recon Team from CCN were to be inserted.
The Support Platoon was commanded by Lt McMurray.
As a Kingbee (H34) helicopter made its approach to
the LZ, its rotor blade hit the hillside and the aircraft
crashed into the LZ. McMurray was killed either by
a blade or a rock sent spinning by the blade. A short
time later, SOG notified CCN that enemy intercepts
indicated the enemy knew of the insertion and that
the CCC platoon was moving south off of Co-Roc to
their (enemy's) area of operation (AO). The enemy
planned to attack that night. BG (then Major) George
"Speedy" Gaspard flew to Co-Roc where he coordinated
activities, toe poppers and obstacles were already
set around the perimeter. The CCC platoon was notified
of the impending attack and was hit about 4 am by
a B40 rocket attack with two Commando Killed and four
Wounded. After daylight, that platoon was picked up.
The Recon Team continued to move toward the river
bottom and continued its mission. Gen Gaspard and
the support personnel were picked up-(Information
furnished by BG Gaspard). Col (then Cpt). Randy Givens
reports Lt. McMurray was his roommate and Lt McMurray
was a Platoon Leaders in Company A and not in Company
B and confirms the information furnished by BG Gaspard.
THERE IS A DIFFERENT, INTENTIONAL MISREPRESENTATION
OF EVENTS INVOLVING THE DEATH OF LT McMURRAY RECORDED
IN THE BOOK, 15 Months in SOG, A Warrior's Tour, by
Thom Nicholson, Colonel (then Cpt), US Army Retired,
Ivy Books. The misrepresentation appears to be a deliberate,
intentional effort by the author to falsify a variety
of events to document Cpt Nicholson as a "Heoric Field
Officer" with 12 months of service with SOG, not 15!
Although the book is written as non- fiction it is
essentially fiction with no historical value: General
Gaspard writes that Lt McMurray was a fine young officer
and deserves a better fate.. Col. Nicholson states
he was the Company Commander of Co B and Lt McMurray
as his Executive Officer. A Recon Team had found and
reported a 6-8" pipeline which had been constructed
in the Mu Gia Pass area where the Route 911 of the
Ho Chi Minh trail comes out of North Vietnam and enters
Laos. Two Platoons form Company B were inserted into
the location where the pipeline was discovered with
the mission to destroy and disrupt the oil supply
going to Vietnam and during the extraction of the
element, the last chopper was loaded with the two
Americans and two SCU. As the helicopter began its
ascent, it was engaged by frontal enemy machine gun
which killed the Pilot and Co pilot resulting in the
helicopter crashing. One of the SCU had been thrown
from the helicopter and was dead, then the body of
McMurray was located, he also had been thrown out
of the helicopter as it was spinning to the ground
when the helicopter blade hit him in the chest killing
him.
28 Aug 69- Richard K. Joecken,
SP/4, USASF, CCC, Sqd Ldr-KIA
21 Sep 69- Alan Bruce Cecil,
SP/5 of Holdenville, OK USASF and Commando Scout
SOA Command and Control, Ops 35, Recon in Laos KIA
due to enemy fire, MIA-Presumptive finding of death.
The team was engaged by the enemy and in the initial
burst, two team members were killed, including Cecil.
He was shot in the head above the right eye with the
other team members reporting that he was not breathing.
The remaining team was able to evade the enemy; however,
they had to leave the dead behind. Enemy activity
in the area precluded infiltration into the area to
conduct a search.
23 Sep 69- Stephen J Chaney,
CPT 0-3, USASF SOA, CCS, Bam Me Thout, Ops 35, Killed-RR.
Chaney was the assistant operations officer (S-3).
26 Sep 69- Ronald Marcel Goulet,
CPT 0-3, Ops 35, Killed-RR
27 Sep 69- Mark L. Brown,
SP/4, USASF, CCS, Radio Operator-KIA
28 Sep 69- Michael A Piacentino,
SSG E-6 USASF CCN-KIA
08 Oct 69- James L. Gasseling,
SGT E-5, USASF, CCS-KIA
09 Oct 69- Lawrence D. Acre,
MAJ 0-4, Launch Site Cmdr; William H. Morris,
Jr., CPT 0-3, Asst Launch Site Cmdr and Robert
R. Miller, SFC E-7, Launch Site NCOIC, MLSS,
USASF, CCS.-KIA The commander was taking SFC Miller
who was a replacement along with other staff on a
fly over of the Area of Operation to familiarize them
to the operational area. The Helicopter crashed in
the Quan Loi area, all personnel on board, including
air crew were killed.
20 Oct 69- William Wentworth
Stubbs, SSG E6 of Newport, WA, USASF and
Four Special Commandos RT California, CCC,
Kontum, Ops 35 MIA-Presumptive finding of Death. The
team was performing a recon mission 20 miles inside
of Laos northeast of Nakhon Phanom and had stopped
for a break. As the team stared to move away, Stubbs
was with the team’s point element when the team was
attacked by a numerically superior enemy force. During
the initial burst, Stubbs was observed being shot
several times in the head at close range by automatic
weapons fire. Three hand grenades were thrown at Stubbs
position. Due to enemy fire, the team was unable to
move to his position and retrieve Stubbs. The team
was forced to withdraw leaving Stubbs behind. A search
was conducted on the 21st without success.
25 Oct 69- Joseph V Whelan,
Cpt 0-3, Plt Ldr and Ronald H. Bozikis,
SSG E6 SQD LDR, Co B, Exp Force, CCN-KIA
25 Oct 69- Charles E. Shultz,
SGT E-5, USASF, CCN, Squad Leader-KIA
03 Nov 69- William T Brown,
SSG E-6 of La Habra, CA, Tm Ldr; Gunter
Herbert Wald,
SGT E-5 of Bergen, NJ, Asst Tm Ldr, and Donald
Monroe Shue, SGT E-5, Tm Radio Op, USASF,
SOA, CCN, Da Nang, Ops 35, MIA-Presumptive finding
of death. The team was attacked by a numerically superior
enemy force at night while in their RON position 30
miles inside Laos near Ban Chakevy Tai. The NVA, stripped
to their shorts, came in silently with only AK’s and
grenades. Brown was wounded in the side, and Walt
and Shue wounded by fragmentation. Both were last
seen lying wounded on the ground as the team’s position
was about to be overran. Due to heavy enemy activity,
the remaining team had withdraw leaving the three
Americans behind. Adverse weather prevented a search
until the 11th. The search team discovered
"web gear" belonging to the wounded Americans,
but nothing more.
12 Nov 69- Randolph V Rhea,
SP/5, USASF, CCC-KIA
13 Nov 69- Ronald Earl Ray,
SSG E-6, Tm Ldr of Port Arthur, TX, Randolpth
Bothwell Suber, SGT of Balin, Missouri, USASF
and Three Special Commandos, CCN, Da
Nang, Ops 35, MIA, Presumptive finding of death. The
recon team was attacked 16 miles inside Laos west
of Thua Thien Province by a numerically superior force
with three team members killed. Ray suffered a small
arms would and fell to the ground yelling being hit
in the chest and arm. He was last seen lying on the
ground as the team’s position was overran by enemy
forces. The sole surviving team member, SCU Nguyen
Van Bon, shook Ray but received no response and noted
Ray’s weapon was smashed. Suber was last seen trying
to gain contact on his URC-10 emergency radio, then
picked up his weapon and aimed at four approaching
hostile soldiers, but the rifle did not fire because
it had became jammed, and Suber was hit immediately
afterwards and fell to the ground. Nguyen Van Bon
was able to evade the enemy, fight his way free. Emergency
beeper signals were monitored in the area for several
days, however, bad weather and enemy activity a search
team could not be inserted.
03 Dec 69- Wayne M Anderson,
SGT E-5, USASF Co B Exp Force, CCC-KIA
12 Dec 69- William E. Spencer,
SFC E-7, USASF, CCC, Spike Team IL, Asst Tm Ldr-KIA
15 Dec 69- David A Lenchner,
ILT 0-2, USASF, RT AZ CCC-KIA
